ISLAMIC GROUPS PROTEST ‘SEXY VALENTINE’ S DAY IN INDONESIA

 

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Islamic group staged counter-demonstrations against Valentine's Day celebrations with hardline groups mobilising against the increasingly popular festival.  Opponents believe the festival promotes teen "sex parties" and premarital sex. After the deputy mayor in the conservative city of Depok on Jakarta's outskirts urged parents to stop their children from celebrating, local religious leaders voiced support.

The Head of the hardline Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) in Depok, Habib Idrus Al Gadhri, declared the day "haram" (forbidden) for Muslims, claiming it is part of the culture of "infidels". 

• Despite the calls, many of the country's glitzy malls, hotels and restaurants are offering love-themed banquets and special events.
• Around 90 percent of Indonesia's 240 million people are Muslim but the vast majority practise a moderate form of the religion.
• Dozens of schoolgirls wearing headscarves in eastern Java's Malang city protested against the day, declaring February 14 "headscarf day".
• Local media reported protests in the central Java city of Solo on Wednesday, where nearly 500 elementary school students and teachers marched against youths celebrating the day. They carried signs reading "Valentine, Infidel Culture". 

Source: agencies