I am the secret that you keep; MISS SCARLET.

The signal is subtle
We pass just close enough to touch
No questions, no answers
We know by now to say enough
With only simple words
With only subtle turns
The things we feel alone for one another

There is a secret that we keep
I won't sleep if you won't sleep
Because tonight may be the last chance we'll be given
We are compelled to do what we must do
We are compelled to do what we have been forbidden

So I won't sleep if you won't sleep tonight

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

an outrage in my eyes

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Authorities in Malaysia arrested 26 unmarried Muslim couples in hotel rooms during Operation Valentine - aimed at curbing illegal premarital sex in this conservative country, an officer said Monday.

The couples, most under 30 years old, were detained for sharing rooms early Sunday in the beachside town of Kuantan in eastern Pahang state, said Badaruddin Ahmad Bustami, enforcement assistant director with the state's Islamic department.

State authorities carry out raids each year on Valentine's Day in this Muslim-majority country, where sharia laws make it illegal for unmarried Muslims to meet behind closed doors, Badaruddin said. Doing so constitutes a crime known as "khalwat," or "close proximity," which carries a maximum fine of 1,000 ringgit (US$280) and up to six months in prison.

The sharia laws apply only to Malaysia's Muslims, not to Christian and Hindu citizens who together make up about 40 percent of the population.

Badaruddin said the couples were released but may be charged later with khalwat.
"We don't agree with Muslim couples celebrating Valentine's Day because it's not Malay culture," he said. "Every Valentine's Day, many couples come here and they commit big mistakes under Islam."

i cannot fathom how such laws will curb the rise of pre-marital sex, especially when it is aimed only specifically at a certain religion. when i read this, i felt disgusted at the pit of my stomach. i have zero tolerance for laws that refuse to separate state from religion. having the malaysian government dictate malaysian muslims' lives from a religious stand is manipulative and intrusive, to me.

valentine's day not being "malay culture"? then shouldn't we arrest those non-christians who celebrate christmas by exchanging gifts and immerse themselves in the season of giving by being around their christian counterparts and partaking in the merriment? or are they saying that on valentine's day, there is a sudden surge of horny couples getting a room, apart from any other day of the year?

it puzzles me, really.