For everyone who hates Valentine’s Day for its consumerist tradition, be glad you have the choice whether or not to celebrate. Large groups of Muslims in Malaysia were arrested yesterday for trying to give their unmarried counterparts heart-shaped candy and a special night. BBC News reports:
Islamic morality police in Malaysia have arrested more than 80 Muslims in an operation to stop them celebrating Valentine’s Day.
Officers raided budget hotels in the central state of Selangor and capital, Kuala Lumpur, detaining unmarried Muslim couples who were sharing rooms.
The religious authorities in Malaysia say Valentine’s Day is synonymous with immoral activities.
Those arrested could be jailed for up to two years if convicted.
The anti-Valentine’s Day campaign by the country’s Islamic authorities goes back to a fatwa issued in 2005.
[Continues at BBC News]