Muslims slam teaching yoga in schools

Mumbai’s Muslim community has widely criticised the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC’s) decision to make yoga and Surya Namaskar compulsory in all municipal schools, and has decided to take legal action against the civic body if it does not withdraw the proposal. The community believes that Surya Namaskar is traditionally a ‘Hindu form of worship’ and it is against the tenets of Islam to bow down to any entity apart from Allah. The All India Ulema Council has approached Samajwadi Party leader Rais Shaikh to decide the community’s future course of action in this regard.

Meanwhile, Mr Shaikh has decided to inform the BMC to withdraw the proposal within seven days, following which he will move court against the corporation.

Mr Shaikh said, “I will consult my lawyer and send the municipal commissioner a notice giving the BMC a seven-day period to withdraw the decision. If, within that time, we do not get a written reply stating that the decision is withdrawn, I will take legal recourse.”

Mr Shaikh has tagged the proposal to be a ‘pre-election move’ and an attempt by the BJP to hog the limelight. He claimed it is part of the RSS agenda of cultural penetration. Mr Shaikh believes that this move will destroy the diverse cultural fabric of our society.

Maulana Mehmood Daria Badi, the general secretary of the All India Ulema Council, said, “The civic body claims this will elevate the status of education in our schools. But how is this going to benefit education If they are talking about physical fitness, there are PT periods, why is Surya Namaskar necessary Our entire community will oppose the decision and we will take Rais Shaikh’s help to decide our future course of action.”

The BMC’s general body passed a proposal on Tuesday making yoga and Surya Namaskar compulsory in all municipal schools, despite opposition from the Samajwadi Party and the Congress.