Valentine's Day springs a surprise this year. According to the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) director-general, Datuk Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz, Valentine's Day is synonymous with vice activities and as such, an anti-Valentine's Day campaign called the 'Mind the Valentine's Day Trap' campaign had been launched in Malaysia so that Muslims teenagers do not celebrate Valentine's Day. There has also been a report that the spirit of Valentine's Day has Christian elements. The general secretary of the Council of Churches of Malaysia, Reverend Dr Herman Shastri however denied that Valentine's Day is a Christian observance. Now that Bible knowledge could be taught to Christian students in government secondary and mission schools in Malaysia, would you suppose then the knowledge procured would clear the air about Valentine’s Day? As for young Buddhists, since they do not get to study Buddhism in school, parents perhaps could guide them as to whether they could, when celebrating the popular occasion, break the third of the Buddhist Precepts: Kāmesumicchācāra veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi. I undertake the training rule to abstain from sexual misconduct. Meanwhile, Happy Valentine Day!
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