Wrinkled faces or a life of sin is the choice facing Malaysia's majority Muslim population after the country's National Fatwa Council ruled that Botox contains substances prohibited under Islam, including those from pigs, it was reported today.

The council ruled during a three-day meeting after six months of research that Muslims should reject the increasingly popular anti-ageing treatment on religious grounds.

The council arrived at the decision after studying reports from abroad, local specialists and fatwas made in Middle Eastern countries, council chairman Professor Datuk Shukor Husin was quoted as saying in today's New Straits Times.

 

While council fatwas are decrees that do not legally bind Muslims, people who disobey them are considered to be committing a sin.

In addition to easing wrinkles, the use of Botox - the brand name of a substance derived from the toxin botulin which temporary paralyses facial muscles to eliminate wrinkles - for other cosmetic purposes is also prohibited.

It will be allowed, however, to treat medical conditions such as cerebral palsy, muscle spasm and migraines, but only in extreme cases. This decision refers to situations when there are no alternatives for medical treatment, Dr Sukor said.

The council said another reason Botox should be banned is because of the proliferation of fake products, which could cause more harm than good.

Some 60% of Malaysias 26m population are Muslims but doctors quoted by the newspaper said only between 10% and a third of their customers are Muslim. Each Botox treatment in Malaysia costs up to 700 ringgit (£105).

The paper quoted a variety of reactions to the decision. One television personality, Azwan Ali, welcomed the ruling. People should learn to accept their looks and come to terms with ageing instead of altering what God had given them, he reportedly said.

One woman said she would continue to be injected because she did it to look good rather than young.

The fatwa council created controversy in January when it banned black metal music. It ruled that the strain of hard rock, which often uses occult imagery and lyrics, could cause listeners to rebel against religion.

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