FREE VOXPOP 'I hope the Islamic Affairs Department is not thinking that Valentine's Day is 'celebrated' just by making wanton and indiscriminate sex.'

Tough love for Muslims on Valentine's Day

Joker: How does the Islamic Affairs Department define 'celebrating Valentine's Day' - buying gifts and flowers, having dinners, movies or simply going out together?

Are these ‘haram' activities only on Feb 14 but okay on other days? Why is it okay for married Muslim couples to celebrate but not so for the unmarried ones?

I hope the Islamic Affairs Department is not thinking that Valentine's Day is 'celebrated' just by making wanton and indiscriminate sex.

Non-Muslims better cancel all outings with their Muslim friends on Feb 14 in case these 'holy cops' misunderstand your gatherings as 'celebration' of the unholy Valentine's Day.

Multi Racial: Since when have we become so narrow minded? The modern generation see Valentine's Day merely a day for those who love each other to express their love for one another.

It is neither religious or customary to them. It an opportunity to express their love to their love one. Nobody is going to change their religion because we allow them to wish each other ‘Happy Valentine's Day'.

Ksn: For unmarried Malay-Muslim couples, use the other remaining 364 days of the year for whatever you wish to do on Valentine's Day.

Or if you insist that you wish to celebrate love on this day itself, do it in private, your homes, etc.

Do have a Happy Valentine's. Forget the half-wits like the Minister in the PM's Department Jamil Khir Baharom and the PAS ultras.

Onyourtoes: What regulations will you be enforcing across the country to prevent people eating together in restaurants, people exchanging gifts like flowers and chocolates, people walking in the parks, on the beaches, watching movies, having ice cream in the parlours?

Tell us what you are you going to do if couples, not husbands and wives, talk about common interests, about their future together, about opportunities, about caring and love for each other?

Fairgo: To the young romantic non-Muslims, Valentine's Day is a day to express their feelings to each other, exploited commercially no doubt. But what the heck!

Forbidding young ones to celebrate Valentine's Day because of religion must be unbelievable to the whole world.

Ericomc: I am currently working in Indonesia. You know what? My Indonesian friends are perplexed on the ban of Valentine's Day celebration by the Malaysian religious authority.

Keturunan Malaysia: First thing in the morning, I am going to give my wife a cute present (as she loves to say, it is not the value that counts, it is the thoughts behind it) and wish her Happy Valentine's.

I am going to tell her, as I always do each year and every year, that I love her very much and that given another chance to re-live my life all over again, I'll still choose and marry her.

Imraz Ikhbal: My religion is Islam and no where in Allah's Holy Books does He forbid dining out with my legitimate wife on Feb 14 of any given year.

So on this Valentine's Day, I am taking my gorgeous wife out for a fine candlelight dining in a fancy restaurant. Thereupon, I'll be giving her a red rose and a box of chocolate and I'll cuddling her throughout as I always have for the past eight years of our marriage.

But why on the Feb 14? Not because I am celebrating Valentine's Day but this year I have deliberately decided to coincide my night out with my beloved, and may Allah have mercy on whichever religious bigot that dares to arrest us.

Should that happen, I shall declare a holy crusade on those ‘yang berugama' Umno and I shall welcome anyone who shares my stand to join me.

Simpang 4: Happy Valentine's Day to all Malaysians. Celebrate Love.

Home minister: Malaysia no safe haven for the wanted

Disbeliever: Saudi newspaper columnist Hamza Kashgari is no terrorist. He just gave his opinion regarding the Prophet which non-moderate Muslims consider as deserving the death sentence.

The question that needs to be asked is "Why the hurry to deport him?"

In my opinion, the Malaysian government hastily complied with the Saudi government's request because the former is indebted to the Saudis for financial assistance in the form of loans.

The Malaysian government has been caught in a Catch-22 situation and they would rather ignore the international uproar and comply with the Saudis for fear of facing their wrath.

Gerard Samuel Vijayan: The home minister very cleverly used his powers under the Immigration Acts to deport Hamza Kashgari rather than the more cumbersome Extradition Act simply because Saudi Arabia does not have an extradition treaty with Malaysia; it is not a Commonwealth country; and blasphemy is not a criminal offence in Malaysia under civil laws.

Basically, Hamza was deemed to be a threat to national security because he was wanted by a friendly foreign country for offences under its laws. He was a fugitive escaping from the law.

Unfortunately, under the Immigration Act, the consequences that Hamza may face if he was returned to Saudi Arabia are not relevant to the issue of deportation.

While the law may favour the minister, morally it was wrong and the minister should have let due process take its course with a formal extradition request from the Saudis. But there always has been a tenuous link between the law and morality.

Kgen: The law does not favour the minister. The Immigration Department can expel the Saudi as an undesirable for whatever reason.

But this is not a deportation, this is an extradition to his country of origin where he will face the death penalty for his religious beliefs.

Hence the government has broken the United Nations convention on political refugees by sending him back where he will be persecuted.

At most, the government should have allowed him to leave for a country of his choice and not hand him over to the Saudi authorities.

Anonymous_05: Why was the terrorist Mas Selamat allowed to stay in Malaysia for so long before he was finally sent to Singapore after so many earnest request?

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