KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 — DAP’s Teresa Kok (picture) said today it was baseless and misleading for a Muslim preacher and the Selangor Islamic Department (JAIS) to link Valentine’s Day to Christians, adding to the growing chorus clarifying the February 14 celebration.
The Selangor state executive councillor said the sermon prepared by JAIS, and preacher, Siti Nor Bahyah Mahamood’s comments, were both prejudiced and irresponsible because they were based not upon facts but upon urban myths.
“Such comments are dangerous as they are likely to stir disgust and disdain for Christianity,” she said in a statement today.
The Seputeh MP said that Valentine’s Day is an occasion, much like Father’s Day, Mother’s Day and Children’s Day, to signify appreciation of loved ones.
“To celebrate or not is entirely up to each individual. Furthermore, Valentine’s Day has long since been capitalised upon by marketers as a commercial opportunity for themselves, and not one that is promulgated by Christianity. It is universally celebrated secularly.
“As a motivational speaker, Siti Nor Bahyah should have been much more careful with her choice of words, and not spread her prejudiced views as the truth. In doing so, she has abused her position by giving her sphere of influence a false and misguided impression of Christianity,” she said.
She urged Siti Nor Bahyah and JAIS to be more careful when it comes to comments that go beyond the Islamic sphere, but stopped short of demanding an apology.
“There needs to be constant frank inter-faith dialogue to promote mutual understanding to ensure that such incidents do not occur ever again,” Kok said.
According to a sermon prepared by the Selangor’s Islamic authority, Valentine’s day is celebrated in many ways, starting with greeting cards, flowers and dance parties.
“In fact some celebrate it with a date which would eventually lead to illicit sex. Clearly the celebration is not part of Islamic teaching, it violates the syariah and contradicts the universal code of ethics,” it added.
Citing the Catholic Encyclopaedia, the sermon claimed Valentine’s Day is celebrated to honour a Christian priest who was imprisoned in Rome for his belief and remembered for his love letters addressed to the daughter of prison official.
“Clearly the celebration of Valentine’s Day is related to the incident, so as a Muslim who believes in Allah and accepts Muhammad as the messenger, is it appropriate for us to celebrate Valentine’s Day?” said the sermon.
Valentine’s Day falls on February 14, and generates revenue for restaurants, hotels and retail businesses. Jais pointed out that there were 257,411 births out of wedlock between 2000 and 2008, and blamed Valentine’s Day celebrations as one of the causes.
“Therefore every Muslim, especially teenagers, must abandon the tradition of celebrating Valentine’s Day, which was meant to corrupt the Musim community,” it said.
“Remember that the Jews and Christians would continue to deceive Muslims. They will do everything undermine the Muslims’ belief and personality,” said the sermon.
Jais also called on the media and social networking sites not to promote Valentine’s Day.
The Muslim preacher, Siti Nor Bahyah, had said in a television programme on TV9 more than a year ago that “vices, going to discos and couples meeting in private are Christian traditions.”
She had also called Valentine’s Day a Christian festival, claiming it started as a celebration to commemorate the fall of the Islamic administration in Spain.
The recording of the show has since been uploaded on video-sharing site YouTube and viewed by close to 100,000 visitors.
The Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) Youth wing had also demanded an apology from Siti Nor Bahyah, calling her remarks “derogatory and irresponsible.”
Both the city Islamic Department (Jawi) and Selangor Islamic Department (Jais) have banned Muslims from celebrating Valentine’s Day, calling it a Christian tradition in a Friday sermon delivered in mosques.
A 2005 religious ruling by the National Fatwa Council said the celebration has Christian elements and the “practice is mixed with immoral acts contradictory and forbidden by Islam.”
The federal Islamic Development Department (Jakim) had announced it would start its own anti-Valentine’s Day campaign to remind Muslim youths of the danger of the celebration.
PAS Youth has also planned similar campaign after backtracking on its earlier declaration to launch a crackdown on Muslims celebrating Valentine’s in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) states.
Malaysia will celebrate the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday on February 15 with a public holiday. Some conservatives are concerned young Muslims might be involved in immoral activities ahead of the religious occasion.
