Fatawa

[Guest]

<b>Avoid Ramdev's yoga camp as it begins with Vande Mataram: Darool to Muslims</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Four days after Ramdev demonstrated 'pranayam' and a Hindu priest recited Vedic hymns at a meet of Muslim clerics at Deoband, <b>Islamic seminary Darul Uloom on Saturday issued a directive asking Muslims to avoid a camp run by the yoga guru as it begins with the singing of Vande Mataram.

"Singing of Vande Mataram is a prayer and against Islamic law as Muslims cannot offer prayers to anyone except Allah. Muslims should not sing Vande Mataram," said Mufti Ehsan Kazmi, deputy-in-charge of Darul Uloom's fatwa department.</b>

He, however, said yoga can be practised as an exercise.

Another cleric Mufti Ehsan also said Muslims should refrain from singing Vande Mataram during the yoga camp.

<b>Darul Uloom had issued an edict which opposed any prayer involving Vande Mataram and it was supported by top Muslim body Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind at its 30th general assembly at Deoband.
</b>
More than two lakh clerics and students watched Ramdev's demonstration.

Incidentally, the 143-year-old influential seminary Darool had in the past issued a fatwa in favour of yoga after some clerics banned Muslims from practising it.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->