MUI URGED TO ISSUE FATWA ON SMOKING

Jakarta, June 20 (ANTARA) - A sociologist at the University of Indonesia (UI) has urged the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) to issue a fatwa (edict) on smoking, arguing tobacco is an addictive substance that causes many diseases.

"MUI should issue a fatwa because tobacco is an addictive subtsance causing many
diseases and taking away 11 percent of the income of poor people," sociologist
Imam B Prasodjo said at a public discussion on the impact of tobacco consumption
here Thursday.

Fuad Baradja, a movie actor who recently became an anti-smoking activist,
also said the many negative effects of smoking should be sufficient ground for
MUI to pronounce its opinion on smoking based on Islamic teachings.

In response to the calls, Prof Dr KH Ali Mustafa Yakub, vice chairman of MUI's
Fatwa Commission, said the Council had so far not issued any edict on smoking
because it had not received any official requests or complaints from the public.

"Without requests or complaints from the public, we have no reason to issue a
fatwa," he said, adding, however, he would convey Prasodjo's and Baradja's
appeal to the MUI's Fatwa Commission.

He also said the bad consequences of smoking would be a topic of discussion at
the MUI Fatwa Commission's biennial conference but when the next conference
would take place had not yet been decided. .

According to Yakub, there were two opinions within the Islamic community
regarding smoking.

Some quarters in Islam consider smoking halal (permissible) because nothing in
the Koran and the Prophet Mohammed's pronouncements explicitly forbade smoking.
"But this view is contradicted by many ulema," Yakub said.

There were other ulema who had clearly declared smoking haram (forbidden)
because it endangered one's own and other people's health, Yakub said.