Malaysian government urged to lead campaign against Valentine's Day

Nik Abduh Nik Aziz, deputy leader of the opposition Parti Islam Semalaysia's youth wing, called for the broadcast of anti-Valentine's Day advertisements to dissuade Muslims from celebrating the event on February 14.

 

In 2005, Islamic officials ruled that Valentine's Day celebrations were incompatible with Islam because of their Christian elements, and due to certain behaviours connected with the tradition.

 

"Every year, we join forces with various Muslim non-government organisations to create awareness that celebrating Valentine's Day is against Islam," Nik Abduh said.

 

Malaysia prides itself on being a diverse and tolerant nation, but Islamic authorities can make and enforce some regulations over Muslims, who make up 60 per cent of the country's population.

 

Last year, religious authorities arrested more than 100 Muslims for celebrating Valentine's Day. dpa jag cds tlo Author: John Grafilo

 

 

"Many rescuers are here but we've had to stop our operations from time to time because there are still earthquakes occurring," he told a Manila TV station. "Just now, it's shaking very hard and the road where I'm standing is cracking." 

Reyes said he feared that the death toll in Guihulngan City alone could be higher than 50 already.

 

"I'm afraid we would not find survivors from the landslide in Planas," he said. "They are all probably dead by now." 

   The quake struck at 11:49 am (0349 GMT) on Monday and was felt in at least seven central provinces, including Negros Occidental, Iloilo, Cebu and Bacolod, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

 

More than 900 aftershocks have been recorded since Monday, the strongest at magnitude 6.2.

 

Thousands of residents in affected areas were sleeping outside for fear that their houses would collapse in the aftershocks, while some hospitals also moved patients outdoors overnight.

 

The Philippines, located in the Pacific "Ring of Fire," suffered its worst earthquake in 1990 when a 7.7-magnitude tremor killed nearly 2,000 people on the northern island of Luzon.//DPA