Youth Group Tells Muslim Women to Avoid Using Emoticons, Perfume on Valentines Day

Emoji Valentine.

Kuala Lumpur, 16 Jumadil Awwal 1438/13 February 2017 (MINA) – In a bid to prevent gestures that lead to pre-marital sex, a Muslim youth group in Malaysia has called on Muslim women to avoid using emoticons and using fragrance in an anti-Valentines day message.

The two items were part of the seven things Muslim women were advised to avoid when meeting men who were “non-mahram”, or not their kin, even when not celebrating the day to commemorate love, the Malay Mail Online reported.

In it’s step-by-step guide, the National Muslim Youth Association (Pembina) also warned the women against going out with men at “inappropriate” times by dealing with them only in daytime, and to keep their text messages simple.

Apart from the use of emoticons and “excessive” fragrance, the women were also told not to talk to men in a sweet voice and to be appropriately clothed in the presence of “non-mahram” men.

The guide is also part of the associations annual anti-Valentines day campaign, which also called on Muslim youths to publicly berate unmarried Muslim couples who were dating on Valentines day.

The group also called on youths to don t-shirts carrying anti-Valentines day messages and to spread its messages across social media platforms.

On an annual basis, religious authorities in Malaysia have called on Muslims to reject valentines day celebrations due to its purported Christian roots.

In 2005, the National Fatwa Committee for Islamic Affairs has banned the global celebrations for Muslims. The authorities have also launched several campaigns, including the “Mind the Valentine’s Day Trap”, which was launched in 2011, and encouraged volunteers to warn youths of the dangers of celebrating the day.

Malaysian Muslim clerics have consistently maintained that Valentine’s Day a Christian celebration, and promoted promiscuity and immoral activities.

The “Beware of the Valentine trap” campaign discourages Muslims to ask someone to be his or her “Valentine” as it is an act against the Islamic faith and would invoke the wrath of god. (T/RS05/RS01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)