T

he Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) is working to finalize the fatwa (edict) it issued earlier this year banning Muslims from practicing certain aspects of yoga.

MUI research and development head Utang Ranuwijaya, said the country's top Islamic body was "smoothing out" the declaration on banning yoga and would soon legitimize the edict.

"I don't know when exactly this will happen, because it's completely in the hands of the MUI's fatwa commission; but it should be soon," he said Monday after a seminar on yoga and Islam at the Bali-India Foundation in Denpasar, Bali.

The seminar was part of the International Bali-India Yoga Festival, which runs until Tuesday. The festival aims to shed light on how yoga is practiced in Indonesia, and to push for an understanding of the practice in the wake of the recent edict.

The ban, which apes a similar edict in neighboring Malaysia, was passed after investigators visited gyms and private yoga classes across the country to see what effect Hindu rituals like chanting mantras could have on Muslims.

Clerics decided that chanting mantras could weaken a Muslim believer's faith.

Unlike the edict in Malaysia, which banned yoga outright, the MUI edict allowed Muslims to practice yoga as an exercise, though under certain requirements.

"Only strictly physical yoga may be practiced by Muslims. Yoga must be completely sterile. In fact, Muslims should not be saying *Om' *a word used in Hindu to represent the gods* while performing yoga," Utang said.

Monday's seminar revealed other practices and terminologies the MUI wants to ban.

Utang said the act of meditation was one of them, pointing out that Muslims should pray rather than meditate.

"Meditation is a specific practice for a specific purpose that is not in line with Islam," he said.

He also warned yoga trainers at the seminar to segregate men's and women's classes, and told them to remind the latter to conceal their skin and body curves while exercising.

"If a Muslim yoga trainer can do this, then I think that would be a thumbs-up for them. It would certainly help their company," he said.

He added yoga centers should avoid referring to yoga as an attempt to unite the mind and body.

"There is no such thing as uniting the mind and body," he said in all sincerity.

"In Islam, there is just being khusuk *a tranquil and immersed state of mind while praying*."

In response, Dr. Somvir, founder of the Bali-India Foundation and festival adviser, said the MUI fatwa was "fair" by not castigating the entire practice of yoga as a sin.

"Basically, it means that yoga as an exercise can be done by adherents of any faith," he said.

But Dr. Martin Ramstedt, a German researcher with the Max Planck Society and a panelist at the seminar, disagreed.