Malaysia's top Islamic body on Saturday banned Muslims from practicing yoga, saying the Indian physical exercise contains elements of Hinduism that could corrupt Muslims.

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"It is inappropriate. It can destroy the faith of a Muslim," Council chairman Abdul Shukor Husin told reporters, noting that clerics in Egypt also issued a similar edict in 2004 that called the practice of yoga "an aberration."

Originally posted by schrodingers dog
Further more by issuing this Fatwa, the clerics are denying muslims alternative healing methods including physical therapy.

For centuries, the science of Yoga has been used to enhance physical and emotional well being. Now, the therapeutic potential of yoga is being rediscovered in the modern world. When yoga is practiced with therapeutic intention -- Yoga Therapy -- it can prevent, or aid recovery from, physical and mental ailments.

Yoga for Health

The Malays form the majority of the population. Some Malays are of Arab[18]descent and there are sizable Chinese and Indian communities. Islam is the largest as well as the official religion of the federation.[5][19] The Malay language is the official language.[20] The Malay language was originally written in Pallava from India, the earliest known inscriptions in Malay were found in southern Sumatra and on the island of Bangka and date from 683–6 AD. They were written in an Indian script during the time of the kingdom of Srivijaya, but nowadays, the Roman alphabet (Rumi) is more often used.

Perhaps that is the foundation for the clerics' fear, the loss of their muslim identity.

This move seems to me to be a little extreme and paranoid on behalf of the clerics and somewhat surprising coming from Malaysia which is very multicultural and usually tolerant and moderate in its makeup. Perhaps that is the foundation for the clerics' fear, the loss of their muslim identity.