Valentine’s Day, condoms and casual sex in Indonesia

Febriana Firdaus

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Valentine’s Day, condoms and casual sex in Indonesia

AFP

Every year, Islamic groups and local governments in Indonesia remind their respective communities not to celebrate Valentine's Day.

JAKARTA, Indonesia – In Jakarta, hotels and restaurants have been promoting Valentine’s Day promotions for weeks. But in many cities outside the capital of the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, celebrating the day of hearts is banned.

Condoms and casual sex

Every time Valentine’s Day comes around, the Indonesian Commission for Child Protection (KPAI) is worried.

“There are Valentine’s Day traditions that are not child-friendly. For instance, Valentine’s Day is understood as a day of love that justifies losing one’s virginity. There are school children who become victims of sexual violence on Valentine’s Day,” Indonesian Commission for Child Protection (KPAI) official Susanto told Detik.com.

Worse, KPAI said some chocolates are being sold with free condoms for Valentine’s Day. Chocolates are for all ages, and the commission fears kids might find the condoms and be encouraged to use them.  

On Friday, February 13, Indonesia’s top Islamic clerical body, the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI), threatened to issue a fatwa against the sale of condoms following reports that the contraceptives were being sold together with chocolate to mark Valentine’s Day.

MUI chairman Ma’ruf Amin said they were investigating the reports, adding that it was against the sale of condoms as they “provide opportunities for people to engage in pre-marital sex”.

“The sale of condoms has led to prostitution and free sex,” he told AFP. “We have long rejected the condomization of our society.”

He added that if the reports were true, “it is very possible that we will issue a fatwa restricting the sale of condoms freely in this country”.

A fatwa is a legal opinion handed down by Islamic leaders but is not legally enforceable.

Reports said that shops in Malang, on the main island of Java, were selling the condom-chocolate offerings, and authorities in other cities launched raids on stores in search of the items.

However, minimarkets where the condoms were reportedly sold have denied these, and store checks have come up empty. Industry sources say the image of chocolate packs with condoms circulating are fake and have been around for a while. 

NO VALENTINE. Muslim high school students protest against Valentine's Day celebrations in Banda Aceh, on February 14, 2014.  Photo by EPA

Forbidden celebrations

Every year, as the day of hearts approaches, Islamic groups and local governments in Indonesia begin reminding their respective communities not to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

A number of reasons are given, including how the special day, which is named for a Christian martyr, is perceived to be a Christian holiday. “It comes from another religion,” MUI’s Amidhan Shaberah told Rappler. 

In Sharia-ruled Aceh, the local government said religious police will be deployed to look out for couples getting romantic on Saturday.

Nurul, a high school student in Banda Aceh, won’t be crossing the religious police. “My friends and I are not going to celebrate Valentine’s Day because it is not in accordance with Islamic law,” he said. 

Others take the KPAI view that Valentine’s Day is a Western celebration that promotes sex, alcohol and drug use. 

For example Dian, a high school student from Surabaya, says she has no problem with the city’s education department banning the celebration of Valentine’s. “It’s a waste of time and money. It can also lead to undesirable things, like drinking, drugs or sex,” she told Rappler.com.

Others say it’s not part of Indonesian culture. 

Not everyone agrees, though. In Makassar, where heart-shaped souvenirs are banned as they “contradict Indonesian culture”, resident Ardian Adhiwijaya thinks this is an example of too much government meddling.

“If the reason is to prevent casual sex, then banning the celebration of Valentine’s Day isn’t the right step. Whether they ban Valentine’s Day or not, people who want to engage in casual sex will still do so,” he said. – with reports from Nurdin Hasan, Mansyur Rahim, Kartika Ikawati, and Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com 

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