KUALA LUMPUR: Perlis Mufti Dr Asri Zainul Abidin said the National Fatwa Council should have offered an alternative version of yoga instead of banning Muslims from practising the ancient form of exercise.

He pointed out that many other sports activities like tai chi, judo and taekwondo were picked up from other cultures.

"These sports did not have anything to do with Islam but have been practised because of its known health benefits," he said in a telephone interview with Mstar yesterday.

"Yoga practitioners who are Muslims should be given an alternative by practising a version of yoga that does not resemble the version practised by other religions," he said, adding that chanting while practising the exercise should also be stripped. He maintained that yoga was a good exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle if done minus the extra bits that are against Islamic teachings.

Dr Asri is believed to have not attended the National Fatwa Council's meeting on the edict on yoga because he felt uncomfortable with the discrimination by Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) and its director against his views on an alternative solution. "The fatwa (edict) announced in this day and age should not be too rigid. The human movement does not necessarily have a connection with religion," he said.