Thursday February 9, 2012

PAS: Sinful to promote Valentine’s Day

PETALING JAYA: PAS has urged all quarters not to make Valentine's Day a “sinful sexual gratification” date.

Federal Territory PAS information chief Mohamad Suhaimi Abdul Aziz said Valentine's Day should not be promoted.

“It is sinful to promote Valentine's Day as it could lead to moral decadence, especially among youths,” he said.

The National Fatwa Council had in 2005 decreed that Muslims should not celebrate Valentine's Day as it had sinful elements forbidden in Islam.

“Free mixing of males and females has led to adultery, prostitution and other social menace including rape and baby dumping.

“Therefore, the media, restaurant operators, hotels and motels should not promote Valentine's Day or Lovers' day,” he said.

Previously, PAS Youth deputy chief Nik Abduh Nik Aziz had called on the Government to place advertisements on television ahead of Feb 14 to create awareness that it was against Islamic syariat to celebrate Valentine's Day.

PAS Youth will hand over a memorandum to Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim to prevent widespread promotion on the celebration at his office at 10am tomorrow .

Meanwhile, Malaysia Hindu Sangam has clarified that it is not against Valentine's Day.

Its president R.S. Mohan Shan said youths can celebrate Valentine's Day with their loved ones as long as they do not indulge in immoral activities.

“However, while we are not against it, we do not encourage the celebration either. This is because we should love each other every day and not just on that one day,” he said.

It was reported that the organisation had said it supported PAS Youth's call to disseminate anti-Valentine's Day messages on television.

Stressing that Valentine's Day was against the practices of Hinduism, its treasurer G. Shanmuganathan said they supported initiatives to discourage such a celebration.

Mohan Shan said Malaysia Hindu Sangam did not support PAS Youth's efforts but upheld its own stand on the matter.

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