Gymnastics forbidden for Muslim women; it leads to exposing their genitals - Malaysian cleric

The mufti of Malaysia's northern state of Perak has issued a fatwa banning gymnastics for Muslim women, saying it leads to exposing their aurat (parts of the body that should be covered), according to the teachings of Islam.

"Gymnastics is not for Muslim women. It is clear that exposing one's aurat and the shape of one's body is haram (forbidden in Islam),” Perak mufti Harussani Zakaria told Astro Awani on Sunday, June 14.

"If Muslim women want to participate in gymnastics, they have to find outfits which cover the aurat and this, in turn, might not be suitable for the sport," he added.

Zakaria said that the ruling regarding covering of a Muslim's aurat and the fatwa are not exclusive to the sport of gymnastics.

"Muslim men have to wear shorts that cover their knees when playing football," he said.

The fatwa followed a controversy that sparked around national gymnast Farah Ann Abdul Hadi for wearing the traditional gymnastics gear that did not hide her aurat as required by Islam.

A photo of Abdul Hadi uploaded to Twitter and Facebook triggered monumental criticism of the 21-year-old Muslim athlete for not "covering up."

At the Singapore SEA Games artistic gymnastics event, Farah won the gold medal for her floor exercise routine.

Others defended the Muslim athlete, questioning whether she should wear a robe and a headscarf while competing in the games.

Islamic Laws

The defense angered Harussani who said Muslims should not question Islamic laws which have been clearly stated in the Qur’an.

The mufti said one should also not be too influenced by the type of outfits introduced by the West.

“They are not so smart for arguing on issues which have already been clearly stated in Islamic laws,” Harussani said, referring to citizens who had defended the athlete’s outfit.

"Don't play with Islamic laws, our religion never said [that] we can expose our aurat," he asserted.

Farah has since hit back at critics of her attire, tweeting, "empty cans make the most noise."

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin also defended Farah, saying that critics should focus on the gymnast's achievements instead.

Dubbed the "melting pot" of Asia for its potpourri of cultures, Malaysia has long been held up as a model of peaceful co-existence between its citizens and their respective religious affiliations.

Muslim Malays form about 60 percent of Malaysia's population of 26-million, while Christians make up around 9.1 percent.

Buddhists constitute 19.2 percent, Hindu 6.3 percent, with the balance comprised of various other traditional Chinese religions.




/129