By IANS,
Kuala Lumpur : The National Fatwa Council of Malaysia has ruled that tomboyism, where a girl behaves or dresses in a boyish manner, is forbidden in Islam.
Council chairman Abdul Shukor Husin said the decision was prompted by recent developments as there had been cases of young women inclined to behave like men and indulging in homosexuality, The Star newspaper said Friday.
Parents must stop their children from indulging in disruptive activities that are against Islamic teachings, Husin told reporters here Thursday.
Malaysia’s multi-ethnic society, comprising Malays, Chinese and Indians, has women pursuing different faiths and they dress in their respective traditional ways. The use of western attire among the youth is widespread, but is frowned upon by the elders and the clergy and often becomes a subject of animated debate.