Yoga ban?

Keeping it short here.

Locally, there's been this talk about the recent supposed banning of Yoga practices amongst the local muslims here in Malaysia, under the premise that it could erode faith and that yoga instills aspects of Hinduism.

The Prime Minister however has said that yoga is allowed for the said parties, so long as it does not include the elements of Hindu spiritualism.

The article i read on MSN ended with, "Malaysia's population is dominated by Muslim Malays, and the ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities are becoming concerned over rising "Islamisation" of the multicultural country".

I have yet to see the concern voiced outloud by my non muslim friends, though being so closed from the outside world, I may have missed it. Nevertheless, it makes you think.

Why? Why this need to ban and impose (yes, i mean that... impose) regulations on people these utterly strict rules that for me, degrades us as if we are incapable of discerning the different elements we should and should not indulge in a thing.

I am muslim, so why is it I find the act demeaning, even though I sure as hell don't want to be swayed from my faith?