14 February 2013

Islamists denounce Valentine’s Day as an excuse for forbidden sex, ban gift-buying in Indonesia

Indonesian officials and Muslim clerics called for young people to skip Valentine’s Day on Thursday, saying it’s an excuse for couples to have forbidden sex. People in one province were also banned from buying gifts.

Many teenagers use the Western holiday as a time to express their love, which often leads to premarital sex, said Idris Abdul Somad, deputy mayor of Depok, a town on the outskirts of Jakarta, the capital. [Associated Press] Read more