SHAH ALAM, Dec 24 — Out of all the vices declared as “forbidden” for Muslims, the National Fatwa Council has come down specifically hard on the vape traders, a group representing the industry complained today.

The Malaysia E-Vaporizers and Tobacco Alternative Association (Mevta) vice-present Ikhbal Zakaria claimed the council had issued a fatwa, or religious decree, prohibiting the practice without proper investigation.

“When the fatwa was issued in 1994 if I’m not wrong, about cigarettes, there was no follow up action.

“This fatwa is taken so seriously that it makes the news every day saying that vape is so horrible and terrible to the public.

“If the National Fatwa Council claims to have taken the advice of the Health Ministry, I want to ask where did they get their information from that the content in vape can cause cancer,” he said during a press conference at Vape Junction, a vape shop here.

He said if the ban on vaping is justified by the fatwa, everything else considered “haram” or forbidden should also be banned, such as cigarettes, alcohol and gaming.

The National Fatwa Council ruled on Monday night that smoking electronic cigarettes or vaping is “haram”, or prohibited for Muslims after a special conference by the Fatwa Committee of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs in Malaysia, according to a report by state news agency Bernama.

The report quoted council chairman Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Abdul Shukor Husin as saying that the decision was made after all aspects were taken into consideration, including Islamic teachings, medical and scientific findings.

The conference was reportedly attended by state muftis, deputy muftis and members appointed by the Conference of Rulers.

Abdul Shukor added studies from the health point of view were also taken into account, through information obtained from the World Health Organisation which had collected information on the effects of vaping worldwide.