Jakim is a ‘pervert’

The Islamic department's lastest Friday sermon blamed all of the country's social and moral headaches on Valentine's Day.

COMMENT

Jakim is at best a ‘pervert’ for condemning Valentine’s Day and abusing the Friday sermons to incite racial unrest. The department seems to be enjoying playing the devil’s advocate.

Last year, just days before the Allah issue returned to court, the Department of Islamic Development of Malaysia (Jakim)  rebuked non-Muslims for challenging the Muslim faith by insisting on using the word.

“The position of Islam is being threatened from every corner. We must be aware of our responsibility in this issue.

“These are the rights of Muslims that cannot be intruded by anyone as it will affect the beliefs and thoughts of Muslims,” Jakim’s sermon went.

Looks like the Islamic department is getting carried away with its responsibilities, so much so that its focus has turned fuzzy.

Jakim pushed the religion envelope a little too far when it declared as “unlawful” a  YouTube clip of Maznah Mohd Yusof and her three dogs which went viral.

However, the “attack Valentine’s Day” campaign is Jakim’s all-time favourite.

The department has engaged in a perpetual war with Valentine’s Day, spinning yarns about how morally damaging the event is.

In Jakim’s calendar, February 14 is marked as ‘Valentine’ Day bashing’ with the department trying every trick in the book to defame the occasion, calling it the ‘devil’ of all evils.

Thirteen years ago, authorities arrested nearly 100 Muslims in a crackdown on Valentine’s Day.

They were detained for khalwat (close proximity), the crime of being alone with a member of the opposite sex other than one’s spouse or close relative.

It can bring up to two years in jail upon conviction in the syaria courts.

Jakim spinning  lies

Then there were reports that Muslim authorities in Selangor this week launched a leaflet distributing campaign aimed at youths, warning against celebrating Valentine’s Day.

This year’s Valentine’s Day condemnation by Jakim was no different. Jakim has now decided that the country’s many social and moral headaches are all the doing of the Feb 14 event that celebrates love.

It is worrying that Jakim without any solid evidence is holding Valentine’s Day at ransom for the many social ills the nation is facing, be it alcoholism or abortion.

Will Jakim also conveniently blame Valentine’s Day for crimes like corruption, domestic abuse and marital rape?

“Social ceremonies such as this are a stepping-stone towards greater social ills such as fraud, mental disorder caused by alcohol, abortion and baby-dumping, and other negative ills that can invite disaster and moral decay among youths,” Jakim’s official Friday sermon text distributed to mosques read.

Unable to pin-point the exact reason why Muslims of this country have gone astray, Jakim has taken the easy way out by blaming it all on Valentine’s Day.

Misleading the rakyat about the ABCD of Valentine’s Day was bad enough; it was despicable that Jakim abused the Friday sermon to achieve its aim of maligning Valentine’s Day.

“It will begin with lies, mental instability due to alcohol consumption and being pregnant out of wedlock,” the sermon stated.

Jakim’s sermon also said that many young Muslims today lacked faith in Islam, causing them to be easily led astray by practises and culture which do not comply with religion.

“We should not be following practises of Jahiliyah (pre-Islamic times). Doing good alone is not enough if we do not keep our faith in Islam strong.”

Jakim is both irresponsibe and pervert in its ‘Valentine’s Day bashing’ campaign through its allegations that the event thrives on promiscuity and other vices.

Truth be told, Jakim’s finger-pointing is a coward’s way out of dealing with the real issues at hand.