The good Book says, ‘good cometh out of evil’. The greatest good has been the spontaneous manifestation of solidarity across the board by all sections sharing the grief of the victims and their families with determination to wage the war on terror unitedly, without indulging in blame games. This indomitable spirit is our greatest asset. We must preserve it without giving way to despondency or defeatism. Then we can confidently say, we shall overcome and we shall prevail.

Yoga and Islam

Visitors to Malaysia, especially Kuala Lumpur, are rightly impressed by its progress and many aspects of its infrastructure, including its roads and airport. Purdah is not vigorously enforced. Therefore, the recent edict issued by the National Fatwa Council saying that ‘tomboyishness’ in girls was forbidden in Islam is surprising. Where is a ‘tomboy’ or ‘tomboyishness’ defined? Would it include a woman wearing pants? What about a woman with short hair or tattoo on her arms? This edict is an instance of selective targeting of women. Besides it gives a charter to informers to spy on women and empowers the police to make arbitrary arrests. And all that in the name of Islam.

Religion has again been invoked to ban yoga, which is practised across the world by people belonging to different communities and religions. Yet, Muslims in Malaysia are told by the National Fatwa Council that yoga involves worshipping and chanting, which are prohibited for Muslims and which could erode their faith. It is regrettable that instead of expounding the sublime thoughts and ethical precepts contained in the Koran, Islam is invoked to buttress idiosyncratic notions. In a modern progressive State like Malaysia, these developments are distressing.