Yoga is not un-Islamic; Namaz is also Yoga, argue Baba Ramdev, Shripad Naik

New Delhi, Jun 9: Two prominent advocates of Yoga have strongly argued that yogic postures are not anti-Islamic. Modi government's 'yoga minister' Shripad Yesso Naik and well-known Yoga guru Baba Ramdev also have claimed that Islamic prayer Namaz involves several yogic postures.

They were responding to recent statements by prominent Indian Muslim organizations, slamming Centre’s controversial plans to have mass yoga demonstrations across the country, including in schools and colleges to mark the first International Yoga Day on June 21, which are to be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The Muslim leaders had said yoga, especially the sun salutation, or surya namaskar, was un-Islamic since a Muslim could bow only before the Creator of the universe and not His creations.

Naik said: Yoga is the product of sadhana of learned men and women, which are beyond religion and pertain to one's physical and mental well-being. It is wrong to say that it is un-Islamic. Why, look at the postures of namaaz, there are eight yoga postures in it including vajrasana."

Kamal Farooqui, member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), countered the minister's "yogic namaaz" formulation. "If the minister has found yoga in namaaz, then why not make that compulsory in schools? We don't have objections to yoga, just the fact that it is being imposed and impinges on our religious freedom," he said.

On the other hand Ramdev has decided to bring 5,000 of his followers to Rajpath on June 21, International Yoga Day, to perform yoga with Modi and about 30,000 others at Delhi's Rajpath.

Ramdev said, "What does breathing have to do with any religion?" adding, "One of the reasons the Surya Namaskar got controversial is because some people started chanting mantras with it.” He said that was not necessary.

"People have not represented it well. In fact, you don't even have to look east while doing the Surya Namaskar." But the yoga teacher defended the chanting of "Om", saying it generates energy.

He said, "When one does Namaz, isn't that exactly like Vajrasana?" pointing out the similarity between the posture for offering prayers in Islam and the yoga asana.

He appealed to religious leaders to join in the yoga day demonstration and said even the Darul ul loom seminary school Deoband had welcomed him and done yoga with him.