Islam Prohibits Stay-At-Home Dads Claims Malaysian Government Research Center

No stay-at-home dads in Malaysia, if certain people have their way, because it says so in the Quran. [Note, Putrajaya is a planned city south of Kuala Lumpur, and the current seat of government. Kuala Lumpur still houses the Parliament and the King.]

Islam prohibits its married men from being the homemaker in the family, the government’s Malaysian Institute of Islamic Understanding (Ikim) has said, amid Putrajaya’s efforts to discourage women from dropping out of the workforce to raise children.

Siti Fatimah Abdul Rahman, consultation and exercise unit leader in Ikim’s centre for economic and social studies, said the Quran mandates the husband, not the wife, to provide for the household, the Sunday edition of local daily New Straits Times reported today

“Although there is no prohibition for wives to work and even if the wife earns 10 times more than the husband, he still has to provide basic sustenance for the family,” Siti Fatimah was quoted saying in the New Sunday Times report.

The official from the government research centre cited the Quranic verse 34 of chapter An-Nisa in her argument that Islam made it imperative for men to be breadwinners and said it was unacceptable for a husband to manage the home while earning nothing.

Putrajaya is aiming to increase Malaysia’s female labour force participation rate to 55 per cent this year from 52.4 per cent in 2013, even as the nation plans to reach developed status in just five years’ time by 2020.

[snip]

Muslim right-wing group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia said last month that Malaysia could still be a high-income nation if men remained breadwinners and women focused on raising children.

Source: Malay Mail Online

Men Can Spy On Future Wife While Bathing, Per Egyptian Fatwa

Here's the latest wacky fatwa out of Egypt. Salafist preacher Usama al-Qawsi says it's okay to spy on your future wife while she's bathing.

In a video, Salafist preacher Usama al-Qawsi said that the man can “hide" while watching the woman he “intends to marry” bathe.

“If you were really honest and wanted to marry that woman, and you were able to hide and watch her in secret, see the things that she wouldn’t usually let you see before marrying her, then it is acceptable as long as your intentions are pure,” Qawsi said in a video.

“One of the Prophet’s companions did that. Some disapproved and told him: ‘How do you do that when you’re one of the Prophet’s companions?’ The Prophet answered: ‘If you can see something that would make you want to marry her then go ahead and do it.’”

That fatwa was struck down by Egyptian religious authorities.

Hahaha. Oh those dirty Salafists.

Video and more here.

Fatwa Bans Saudis From Traveling Abroad To "The Land Of Infidelity"

"God does not love" Muslims living alongside "infidels", so Saudi preacher Sheikh Abdullah al-Suwailem has issued a fatwa banning Saudis from travelling outside the country, unless they really, really have to.

“Travelling abroad is forbidden in Sharia except in cases of necessity and with conditions."  

because

 "..whoever dies in the land of infidelity could go to hell."

Muslim countries are "less undesirable."

Those conditions he talks about?

The traveler must be "a strong believer" with religious "immunity", so they don't give in to "desires", like alcohol.

“Whoever fears for himself falling for what is forbidden, such as drinking alcohol, should not travel except in the case of necessity,” he added.

And studying or doing business abroad in "the land of infidelity" is also a no-no unless "in extreme necessity."

Apparently Al-Suwailem helps rehabilitate al-Qaeda prisoners held In Saudi jails. Maybe some of that extremism is rubbing off on him. In fact, Saudi columnist Badria al-Bishr called al-Suwailem's fatwa "extremist bacteria." And former head of the religious police Sheikh Ahmed Bin Qassim al-Ghamdi, quoting from the Quran,  believes that "travel broadens one's mind"  and has "many advantages for all."

Actually, this might be a Godsend for the West, after all the majority of the 9/11 terrorists were Saudi.

By all means, stay at home.

Source: Al Arabiya

Fatwa Against Moving To Mars

UPDATE: Here's Mars One's response to the UAE fatwa.

According to the Brit tabloid Daily Star, some Muslim leaders have issued a fatwa against packing your things and moving to mars. Yes, the planet. The Star is a little like our National Enquirer, although the story sounds more like something you'd find on those satire sites like The Onion or the Daily Currant. Or maybe not, since there have been a plethora of fatwas that sound ludicrous but are all too true.

The latest came after the Mars One organisation claimed it would settle on the planet’s surface by 2023.

