Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: IN A BID TO ATTRACT MUSLIMS TOWARDS YOGA, the government has asked the community to recite name of Allah in place of Shlokas which are generally recited during different yogic postures. Government had already excluded Surya Namaskar, an imporatnt Yogic posture after protest from Muslims.
While meeting a Muslim group , Union Minister for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy Shripad Naik said muslims could take name of Allah during the exercise while appealing to the community to join on June 21official international Yoga Day celebration.
Naik assured the community that Yoga has nothing to do with any particular religion but it is for the well being of everyone. He pointed out that there is no compulsion on anyone to practice Yoga but as it is good for body and soul all should make Yoga part of their lives and contribute in the celebrations of International Yoga Day on 21st June, 2015 and support the mission of Prime Minister.
“We did not include Suryanamaskar to avoid controversy. And, moreover, it’s difficult to do it. But Suryanamaskar is not religious. We want the whole event to go smoothly…Shlokas are not compulsory. Shlokas are merely prayers but it is not compulsory. They can even take the name of Allah instead of chanting shlokas. I request the Muslims to participate and unite the country,” Naik said,
“We did not make anything compulsory. Even the HRD Ministry has merely appealed to the educational institutions. Few parties are opposing it for the sake of politics,” Naik added.
Opposition has been voiced by some organisations, including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, against performance of Surya Namaskar, saying it is against their faith.
The delegation which came to meet Naik included Maulana Syed Kaukab Mujtaba Abidi, President Majlis Ulema e Hind (Uttar Pradesh), Maulana Suhaib Qasmi, President Jamat Ulema e Hind (Delhi), Irfan Salmani Dehalvi, President All India Jamat e Salmani B,Hafiz Mohd Sabreen, President Jamat Huffaz Ikraam, Abbas Ali Bohra, Representative Daudi Bohra Community, Hanif Khan Shastri, Professor Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan among others.
Abbas Ai Bohra, representative of Daudi Bohra Community, said, that out of the total of 177 countries which have given co-sponsorship for celebrating International Day of Yoga, 47 countries are from Organisation of Islamic Countries. These countries have expressed their desire to participate in the yoga sessions being organized in the Indian Missions.”
“There’s yoga in namaaz but namaaz isn’t yoga. Those who oppose it are enemies of humanity because yoga is for the well being of humans,” Maulana Syed Kaukab Mujtaba Abidi, president of Majlis Ulema e Hind (Uttar Pradesh), said.