Saudi Arabia revokes a ban about Valentine's Day celebration

News24xx.com - Until on Saturday, February 17, 2018, the celebration of Valentine's Day in Indonesia is still being a controversial thing. But the surprising rules have just been issued by Saudi authorities that allow the celebration of Valentine.

As reported by CNNIndonesia.com, a fatwa that allows the celebration of Valentine's day spread through Twitter account. So now, citizens of Saudi Arabia can celebrate Valentine without fear of being detained by sharia police.

Flower and gift shops now dare to sell their goods without fear of being seized by the sharia police. Whereas previously Saudi Arabia banned the flower shop open on Valentine's Day.

A Saudi cleric says the celebration of Valentine's Day is not against Islamic teachings. The statement was contradicts with the hardline positions that applied by Saudi Arabia's sharia police.

Sheik Ahmad Al-Ghamdi, a former Mecca chief of sharia police in an interview with the Arab News newspaper said now, Muslims in Saudi Arabia can to celebrate affection on February 14.

"To celebrating Valentine's Day is not against with Islamic teachings. It's not same like National Day and Mother's Day," Al-Ghamdi said.

On February 13, Dar Al-Ifta Al-Misriya or Egyptian Religious Decree Council, Ahmed Mamdouh issued a fatwa allowing to celebrations and exchanging gifts on Valentine's Day.

 

Tunisian Grand Mufti Othman Battikh also denied claims that Valentine's Day is merely a Christian tradition.

"Anything that gets people closer is a good thing," he said, and adding that Muslims can celebrate without leaving Islam.

Mohammed Al-Shahat Al-Jundi, a member of the Islamic Research Center, said the celebrations helped "maintain family ties."

Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, pushed Saudi Arabia to more moderately to modernize the kingdom. Now, he was loosens some social boundaries, such as allowing women to watch football in the stadium, driving, watching movies, until public concerts.

 

 

 

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