Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) executive committee member Patricia Martinez has implored for the vilification of liberalism as a Jewish and Christian conspiracy to stop.

Taking the accusation that Valentine’s Day is a ‘liberal-Christian agenda for free-mingling of sexes and illicit sex’ by Muslim hardliners as an example, she said the occasion had nothing to do with Christianity in the first place.

She pointed out that like Islam, illicit sex in considered a sin in Christianity.

As for Saint Valentine, she said he is revered for solemnising the marriages of soldiers despite a ban on doing so, thus they do not commit illicit sex.

“That (accusation) is an absolute manipulation and is grossly unfair to non-Muslims.

"It is almost slanderous […] But Hallmark, Memory Lane, chocolate companies, hotels and restaurants, made Saint Valentine their patron saint.

“What happened was the Vatican and the Anglican Communion ‘downgraded’ him.

"We have never celebrated Saint Valentine’s Day. We never celebrated it; it is not a Christian day,” she told a forum on liberalism in Kuala Lumpur today.

Hallmark and Memory Lane are two prominent manufacturers of greeting cards, including for Valentine’s Day.

Jews are diverse people

Martinez also lashed out against the conflation of Christians and Jews with Zionists, such as when Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid ( photo ) claimed that the news portal Sarawak Report is part of a Jewish and Christian agenda to split the Muslims.

She explained that the Jews are a diverse people, and there are Orthodox Jews even in Israel who oppose the oppression taking place in Palestine.

As for the Vatican, she said it regularly provides aid to Gaza and gives recognition to the Palestinian state, and the latter is significant because of its status in the UN.

“Zionists are war criminals. The Vatican has recognised years ago that Palestinian is important. So don't equate us with Zionism, liberalism, or trying to undermine Islam,” she said.

The Vatican is not a UN member, but a closely linked body The Holy See is a permanent observer in the UN general assembly.

As for the repeated allegations that Christians have an agenda to convert Muslims in Malaysia that resurface from time to time, Martinez dismissed it saying that to date, not a shred of evidence had been presented.

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