PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA: The Sisters in Islam (SIS) has hit out at the National Fatwa Council, saying it is concerned with the continuous sexist and discriminatory approach towards Malaysian women, especially Muslim women.

Its programme manager, Norhayati Kaprawi, said this in reference to the fatwa issued by the council that bans tomboys.

'The fatwa on 'tomboys' can lead to arbitrary arrests and undue harassment towards our Muslim women and girls.

'How do the authorities define a tomboy? A woman with short hair? Wearing pants? Wearing shirts? No make-up?' Norhayati questioned.

She pointed out that women who did not dress or behave as what certain quarters perceived as not feminine were not a menace to society.

'In fact, many of these women hold respectable positions and actively contribute to our society,' she said.

She also asked why the fatwa was only imposed on women, saying it was yet another example of selective prosecution.

'SIS believes it is not Islam's obsession to police people's morality, find people's faults or spy on its followers,' Norhayati said.

She said unlike some Muslim countries, a fatwa is enforceable by law once it is gazetted.

On Oct 23, the National Fatwa Council issued the edict saying that tomboyism, where a girl behaves or dresses in a boyish manner, is forbidden in Islam.