Don't link yoga and religion: Ramdev defends Muslim girl yoga teacher from Ranchi

Ranchi: Some unidentified persons on Friday hurled stones at the house of Rafia Naaz - a Muslim girl who teaches yoga in Jharkhand's Ranchi. 

Earlier, a fatwa had been issued against the girl asking her to stop teaching Yoga. The girl also faces threats to her life from the members of her own community.

Yoga guru Ramdev has now come out in her support. Reacting to the incident, Ramdev today said, ''From Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan to Saudi Arabia so many Muslims practice Yoga. It is an exercise which is good for mental and physical wellness.''

''Religion shouldn't be brought into this,'' Ramdev said while reacting to reports of stones being hurled at Rafia Naaz's house in Ranchi.

Earlier, Maulana Saif Abbas, a prominent Shia cleric, had come out in her defence.

"What is wrong if some woman teaches yoga?" Shia cleric Maulana Saif Abbas said while referring to the fatwa issued against Naaz.

"Protesting this is highly condemnable," he said, adding, "Some people have made religion a joke."

The reactions from the Shia cleric and Ramdev came days after a fatwa was issued against Naaz after which the Jharkhand government decided to provide her adequate security.

The matter was brought to the notice of Sanjay Kumar, Principal Secretary to Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das, and on his instructions, the police stepped up the security of the girl.

Acting on the instructions, Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kuldeep Dwivedi even sent a police team to meet the girl.

She was later provided two security guards - one male and one female.

A resident of Doranda locality in Ranchi, Rafia Naaz ekes out a living for her family by teaching yoga. 

She is the eldest of her siblings and also doing M.Com from a local college.

Naaz rose to fame after she shared the stage with yoga guru Ramdev in the city some time back.

Her family members are scared of threats issued by the members of her own community. 

Naaz, however, said, "I will continue to do yoga and teach yoga till the end of my life."

Naaz said that he had received many threats, and expressed gratitude to the state government for providing her with security.