The Samarinda MUI chapter chairman, KH. Zaini Naim, said here on Tuesday that the admonition forbidding Valentine`s Day celebrations was issued by all-Kalimantan MUI chapters in Pontianak, West Kalimantan on December 17, 2011 in statement number 01/rakorda/V/2011.
According to Naim, the admonition had also been publicized to a number of hotels in the city.
The admonition was made based upon the considering that the Valentine`s Day celebration had caused more of a negative impact, especially to the younger generation.
"MUI came to the conclusion that Valentine`s Day celebrations are opposed to Indonesian culture and religious norms," Naim said, adding MUI also publicized such an edict to a number of schools in the region.
Previously, Kampar district administration in Riau province had also banned students in the region from celebrating Valentine`s Day because it leads to moral decadence of the younger generation, an official said.
Head of the district education and youth affairs office Amri Salam made the remarks here on Tuesday, urging that schools should ask their students, as well as all society, not to celebrate Valentine`s Day.
According to him, Valentine`s Day celebrations will only cause moral decadence because they oppose Islamic teachings.
Thus, school authorities should impose sanctions against students for observing Valentine`s Day, he said.
Meanwhile, the school master of Senior High School (SMA)II of Bangkinang, Abdul Latif, said his school would impose stern sanctions against students who violate the rule, adding that Valentines Day
celebrations run contrary to Indonesian culture. (*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
