The Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) today urged the National Fatwa Council to retract “hurtful” assumptions made against the Christian faith in a fatwa, or edict, made in 2005 governing Muslims and Valentine’s Day.

CCM general-secretary Rev Hermen Shastri said the National Fatwa Council had “erred in its inference” by concluding that Valentine’s Day is a Christian religious event, and has hurt the “religious feelings of Christians” in Malaysia.