Muslim students protest celebration of lovers' day, say it promotes casual sex

Muslim students in Indonesia on Monday, February 13, protested the celebration of Valentine’s Day.

The students described the lovers' day, which is celebrated globally on February 14, as a Western celebration that encourages casual sex.

The Muslim students who were said to be between  13 and 15 years of age chanted "Say no to Valentine!" as they marched the streets in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.

"This protest was organised as we have seen on television that Valentine’s Day tends to be associated with free sex," said Pandu Satria, organiser of the demonstration that was attended by dozens of students.

"That makes us afraid," Ida Indahwati Waliulu, the headmaster of the school which is run by an Islamic organisation, adding that; "There is a certain pride about this positive action carried out by the students."

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Many cities across Indonesia also banned people from celebrating Valentine's day.

In neighbouring Malaysia, which is also a muslim-majority country, a group called The National Muslim Youth Association urged females to avoid using emoticons and an excessive amount of fragrance in a pre-Valentine’s Day message.

The group also set out guidelines about how people could reject the annual celebration of romance by making anti-Valentine posters and not wearing Valentine-themed outfits.

It was gathered that despite the anti-Valentine campaigns, many in Indonesia and Malaysia still observe the day, mostly in  major cities where cards and chocolates are widely available.