It prompted the religion’s leaders to point out that living on the planet would be a potentially suicidal move as there is no way back to Earth. Islam does not allow suicide.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment, based in the United Arab Emirates, said: “Such a one-way journey poses a real risk to life, and that can never be justified in Islam.”

Potential astronauts would end up dying for no “righteous reason” and would face the same punishment in the after-life as someone who had committed suicide.

Over 200,000 people, including 500 Saudis and Arabs, have applied to take part in the Mars One quest.

Muslim Miss Malaysia World Finalists Banned From Competition

Malaysia considers itself a moderate Muslim nation but it still adheres to a 1996 fatwa banning women from participating in beauty queen pageants. As a result, four Muslim women who were vying for a spot at the Miss World 2013 competition in Bali were not allowed to compete in the Miss Malaysia World pageant finals.

Pageant organiser Datuk Anna Lim said the Federal Territories Islamic Department (Jawi) informed her of its decision yesterday.

“Jawi director Datuk Che Mat Che Ali called me to confirm that the women cannot take part in the pageant,” Lim said.

“While the other finalists are geared for the contest, the Muslim women are left with shattered dreams. I took one look at Sara (Amelia Bernard) when she walked in today and I knew the poor girl was stressed by the controversy.

Apparently, it was a last minute decision that left the four girls devastated.

Sara, one of the contestants who was met by The Malay Mail yesterday, said she was upset with the entire fiasco.

After attending the pageant week programme at Corus Hotel, she was visibly disappointed by the outcome.

“I am sad I cannot join the others as I have always dreamt of being a beauty queen, but I have to accept the decision.”

The 20-year-old, who was the only contestant present as a guest during the training session which started yesterday, said she has yet to decide on her next course of action.

Sara had to deactivate her Facebook account because of the nasty comments she was receiving from Muslim hardliners. She believes it's because she was more vocal about her disappointment with the decision.

Sara, along with Wafa Johanna De Korte, Miera Sheikh, Kathrina Ridzuan and Sara Amelia Bernard were the four 'disqualified' Muslim finalists.

Not only were their dreams shattered at the last minute (since they somehow reached the finals without being banned), they are now also being investigated for 'insulting Islam', after criticizing the decision.

Even though there will be no bikini section during the competition, in order to not offend Indonesia- the host country- there is still a dearth of Muslim countries participating.

Sources: ABNexcess, The Malay Mail Online

Croissant Fatwa By Syrian Rebel Islamists In Aleppo

And one for the 'stupid fatwa' file:  no croissants for the residents of the Islamist rebel-held section of Aleppo, Syria because they represent the Christian European victory over Muslim imperialism during the Ottoman Empire. Not that there's any truth to that fanciful tale.

A sharia committee in a rebel-held area of Aleppo issued a fatwa deeming croissants ‘haram’ (forbidden in Islamic law) because of their “colonial” significance, pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat reported on Tuesday.

I'm sure those living in Aleppo had no clue that their fight for freedom against Bashar al-Assad's oppression would end up with something even worse.  The ban against croissants isn't the only thing they're having to deal with. Women have already been banned from wearing "immodest" clothing and makeup.

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) is also showing its conservative bent.

A fatwa issued by the Council of the United Judiciary, affiliated with the rebel Free Syrian Army, stipulated a year in jail for anyone not fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.

Out of the frying pan.

Kashmir's Mufti Caught Enjoying "un-Islamic" Music

Kashmir's Grand Mufti Miyan Bashirudin Ahmed (aka Muulana) demonstrating just how hypocritical some Muslims can be. In a video that has gone viral, the good 'ol Mufti is shown on a houseboat on Dal Lake enjoying music and poetry in mixed company AFTER he issued a fatwa claiming music was "un-Islamic."  The same man who forced the all-girl band Pragaash to disband.

"The doublespeak of the Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir is exposed, on the issue of music being un-Islamic," said Digvijaya Singh, general secretary of India's ruling Congress Party, was reported as saying in The Telegraph on Sunday.

"Singing is not in accordance with Islamic teachings. Society cannot be built or developed by doing un-Islamic acts like singing.” he said.

The fatwa was supported by Darul Uloom Deobandi seminary, one of the world's most influential centers of Islamic jurisprudence.

Source: Al Arabiya

The Fatwa Show- Woman's Body Hair - Video joke of the day

There are fatwas for pretty much everything a Muslim does with his/her body (or his life) including what hair you can or cannot remove.

