I came cross an eye-catching piece of news today on medindia.net.
Apparently, Malaysia’s International Islamic University (IIUM) has officially been declared a “no-dating zone.” It’s the first university in the country to take this bold step.
A large banner on proud display at the Gombak campus warns students not to date anywhere on site.
It reads: “IIUM is an Islamic territory. No dating. Allah is watching us.”
The Anti-Dating Club
Apparently the banner wasn’t the work of the Malaysian university authorities, but was put up during Ramadan by the Maaruf Club, in collaboration with the Campus Dakwah Project.
In its defence, the club has the students’ best interests at heart. Its aims include encouraging students to perform well and avoid vice. Read on and you also discover that the club also monitors students’ oral conduct and behaviour (this is where I feel friction, personally.)
Is Dating Un-Islamic?
This move by the Malaysian university reminds me of a blog I wrote a couple of months ago about the Lahore University of Management Science in Pakistan – a university that sparked a fierce debate on whether dating was un-Islamic. As a result of this, Pakistani students at the uni were banned from kissing.
It’s my opinion (and just my opinion) that romance on campus should be an individual choice. While discretion is advisable if one is at a Muslim university, surely there’s a place for every belief on dating and faith as long as it doesn’t intrude upon or distract other students.
After all, many young men and women meet their future life partners at university, right?
“Clapping with one hand will not make a noise” – Malaysian Proverb