There are 47 Islamic nations among the 177 countries of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that officially co-sponsored–with India–a resolution to establish June 21 as “International Day of Yoga”.
Yoga is a 5,000-year-old physical, mental and spiritual practice rooted in Hindu tradition, a religious origin that has caused disquiet among some Indian Muslim clerics.
This is the highest number of co-sponsors ever for any UNGA resolution, according to the Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The resolution was passed unopposed without a vote.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promoted yoga as a means to project India's soft power. Some critics accuse him of subtly furthering a Hindu agenda, while some representatives of Indian Islamic organisations support yoga day, saying that namaz includes yogic postures.
