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Ulema council mulls bans for yoga, vote boycotting
Controversial issues ranging from yoga to abstaining from voting will head the agenda when 700 ulema from throughout the country meet in the West Sumatra town of Padang Panjang, starting Friday
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Controversial issues ranging from yoga to abstaining from voting will head the agenda when 700 ulema from throughout the country meet in the West Sumatra town of Padang Panjang, starting Friday.
Deputy chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Ma'ruf Amin said Wednesday the council would issue edicts on the matters at the conclusion of the four-day meeting. The council has allocated the second and third days to discuss whether to ban yoga and abstaining from voting.
"We will not decided via a vote. The edicts we will issue will take into consideration the interests of all Muslims in the country," said Ma'ruf, who heads the council's edict commission.
An edict constitutes a religious obligation rather than a law.
Debate on yoga arose when the MUI's Malaysian counterpart announced a plan to ban the popular exercise last year. The Malaysian ulema later dropped the proposal.
"Yoga, for example has sparked a debate as some say it's just an exercise but others say it involves a religious ritual. Our findings confirmed the controversy," Ma'ruf said.
Choosing not to vote is also expected to incite a heated debate when the ulema meet. A Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) group has insisted everyone has the right to abstain from voting.
Former NU chairman Abdurrahman Wahid is one of a number of prominent Muslim figures who have announced they will abstain from voting.
Poll watchdogs have predicted a lower voter turnout in the April elections compared to in 2004 due to poor governance and a failure to raise awareness of the event.
The General Elections Commission has predicted voter turnout to be 70 percent of the number of eligible voters.
Ma'ruf said the MUI considered the selection of national leaders through the legislative and presidential elections a crucial agenda.
"Our edict will not differentiate legislative, presidential and regional elections. Through elections we select leaders who will articulate our interests and fight for them," Ma'ruf said.
The plan to issue an edict banning smoking has split the council.
"There will be a lengthy debate on whether smoking is lawful, unlawful or tolerable. The pros and cons will shift to the issue of protecting children and fetuses from the hazards of smoking," he said.
A number of local governments have imposed restrictions on tobacco purchases.
The council will also discuss early marriage, which is considered a crime. Vice President Jusuf Kalla will open the meeting, the third since 2003.
Previous meetings produced edicts on bank interest, suicide bombing, terrorism and *premium' SMS.
