Imprisoned for ... being in the same room on Valentine's Day

Such was the case for 26 unmarried Muslim couples who made the terrible infraction of sharing same hotel rooms on this Day of Romance in Malaysia. Apparently, under Islamic law in that retarded country, it's unacceptable for two unmarried Muslims to be in the same room, "behind closed doors".

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.

Honestly, I'm all for respecting different ideas and cultures and stuff, but this sort of stuff isn't about values, it's about friggin' civil rights and who gets to be with who on which terms, which I certainly think the government should keep it's nose out of. I may not be aware of all the sociopolitical stuff going on in Malaysia or Islamic countries in general, but I think it's fair to assume this sort of behavior and treatment of people is just plain retarded. Some old values may have their worth or uses, but eventually a tree has to be pruned of the branches that drag it down – this 'sharia' thing seems to be one of those lame branches that we could do without.