By Celine Fernandez
- Getty Images
- Valentine’s Day helium ballons
Lovers in Malaysia beware: The Valentine’s Day police are on the way.
Parts of Muslim Malaysia have long been uneasy with the largely Christian Valentine’s Day holiday, which celebrates romance and, some say, certain sinful activities including various types of canoodling.
So this year, the youth wing of the country’s opposition Islamic party, Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), will be working to make sure Muslim residents behave, says Youth Chief Nasrudin Hasan Tantawi.
According to Mr. Nasrudin, beginning the night of Feb. 13 and all through the 14th – Valentine’s Day — PAS Youth members will fan out across Malaysia to hand out leaflets promoting sin-free lifestyles and to talk to youths about moral Islamic values.
They’ll target specific places popular with youths, including the park at the back of Kuala Lumpur’s iconic Petronas Towers and the city’s Merdeka Square.
Across the country, including in the states of Penang, Kelantan and Selangor, they will enlist the help of the police, religious departments and other groups in case of any “untoward incidents.” Mr. Nasrudin says they won’t be seeking to arrest offenders — PAS believes in teaching them, not locking them up, he adds.
Valentine’s Day “promotes sinful activities,” says Mr. Nasrudin. Indeed, it’s the only day that does so, he says.
As examples he cites what he describes as a “no-panties party” last year in Kuala Lumpur, while a hotel in Kuala Terengganu offered free rooms for 100 couples on a first-come, first-served basis. Mr. Nasrudin blames social-networking websites such as Facebook for promoting such activities. “PAS Youth wants the police to take stern action against those promoting these sinful and immoral activities,” he says.
Malaysia has at times struggled to find a comfortable balance between promoting a modern, inclusive image while also respecting the religious views of its many conservative Muslim residents. In recent years, the government has drawn widespread criticism for allowing Islamic religious officials to sentence a woman to caning for drinking beer (the caning sentence was commuted by the Sultan of Pahang to a stint at a children’s home), though it has largely exempted Christian residents from the stricter interpretations of Muslim law. Government officials last February said they had caned three women for having sexual intercourse outside of wedlock.
In 2005, a National Fatwa Council issued an edict saying Valentine’s Day was forbidden in Islam because it has Christian elements that go against the teachings of Islam.
Not all Muslim groups agree with the strict line against this romantic day. The nongovernmental group Sisters In Islam, which promotes women’s rights, has slammed the PAS’s Valentine’s Day plans. ”Moral policing is against Islamic values and fundamental liberties, and it violates personal dignity and privacy, which is forbidden in the Quran” and in the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, said Yasmin Masidi, a program officer at Sisters In Islam.
Malaysia may well someday come to terms with the tensions inherent in trying to balance conservative Islamic teachings while simultaneously projecting an inclusive and modern image abroad. Until then, if you’re doing more than handing out roses this Valentine’s Day, watch out.
UPDATE:
The controversy over Valentine’s Day got more heated Friday in Malaysia as a Christian group took issue with the National Fatwa Council’s connection of the holiday to the Christian religion.
The Council of Churches of Malaysia issued a statement saying “the Fatwa draws the conclusion that Valentine’s Day is a Christian religious observance. They have erred in their inference, and therefore … hurt the religious feelings of Christians in the country.” Valentine’s Day, according to the council, is a secular celebration, not a religious one.
In the release, it said, “We appeal to the good conscience of the authorities to repeal such hurting inferences that Christianity promotes sexual promiscuity because of Valentine’s Day observance.”
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gr888888888 work keep it i hope it hppen in every muslim countryyyy
…mmm what a very hot topic which insulted most of Christian in/out the country… shame on them who tried to connecting Christian value to Valentine value.. there is only one thing very obvious we might see is LOVE. Only that thing we may in VD celebration day. But i wanted to tell the Islam people… that is not Christian’s way or practise that might tend to sinsssss… we in Christian does not need VD to show our love.. coz we love to our loves one everyday till of our end life. even to our enemies we show our love n respect… it just bcoz VD is celebrating the falls down of Islam in Spain invended… shame on u who tried to so call holliest among the holy…..;
Also, it’s why bother. sort ur english out mate.
Nurkamal is the epitome of people who contribute to the downfall of Malaysia. It is sad to see such that till this day, even with exposure to the internet and endless amounts of information, people like that still exist. Hopefully one day things will change.
Yes, I agreed with Nurkamal, It has nothing to do with other religious, why bothering? In Islam there is always a clear guideline..it’s up to the followers to abide. The problem arise when other person out of Islam to be a Islam defender but not understand what is Islam all about. So why don’t you all take care your own belief.