Different clerics and schools of thought vary slightly on certain areas of the body, and the method of removal, except for a few things that are non-negotiable:

the eyebrows - not pluckable by either men or women, even if you look like Frida Kahlo.
the pubic area and armpits- must be shaved by both men and women, and you cannot go longer than 40 days without shaving those pubic hairs. [Who would have thought!]

The following Fatwa Show video sketch pokes fun at this specific fatwa, referencing the actual fatwa by Saudi cleric Sheikh Mohammed Bin Saleh al-Othaimeen.




Other fatwa sources on body hair removal:

From IslamOnline
From Islamicity
From QuestionsOnIslam

3G Mobile Technology Will Lead To Deviance- Iran Mullahs Issue Fatwa Ban

3G Mobile Technology is out for Iran after a bunch of ayatollahs issued a fatwa banning it  because they believe it will increase deviancy in an already deviant society.  Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi said,

“It will cause new deviances in our society, which is unfortunately already plagued with deviances.” 

Three other ayatollahs and the Iranian government have said Rightel's use of 3G technology is corrupting Iranians, so they're actually looking to shut the service down.

Ayatollah Alavi Gorghani said providing this technology to the public would inflict damages on the country’s political and religion systems. [snip]

Residents of Qom, a religious city in Iran, signed a petition against Rightel on Feb. 10, the 34th anniversary of the Islamic Republic accusing the phone company of facilitating “access to sin and decadence”.

Despite what the Iranian government labels Rightel’s 3G service, citizens in Iran are delighted to experience the speedy internet.

Anything to keep the populace under control.

Saudi Arabia- Hiring Female Cashiers Is Akin To "Human Trafficking"

So what does being a female cashier have to do with 'sexual exploitation, forced labor and organ trafficking?' According to a graduate student at Imam Mohammad bin Saud Islamic University in Saudi Arabia it's akin to "human" trafficking.

You might wonder how a woman at say a McDonald's taking your cash for a Big Mac and fries is being exploited (other than the pittance of pay fast food workers receive), and where on earth "human trafficking" factors in, but Mohammad al-Bogami explains it this way:

"...Muslim scholars consider it human trafficking if the goal of hiring women is to use their looks to attract customers.

Human trafficking does not stop at people selling their bodies or parts of their bodies; it extends to any kind of slavery or sexual exploitation, the London-based al-Hayat newspaper reported Bogami as saying.


Saudi Arabia’s top clerics have challenged the government’s policy of expanding jobs for women, with a fatwa (religious edict) that they should not work as cashiers in supermarkets.

“It is necessary to keep away from places where men congregate. Women should look for decent work that does not make it possible for them to attract men or be attracted by men,” according to the fatwa.

Hired to attract customers? Where do these people get these notions? How on earth can someone be attracted to a woman who is totally covered in black cloth (abaya) and wearing a niqab (full face veil)?

They'll say and do anything to maintain gender segregation.

Iran Bans Buddhas, Confiscates Statues From Tehran Stores

The "Buddha" has become persona non grata in Tehran after "he" became the latest target of stupid Iranian government fatwas. Iran has previously banned Barbie and Ken and Homer Simpson dolls for promoting that evil Western culture, so what's up with Buddha statues? They're not Western at all. It seems in this case it's viewed as a "cultural invasion", at least so says Saeed Jaberu Ansari, an official with the protection of Iran's cultural heritage. Maybe someone should inform him that Buddhism isn't a culture, it's a religion, and even so, most people who buy Buddha statues do so because they are an exotic decorative item for home and garden (and in Iran, their cars), not because they are adherents of the religion. But since the only minority religions allowed in that country are Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism, as per Article 13 of their Constitution, the Buddhists are out of luck.

So, in order to stop the spreading of Buddhism through the purchase of those insidious statues, Tehran police have been "cleansing" Iran by confiscating Buddhas from stores located in the capital city.

According to one store owner who carries the mostly China-made statues:

“As I understand, none of customers cared about Buddhism, they only bought it for decoration,” said Reza Sanaei, a shopkeeper who sells the statues.

And a comment from a customer:

Marjan Arbabi, said she personally did not like the statues. “But my parents have set of five Buddah’s statues at their home simply because they think the statues are beautiful,” she said.

I wonder if they'll start raiding people's houses and cars?

Saudi Cleric Wants Burqas For Female Babies To Prevent Rape

A cleric in Saudi Arabia believes that the solution for the rape of female babies (which is apparently a problem in the Kingdom) is to force the parents of those babies to clothe them in burqas.

