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KUALA LUMPUR - The Islamist rulers of a northern Malaysian state have decided to permit dance clubs, as long as they serve no liquor, keep men and women apart and ensure the women's clothes cover their navels.
Nik Aziz Nik Mat, chief minister of the opposition-run state of Kelantan, has said he does not oppose dancing, but couples should not do it and women's navels must not be exposed, in line with strict Islamic rules, the Star newspaper said yesterday.
"When dancing is done with the aurat covered and there is no intermingling, everything should be okay," the New Sunday Times quoted him as saying, in a reference to areas of the body that Islamic law requires to be kept covered.
Muslims generally accept that for a woman this means the whole body except face and hands, while for a man it ranges from navel to knees.
The papers said allowing dance clubs was part of an effort to boost tourism in Kelantan. Almost half Malaysia's 26 million people are non-Muslim, and the national Government is secular.
- REUTERS
