"Yoga is forbidden for Muslims. The practice will erode their faith in the religion," Abdul Shukor Husin, chairman of the National Fatwa Council, told reporters.

"We advice Muslims not to practise yoga. It does not conform with Islam," he said in response to a call to ban Muslims from doing yoga

Muslims make up more than 60 per cent of the population of Malaysia, where yoga is a popular stress reliever.

Zakaria Stapa, a Malaysian professor, recently called on Muslims to stop doing yoga as it could cause them to "deviate from their faith".



Agencies