Indonesia's latest fatwas

For your information : Fatwa (edicts) issued by the Indonesian Religious Council (MUI) : 1. A ban on aspects of Yoga that contain Hindu elements. 2. A ban on vote abstention if ' qualified' candidates exist. 3. A ban on smoking by children and pregnant women, and in public places. 4. A ban on abortion unless the mother is a rape victim, the pregnancy endangers her life, or the foetus is aged less than five weeks. 5. A ban on vasectomy because the process is ' irreversible'. 6. A ban on marriage with minors, based on a 1974 law that forbids men under 19 and women under 16 years old from marrying. Justification for fatwa No.2 : Islam obliges Muslims to elect their leaders if the latter meet certain criteria. The criteria include - being Muslim, honest, briliant and ready to fight for the people. Nahdatul Ulama (the biggest Islamic organisation in Indonesia) disagreed that : Yoga as practised in Indonesia, was a pastime and must not be seen in a religious context. To discourage smoking, the MUI should not use ' Islamic law' as a tool. What's important is to inform the public of of the bad effects of smoking and urge the govt to enforce policies to discourage smoking. The MUI should not force people to vote, it was their democratic right to vote or not. A religious body should not dictate political behavior.