Recently, the top Malaysian Islamic body issued a fatwa against yoga, arguing that its practice contains elements of Hinduism and might corrupt Islamic faith. It added that while yoga as a pure element of physical exercise might not be against Islamic beliefs, Muslims should avoid practising it because "doing one part of yoga would lead to another."
The chairman of the fatwa council advocated, “There are many other forms of exercise that Muslims can partake in, especially when the religion promotes healthy living and lifestyle. Performing prayers, for example, is a good form of exercise." Perhaps soon the council will unveil a new method of praying, which involves strapping weight belts around the worshippers' waists and arms while they stoop back and forth during their shalat.
The only glimmer of hope I have is that more and more people, including Muslims, will find that this religion is slowly choking their lifestyle and will finally form their own voice and make a stand against these dictatorial religious bodies.
Note: More recently, MUI declared that it is considering following the footsteps of their Malaysian counterpart. How original.
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