JOHOR BARU, MALYSIA: The state Religious Department yesterday reminded Muslims here that Valentine's Day was "haram" in Islam, which means forbidden.

The fatwa had been declared in 2005, but the warning, said Mufti Datuk M. Tahrir Samsudin, was the department's yearly reminder to Muslims not to engage in un-Islamic activities.

He said such celebrations "involved elements of vice" and violated Islamic tenets and values. He said the Christian elements found in the celebration also did not correspond with Islamic practices. - New Straits Times