▪︎Mayor of Banda Aceh says Valentine’s couples would be ‘defying Islamic law’
▪︎Hotels and restaurants are also ordered not to host any romantic events
▪︎Aceh is the only region in Muslim-majority Indonesia that imposes Sharia law
▪︎Valentine’s Day has been banned in an Indonesian city to ‘maintain the purity of Islamic values.’
Young couples in Banda Aceh have been told they will be ‘defying Islamic law’ if they celebrate the romantic occasion tomorrow and hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues have been warned against hosting any events.
City mayor Aminullah Usman said: ‘To maintain the purity of Islamic values and strengthen Islamic laws, we would like to inform the public that Valentine’s Day goes against Islamic law and is not a part of Aceh’s culture.’
The mayor said he had signed and issued a circular on Monday urging youngsters in the city to refrain from taking part in any kind of activities in celebration of Valentine’s Day.
He told the news agency Antara: ‘Aside from defying Islamic law and Acehnese culture, Valentine’s Day also goes against Aceh’s traditions.’
The city, which has a population of around 270,000, is the capital of Aceh province on Indonesia’s Sumatra island.
Aceh is the only region in Muslim-majority Indonesia that imposes Sharia law, which stipulates flogging as a punishment for crimes related to Islamic morality, such as adultery, gambling as well as gay and premarital sex.
