"No Dating in Indonesia"... Indonesian Muslim Youths Spread 'No Dating Movement'

'Dating Ban Movement' Spreading Among Young Muslim Generation in Indonesia. Photo by Twitter @Oci_NurAshia, Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] A 'dating ban movement' is spreading among young Muslims in Indonesia.

According to The Straits Times on the 29th, young Muslims in Indonesia are currently implementing the 'Indonesia Tanpa Pacaran (Indonesia Without Dating)' movement.

The reason is that dating lowers the marriage age among young people, which in turn increases problems such as repeated divorces and remarriages.

Currently, about 30,000 people are members of the campaign, actively participating through WhatsApp group chats and social networking services (SNS).

Members of 'Indonesia Without Dating' must end their existing romantic relationships within three months.

Writer Laode Munafar argued in his 2015 book that "dating harms the younger generation" and "many violent behaviors stem from dating." Since then, he has started the 'Indonesia Without Dating' campaign.

Laode explained, "Through dating, premarital sex and premarital pregnancy increase, causing young Indonesians to marry in their teens and face issues such as domestic violence and child abuse," adding, "This leads to repeated divorces and remarriages."

He continued, "Behaviors such as premarital sex also contradict Islamic teachings," and urged, "Skip the dating phase and marry your spouse directly." He emphasized, "I married a woman after knowing her for just one month and have maintained the marriage for seven years. Other members are also meeting their partners and skipping the dating stage to start families."

Meanwhile, within Indonesia, there are concerns that the campaign may encourage child marriage.

According to UNICEF, 7 out of 10 Indonesian girls marry before the age of 18.

In 2019, the Indonesian parliament raised the legal minimum marriage age for women from 16 to 19, but child marriages can still occur regardless of the law if parents request it.

Currently, 87% of Indonesia's population of 270 million are Muslim.

Senior researcher Irfan Abubakar Sharif Hidayatullah of the National Islamic University stated, "Young Muslims with limited knowledge of Islam are heavily influenced by conservatism, which emphasizes individual religious morality."