Close X
Monday, November 25, 2024
ADVT 
India

Chant 'Allah' If Not 'Om': Minister Tells Muslim Leaders

Darpan News Desk IANS, 11 Jun, 2015 11:14 AM

    Ayush Minister Shripad Yesso Naik on Thursday appealed to the Muslim community to participate in the International Yoga Day in a big way and said people who do not want to chant 'Om' can say 'Allah'.

    Naik told IANS after his meeting with a delegation of Muslim leaders on Thursday that they have extended full support to the Yoga Day to be observed on June 21.
     
    "I met the Muslim delegation today to discuss about the Yoga Day. They have extended full support to the cause and will join us on the Yoga Day. Our motive is to unite people for a better world," Naik said.
     
    He said the government took 'surya namaskar' out of the Yoga Day activities as it can be a tough yoga posture.
     
    Naik said people with spondylitis and other medical issues will not be able to do it as well.
     
    "We do not want any controversy or opposition over this surya namaskar. If people do not want to chant 'Om', they can say 'Allah'," Naik told IANS.
     
    He said yoga was for the well-being of all and has nothing to do with any particular religion.
     
    During his interaction with the Muslim leaders, Naik said there was no compulsion on anyone to practise yoga, but it was good for the body and soul.
     
    He said people should make it a part of their lives and contribute in the celebrations of the International Yoga Day on June 21.
     
    The Muslim leaders, who included Majlis Ulema e Hind (Uttar Pradesh) president Maulana Syed Kaukab Mujtaba Abidi, and Daudi Bohra community representative Abbas Ali Bohra, applauded the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Yoga Day.
     
    The leaders said namaz too has yogic postures.
     
    Bohra said that out of the 177 countries which have expressed their desire to participate in yoga sessions on the International Yoga Day, 47 were from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
     
    These countries have expressed desire to participate in yoga sessions being organised in the Indian missions, he said. "We as Indians should support Yoga Day as it is on the initiative of India."
     
    Some minority groups had objected to the inclusion of surya namaskar in the programme.
     
    The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had said it will launch a campaign against any move by the union government's move to make yoga and 'surya namaskar' compulsory in schools.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    India Won't Discriminate On Basis Of Religion: Modi

    India Won't Discriminate On Basis Of Religion: Modi
    "Wherever a (negative) view might have been expressed (about) a minority religion, we have immediately negated that," he said in the two-hour interview. 

    India Won't Discriminate On Basis Of Religion: Modi

    India Inc. Lax On Steps Against Sexual Harassment: Survey

    India Inc. Lax On Steps Against Sexual Harassment: Survey
    Nearly a third of the companies operating in India are yet to constitute the mandatory panel against sexual harassment at workplace, with the incidence of non-compliance higher among domestic entities, reveals a survey.

    India Inc. Lax On Steps Against Sexual Harassment: Survey

    Taj Discoloration: What To Blame?

    Taj Discoloration: What To Blame?
    Even as measures -- some of them knee-jerk -- are being taken to stop the majestic Taj Mahal from turning yellow, the exact causes for the monument's discoloration are yet to be ascertained, a recent analysis shows.

    Taj Discoloration: What To Blame?

    As Natural Allies, India, Us Should Work Together: Modi

    As Natural Allies, India, Us Should Work Together: Modi
    Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India and the US were natural allies and instead of asking what one can do for the other, they should look at what they can do together for the world.

    As Natural Allies, India, Us Should Work Together: Modi

    Indian Supreme Court Suspends Defamation Suit Against Rahul Gandhi

    Indian Supreme Court Suspends Defamation Suit Against Rahul Gandhi
    A bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Prafulla C. Pant also issued notice for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activist Rajesh Kunte.

    Indian Supreme Court Suspends Defamation Suit Against Rahul Gandhi

    11 Indian Firms in Forbes Global 2000 List of World's Biggest Companies

    11 Indian Firms in Forbes Global 2000 List of World's Biggest Companies
    Eleven Indian companies figure in Forbes magazine's annual list of the world's biggest companies, with China landing five of the top 10 spots for the second year in a row.

    11 Indian Firms in Forbes Global 2000 List of World's Biggest Companies