SP/Lawrence Dami – The deputy mayor of Depok has called on residents, especially younger people, to not celebrate Valentine's Day on Thursday, as he believed people misinterpret the meaning of the celebration.

"Many people translate Valentine's Day as expressing [love] to their lover," Idrus Abdul Somad said on Tuesday as quoted by Tempo.co. "Therefore please forbid your children from celebrating Valentine's Day."

Idris said that parents should instead take their children to religious events during Valentine's Day such as celebrating the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. "Those who love the disciple are good people," Idrus added.

Raden Salamun Adiningrat, the secretary of the Depok chapter of Nahdlatul Ulama, the country's largest Islamic organization, also called on Muslims to not celebrate the day. "Valentine's Day is often misunderstood by teenagers as the moment to express love and affection which ends up to a sex party," Raden explained.

On Tuesday, dozens of youth from the Gempita Indonesian Young Counsellor Association rallied against the celebration of Valentine's Day in Serang in the Banten province. The protestors called the celebration a chance for students to misuse the day to have sex.

"We firmly reject Valentine's Day," said Taufik El-Bantani, coordinator of the rally, in Serang on Tuesday. The group also collected 1,000 signatures from students and teenagers who rejected the celebration.

"We are really concerned because one out of four teenagers in Indonesia commit to premarital sex. That proves 62.7 percent of female teenagers have lost their virginity," Taufik said. "On Feb. 14, which is known as Valentine's day, we advise teenagers not to celebrate it, because many teenagers have sex during that day."

Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI), the country's highest Islamic authority, last year declared that celebrating Valentine's Day was haram, or forbidden, under Islam.

"Valentine's Day is a western culture and against Muslim culture," said Amidhan, the head of the MUI. "Islam teaches people to maintain communication and affection to others all days, not necessarily on Valentine's Day."

Edicts issued by the MUI carry no legal authority whatsoever and are generally meant as a form of public guidance.