T

he Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued an edict banning the celebration of Valentine’s Day, arguing it is sinful and would promote casual sex. As much as I agree that such festivity among youths nowadays is rather out of place, I find it rather silly to hold the celebration responsible for the moral decline of the young generation today as claimed by some religious hardliners.

The root cause is much deeper than that, ranging from the bad side effects of globalization and modernization to the loosening of religious as well as familial values within society.

Personally, I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, nor do I have any objection or grudge against those who celebrate it, so long it doesn’t disturb the public. It’s a matter of personal preference. You can’t just curb a personal preference or ban someone from doing something that is not against the law. Further, without the MUI declaring it haram (forbidden), I know engaging in the usual hugging, kissing and intimate touching demonstrated by youths during the festival is not in line with Indonesian culture or religious norms, the same way I know that drinking alcohol and eating pork is also haram.

Anyway, I don’t see any point of celebrating the day. It is just another day. Love is an every day celebration, whether it’s parental love, friendship love or respectful love. We deserve someone to treat us special every single day, not just once a year. There is nothing like a spontaneous gift from your partner compared to an obligatory offering made on Valentine’s Day that is often forced and prepackaged.

In addition, I don’t want to fall victim to the gigantic commercial ads. Valentine’s Day is part of Western culture, derived from ancient Rome during the pagan era, specifically the pagan fertility festival Lupercalia, to its present incarnation as a commercial free-for-all that pushes the sales of chocolate, flowers and jewelry. The event is promoted and nurtured modishly by greeting card companies in collaboration with confectionary, flower and teddy bear companies to make more money.

Your spending will increase, which means your savings will be less, while the companies grow fatter because people like us feed them unconsciously. Now, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and every corner of Jakarta have lots on offer to lure customers into the trap.

For that reason, it is counterproductive to issue the edict because as with most MUI edicts, it will likely be ignored by the public.

Instead of labeling the event haram, in my personal opinion it would be better to educate Muslim youths and give them religious teachings so that Valentine’s Day celebrations will not become a tradition.

Herlina
Jakarta