Staninmalang — Wed, 11/26/2008 - 11:48am

Aspects of yoga are very beneficial but the totality of it runs contrary to the teachings of Islam and Christianity. Is this yoga for sport and health or are aspects of Hinduism included in each session? Yoga, a la Hinduism, is assuming your identity with the divine and chanting the mantras is essentially important in bringing you to the point of moksha which is liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth or reincarnation and all of the suffering and limitation of worldly existence. If chanting is involved then it isn't acceptable. Certain types of meditation are also not acceptable. Meditating and emptying the mind is contrary to teachings of Christianity. Christians should be meditating on the Word of God when meditating according to the Bible, not emptying their minds.

A fatwa doesn't need to be ordered. Common sense is required. If the yoga class is only stretching, exercise and breathing then it would be acceptable. Anything religious incorporated into the class which runs contrary to your religion's teachings (i.e. Islam, Christianity, etc.) should be avoided.

David K. — Wed, 11/26/2008 - 11:04am

According to the MUI, no you are not allowed to read the Bible, the Torah, the Vedas. This group I’ve noticed seem to want Indonesia to become a Muslim Country not a Democracy, similar but more sever then their Malaysian counterparts.
There is a growing response to the failing economy, the distance between higher income and lower income sections of society that is requesting for a harsher Sharia based laws as people get troubled, people always find the faith during times of crisis much to the delight of associations such as MUI. They want to breed a hatred of all things non Muslim, and an intolerance for all thoughts or ideas that doesn’t originate from their exalted group. It starts with Yoga, next it will the concept that Christian Churches within 1000 meters of a mosque could weaken the faith of islamist, Christmas Trees at Shopping malls (which has transformed into more of a commercialized holiday for spending money rather than any religious purposes but don’t let me get into that) will promote Jesus and weaken the faithful to Islam. I hope this is not the case, but contemplating Yoga as the terror to Islam is a joke.
The stronger louder face of Islam has transformed the Image of Islam as a tolerant religion that promotes peace. Now the stronger louder face of Islam is intolerant of non Islam based cultures, of other religions, of any point of view outside of Islam. It’s sad, because I have uncles who are islam, and they have always told me about the beautiful aspects of Islam, how it teaches that your growth in your faith grows when you allow other cultures and faiths to flourish around you, and how to see the positive aspects of other religions.
Now the positive sides of Islam have pretty much been dead and buried, with more time spent spouting on the aspects of the Quran that promote, Jihad, intolerance of other cultures and faiths, 4 wives, pedophilia, hatred, and a more radical point of view to the world.
I wish the MUI would assist in changing that growing tide of intolerance by going back to when Islam was truly conservative beautiful religion as it was in Indonesia, instead of wasting time deliberating if Yoga will destroy Islam or not.

Yogi (not verified) — Wed, 11/26/2008 - 5:13am

If Yoga were Arab invention, it will be mandatory. The Arabs want
to enforce their cultures through their religion. Religion just
a cultural practice of a certain race. What is good for Arabs, it does not mean it is good for everyone else. Let's the Arabs practice what they believe.