Press statement by Teresa Kok, Selangor State Senior EXCO and Member of Parliament for Seputeh dated 12 February 2011 in Shah Alam.
Siti Nor Bahyah’s and JAIS’ prejudice and misinformation of Christianity reveals urgent need for constant frank inter-faith dialogue
JAIS’ and Siti Nor Bahyah’s positions that associated Valentine’s Day with immorality and Christianity are baseless and misleading.
The sermon prepared by JAIS (Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor), according to The Malaysia Insider, and Siti’s comments, were both prejudiced and irresponsible because they were based not upon facts but upon urban myths. Such comments are dangerous as they are likely to stir disgust and disdain for Christianity.
The Malaysia Insider reported:
“It is celebrated in many ways, starting with greeting cards, flowers and dance parties. In fact some celebrate it with a date which would eventually lead to illicit sex,” said the sermon prepared by the Selangor’s Islamic authority.
“Clearly the celebration is not part of Islamic teaching, it violates the syariah and contradicts the universal code of ethics,” it added.
Citing the Catholic Encyclopaedia, the sermon claimed Valentine’s Day is celebrated to honour a Christian priest who was imprisoned in Rome for his belief and remembered for his love letters addressed to the daughter of prison official.
“Clearly the celebration of Valentine’s Day is related to the incident, so as a Muslim who believes in Allah and accepts Muhammad as the messenger, is it appropriate for us to celebrate Valentine’s Day?” said the sermon.
Jais pointed out that there were 257,411 births out of wedlock between 2000 and 2008, and blamed Valentine’s Day celebration as one of the causes.
“Therefore every Muslim, especially teenagers, must abandon the tradition of celebrating Valentine’s Day, which was meant to corrupt the Musim community,” it said.
“Remember that the Jews and Christians would continue to deceive Muslims. They will do everything undermine the Muslims’ belief and personality,” said the sermon.
Jais also called on the media and social networking sites not to promote Valentine’s Day.”
Valentine’s Day is an occasion, much like Father’s Day, Mother’s Day and Children’s Day, to signify appreciation of our loved ones. To celebrate or not is entirely up to each individual. Furthermore, Valentine’s Day has long since been capitalized upon by marketers as a commercial opportunity for themselves, and not one that is promulgated by Christianity. It is universally celebrated secularly.
As a motivational speaker, Siti Nor Bahyah should have been much more careful with her choice of words, and not spread her prejudiced views as the truth. In doing so, she has abused her position by giving her sphere of influence a false and misguided impression of Christianity.
I urge Siti Nor Bahyah and JAIS to be more careful when it comes to comments that go beyond the Islamic sphere.
There needs to be constant frank inter-faith dialogue to promote mutual understanding to ensure that such incidents do not occur ever again.
Teresa Kok
Lucky not all Malay Muslims and Muslims have JAIS and Siti’s mentality.
“Remember that the Jews and Christians would continue to deceive Muslims. They will do everything undermine the Muslims’ belief and personality,” said the sermon.
That statement is inflammatory and seditious. I believe promoting ill-will towards another group is an offence under Sedition Act?
I wonder what will our PM do about this? Since this woman’s statement is certainly not helping his 1Msia agenda. Trust is the main ingredient for 1Msia to succeed and this woman is sowing distrust among the Muslim towards Christians.
A false conclusion made as a result of pure observation, with the orang puteh as the primarily observed subject.
Reminds me how Wong Ch** *ai, a Christian, who overemphasized on Avril Lavigne and Rihanna concerts, as well as the right to wear sexy dressing. One may make the wrong conclusion that concerts and sexy dressing are parts of Christianity since it’s a matter of serious concern being addressed by a Christian living in a predominantly Muslim nation, like how a Jew would skip Donald Trump’s The Apprentice task to celebrate Yom Kippur.
My advise to Christians in Malaysia is to ‘spread the Word of God by example’ like how Nik Aziz preaches Islam by showing modest lifestyle, or how a Muslim tenant would bayar sewa on the first day of the month to a Christian landlady.
Aduh.. beliau memalukan bangsaku.. Siti should read/know/learn more before open her mouth..
It doesnt help a lot for non-malays or christains in Pakatan to rebuke or correct the constant misunderstandings some ignorant muslim leaders have in others’ belief, it works better for the malay leaders themselves in Pakatan to stand up to correct these misguided religious heads bcos the usual suspects who bastardised the nation will not resist hijacking the issue and turn it into a racial conflict instead to score some political points for themselves disgusing as defenders of their own race (sigh).
If I give a stalk of rose to my mother on Valentine’s Day as a way of expressing my love for her, is that vice? A daughter takes her parents out for a dinner on Valentine’s Day, is that vice? If Muslims claim that Valentine’s Day is equivalent to vice, then some of our Malay Muslims including our leaders are already celebrating the occasion the whole year through and on a grander scale at that, e.g. rape, incest, gambling, drinking, corruption, spinning lies, adultery, drug taking, bohsiah, baby dumping and pre-marital sex. JAIS should tell this group of people to stop celebrating such ‘Christian’ activities immediately. The problem with this group of people is that they always tend to be judgemental and making sweeping statements without knowing the true facts. Can’t they just leave us alone for once?