Surya Namaskar against worship of one God: Muslim Forum’s call for abstention

The Muslim Forum, an umbrella body representing various organizations, has urged monotheistic teachers, parents, and students from the Muslim community in Rajasthan to abstain from participating in the Surya Namaskar event scheduled for February 15, as directed by the Education Department.

The Muslim Forum's response came after its plea in the Rajasthan High Court against the Rajasthan government's directive to all government schools in the state to organize collective performances of the Surya Namaskar on the occasion of Surya Saptami was dismissed.

The Muslim Forum is an umbrella body representing various organizations including Jamaat e Islami Rajasthan, Milli Council Rajasthan, Jamiat-E-Ulema Rajasthan, and Mansoori Samaj Rajasthan.

The statement emphasized that Islam dictates the worship of only one god, Allah, and performing the Surya Namaskar, which involves worshipping the Sun God according to Hindu customs, goes against Quranic principles.

The court, headed by Justice Mahendar Kumar Goyal, stated that the petitioners could withdraw the writ petition with the liberty to file a fresh one, ultimately dismissing the current case.

The Muslim Forum also referred to a 2015 order by the secondary education department, clarifying that the Surya Namaskar is part of Yoga, and students have the freedom to decide which Yoga practices to engage in.

Naeem Rabbani, a member of the Rajasthan Muslim Forum, stressed that they are exercising their right to religious independence as guaranteed by the Constitution, urging Muslim teachers, students, and parents to refrain from participating in the Surya Namaskar event.

The order issued in January by the Rajasthan Secondary Education Department directed district education officials to conduct practice sessions of the Surya Namaskar during school prayers every day in preparation for the February 15 event.

The directive extended participation to students, teachers/staff, parents, and local villagers, with an additional aim of collecting data for a potential 'world record.'

Rajasthan's school education minister, Madan Dilawar, known for his Hindutva stance, expressed his enthusiasm for the event, declaring that all government schools will celebrate Surya Saptami on a large scale, with ambitions to make it the most significant program of its kind in the country.