Malaysians reminded of smoking fatwa

Muslims in Malaysia are being reminded that, for them, smoking has been forbidden, according to a story in The Star.

The story said that many Muslims in Malaysia were still taking lightly the smoking is haram (forbidden) fatwa (edict) that was issued by the Muzakarah Committee of the National Fatwa Council for Islamic Religious Affairs in 1995.

The situation has led the assistant minister in the Chief Minister’s office (Islamic Affairs), Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman, to urge Muslims, especially those in the state of Sarawak, to take on board that smoking has been forbidden.

He said the fatwa issued by the national committee had been agreed upon by the Sarawak Fatwa Council.

“We do not want our lives to be plagued by habits that are prohibited by Islam as well as detrimental to our health,” he added when opening the state-level Health Fatwa Education Seminar 2013 in Kuching.

The seminar focused on three issues: smoking, immunization and abortion.