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Can't get no love: Ulema council gives Valentine's Day cold shoulder again
Jakarta Globe - February 12, 2015
The Indonesian Council of Ulema, or MUI, rolled out its head of women's empowerment, Tuty Alawiyah, to issue a stern warning against chocolates that it claimed were packaged with condoms and other subtly marketed products that could encourage pre-marital sex.
"There are many Valentine's chocolates sold at supermarkets or convenience stores that include condoms," Tuty said on Thursday as quoted by Tempo.co.
Tuty, who was briefly the minister for women's empowerment in the B.J. Habibie government, indicated that Indonesians were better off getting over Valentine's Day because it was a tedious jamboree of crass consumerism imported from the United States leading to contrived displays of affection that were stressful to plan. "Why do we need to wait for it once a year?" she asked.
Every year schools in Indonesia prohibit students from celebrating Valentine's Day, while Islamic organizations back up their prohibitions against the day with alarmist data on the number of young people falling pregnant out of wedlock.
"The purpose of presents might be negative, it could lead to kisses and other things," Tuty said. Local anti-Valentine's Day protests are common across Indonesia.
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