MIC president S Samy Vellu today said he would meet Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to discuss the National Fatwa Council's ruling on the practice of yoga by Muslims.

Samy Vellu, in a statement, said the council had every right to make a decision on Muslims and Islamic matters.

However, he added that the council's classification of yoga as haram (prohibited) may have caused confusion among the non-Muslims, particularly the Hindus.

samy vellu exclusive on tamil schools 080708 02 Therefore, Samy Vellu said he would like to meet the prime minister to discuss the matter and set the record straight.

"MIC view the matter very seriously as the decision has caused anxiety among the Hindus in the country," he said.

He also urged the Hindu community to remain calm and not to become too emotional.

He added that the party's comment on the matter should not be seen as questioning the right of the Fatwa Council.

"We are merely pointing out the sensitivity involved in a multi-racial and multi-religious society like Malaysia," he said.

The council had issued the ban over the weekend.

It is inappropriate. It can destroy the faith of a Muslim," council chairman Abdul Shukor Husin had told reporters.

He also pointed out that clerics in Egypt had issued a similar edict in 2004 that called the practice of yoga "an aberration".

Many Muslims practice it

yoga The ban had evoked mixed reactions, with some agreeing and others opposing it.

Sisters in Islam (SIS) and several yoga practitioners had expressed disappointment with the ban and maintained that yoga was just a form of exercise.

SIS programme manager Norhayati Kaprawi said many Muslims in Malaysia practise it as a form of exercise to stay healthy.

"I don't think it has caused any Muslim to convert to Hinduism, neither has it weakened their faith. It's just an exercise like qigong or tai chi which has its roots in Buddhism," she added.

According to her, the council has acted as if yoga is a widespread threat to Islam.

"I hope they can focus their attention on bigger and more pressing issues, such as money politics and corruption. Isn't that more serious?" she asked.

She noted that SIS had been holding weekly yoga classes for their staff for the past year, adding that it had no problems in continuing with this.

VIDEOS

Fatwa and control, Part 1

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Fatwa and control, Part 2 l 10 min