Top Islamic seminary Darul Uloom has come out in support of International Yoga Day, which will be organised on June 21.
Clerics at the highly-revered seminary in Deoband town, Uttar Pradesh, have maintained that yoga is a form of exercise and it should not be associated with any religion.
The Islamic seminary added that it has not issued any fatwa that prohibits Muslims from practising yoga.
Meanwhile, Muslim delegates met Minister of State for AAYUSHand Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shripad Yesso Naik and extended full support for the yoga event.
The BJP leader confirmed that the Muslim delegates have expressed full support to participate in International Yoga Day event.
Amid opposition from some minority groups including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AMPLB) against compulsory yoga classes in schools, the government on Monday said participation in June 21 events to mark International Yoga Day was not “compulsory”.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said there is “no compulsion” in this regard and that the practise of Yoga should not be related to any caste, creed or religion.
Asked about All India Muslim Personal Law Board’s decision to launch a campaign against any move to make ‘Surya Namaskar’ and Yoga compulsory in schools, Singh said, “I don’t want to comment on the Board’s stand… I only want to say that Yoga should not be related to any caste, creed and religion. It’s good for mental and physical health.”
India is home to about 140 million Muslims — the third largest Muslim population after Indonesia and Pakistan.
Security has been stepped up in the national capital ahead of the International Yoga Day.
