A Kuwaiti MP has demanded that his government stops a women-only yoga trip to the desert because it is “dangerous” and threatenes the country’s conservative society, local media have reported.
Lawmaker Hamdan Al-Azmi reportedly made the request to Kuwait’s interior minister on Wednesday, after the country launched its first ever yoga festival on 29 January.
Kuwait News reported that Mr Al-Azmi had objected to the yoga trip saying: “I consider it a dangerous matter and a cultural intrusion on our conservative society.”
It is thought Mr Al-Azmi was objecting to a “Ladies only yoga and meditation journey” in the Kuwaiti desert. The advert for the trip on Instagram reads: “A wonderful experience in the arms of the Kuwaiti desert, discover yourself and receive the new year with optimism and a heart full of love and beauty.”
Trip activities include “proper breathing and relaxation”, “distinguished lectures” and “yoga exercises”.
Mr Al-Azmi’s media team posted his comments on Twitter with a screenshot of the advert for the planned yoga trip. He was quoted asking the Interior Minister: “What are these reports of an Iraqi person organising a yoga trip in the middle of desert for girls only for 25 dinars?”
He reportedly added: “It is dangerous, and we urge the Minister of Interior to move quickly to stop these practices that are alien to our conservative society, and to hold those who granted the licences accountable immediately”.
In response to Al-Azmi’s objections, the Kuwaiti Progressive Movement issued a statement rejecting “puritanical claims to restrict personal freedoms”. They said: “We call on citizens in Kuwaiti society to confront this reality that is being imposed on the state, society and individuals in Kuwait”.
One social media user agreed, saying: “Yoga is contemplation of faith and restoring peace to the human soul.
“Honorable Representative Hamdan Al-Azmi, it seems that you are asking to prevent this only from the principle of an authority that gives you the right to take away personal freedoms and the concept of guardianship that you have through your parliamentary role.”
Mr Hamdan Al-Azmi has often warned against activities he believes go against the Kuwaiti society’s conservative principles. On 1 February he warned the government of allowing concerts to be held in Kuwait, saying they are “destructive” to society and “corrupt our children”.
He has also raised concerns about the possibility of having women in the Kuwaiti army and argued stronger action should be taken against homosexuality in the country.
According to the charity Human Dignity Trust, Hamdan Al-Azmi has suggested raiding apartments that “shelter gays.”
