| Do Not Make Yoga Fatwa A Religious Issue, Says Dr Mahathir |
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KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today urged the relevant parties not to turn the National Fatwa Council's decision to bar Muslims from practising yoga into a religious issue.
"If they (National Fatwa Council) believe it is wrong, then it is wrong. It is unfortunate that other people think that it is a slur on their religion. It is like saying Muslims should not eat pork, and it is not an insult to the Chinese. It is the same when Muslims cannot do yoga. It is not because they are insulting the Hindus.
"It is just that they should not do it. Whether the Malays follow it or not, that is really their business. Other people should not make it a religious issue. Like all other things forbidden among Muslims, it is not an insult to others.
"But people want to make an issue of this. I feel very sorry. Personally, I don't care very much if you stand on your head or stand on your feet. It is not as if by performing yoga you immediately become a non-Muslim."
He told reporters this after presenting a keynote address at the English and Asia 2008 First International Conference on Language and Linguistics organised by the International Islamic University Malaysia, here, today.
Last Saturday, the National Fatwa Council issued an edict barring Muslims from performing yoga, saying that it was against the teachings of Islam.
On another note, Dr Mahathir said he was steadfast in coming up with a list of names of Umno leaders involved in money politics in the run-up to the party polls, slated for March next year.
"I have to be very sure before I put them (names of leaders) on the list. If I have evidence and Umno is not taking any action, then I will put (the names) on the list. I have given the (Umno) disciplinary board two weeks and I hope they act within two weeks," he said.
Asked on Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's statement that money politics was in existence even when Dr Mahathir was Umno president, Dr Mahathir said: "There was corruption during my time and I have always admitted to that, but not on the scale that you are seeing now."
-- BERNAMA
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