In a TV interview on the Islamic Al-Majd TV, which seems to date back to mid-last year, Sheikh Abdullah Daoud, stressed that wearing the veil will protect baby girls. The Sheikh tried to back his assertion with claims of sexual molestation against babies in the kingdom, quoting unnamed medical and security sources.

So is he suggesting that Muslim men lust after babies too, so they must also cover up so as not to tempt men to rape them?

Thankfully his is not a popular notion.

Recently picked up on social media, sheikh Dauod’s statement prompted wide condemnation from his fellow Saudis on Twitter. Some tweeps called for the Sheikh to be held accountable because his ruling denigrates Islam and breaches individual privacy.

Sheikh Mohammad Al-Jzlana, former judge at the Saudi Board of Grievances, told Al Arabiya that Dauod’s ruling was denigrating to Islam and Shariah and made Islam look bad.

Jjzlana urged people to ignore unregulated fatwas and explained that there are special regulations set by the Saudi authorities to administer religious edicts and appoint those who are entitled to issue them.

He said that he feels sad whenever he sees a family walking around with a veiled baby, describing that as injustice to children.

It's more than injustice, it's perverse.

Cell Phones Banned For Women In Muslim Indian Village

Once again ignorant, chauvinistic Muslims, this time in India, show us what little regard they have for women.

A village in Northwest  India  has banned cell phone usage for women (except at home in front of their parents) because it debases "the social atmosphere of the village." According to cleric Shobat Khan Pathan, they are trying to prevent young women from eloping. In light of all the violence against women in that country, it's obvious they couldn't care less about the safety of those same young women. Not that a cellphone helped the poor young rape victim in Delhi.

The village council is also establishing a dress code for women, and have banned singing and dancing at weddings, for the women only.




H/T SDAmAtt2a on Youtube

Saudi Preacher Needs Psychiatric Help, Says Kids TV Channel He Targeted For Boycott

Saudi Sheikh Muhammad al-Arifi, a popular cleric who has plentiful videos on YouTube, believes that the programming on MBC3- the children's channel of Middle East Broadcasting Center- is promoting "atheism and corruption", so he told parents to ban their children from watching it. He posted on Twitter:

"It is prohibited to enable your child to watch MBC3 children; its scenes are full of ideas of atheism and corruption; remove it now; your child is in your care.”

And MBC3 is fighting back, calling his post:

"tendentious and far from reality altogether." 

This, along with a previous ludicrous fatwa where Arifi told father's that since their daughters might tempt them into lust, they must never remain alone with their progeny, prompted MBC3 to recommend Arifi  get psychiatric help.

"Words cannot describe such mentality and such rationale, especially that it is coming from individuals who should be at the psychiatric hospital to treat abnormal thinking instead of issuing fatwas."

In addition to the MBC3 fatwa, Arifi called for a boycott of all MBC's advertisers. Hypocritical, to some, since the Sheikh has a programme on a competing channel that not only has similar programming, it also has Western content.

As for the father/daughter fatwa, he definitely needs psychiatric help for that one. One can only assume his inner pedophile was rearing its ugly head.

Arifi is also the one who put his foot in it when he criticised the Emir of Kuwait as unfit:

In October, he posted a statement on Twitter describing the Emir of Kuwait as unfit to rule and urged demonstrations against him. In his opinion, Emir Sheikh Sabah does not satisfy the religious conditions of an Islamic ruler.

He later backtracked on his statement following mounting anger against him in Kuwait. In a Twitter post he urged Kuwaitis to “let bygones be bygones.”

MBC3 content appeals to 3 to 13 year-olds.

Egyptian Salafists- Fatwa Against "Christian" Tomatoes

We have more stupid veggie/fruit fatwas. First it was the banana, cucumber and any other phallic-shaped fruit or veggie. Although the source was unverifiable, the fatwa banned women from touching them, for very obvious reasons.

Now Muslims are targeting the veggie that, botanically-speaking, is really a fruit- the rich in lycopene tomato. Yes, the "Popular Egyptian Islamic Association", one of the many Salafist groups that crawled out of the woodwork after the Arab Spring, has decided that tomatoes are for Christians only because when cut in half you see the sign of the cross. Maybe vampire killers can add the tomato to their arsenal of weapons.

NowLebanon.com reported that PEIA posted the fatwa on its Facebook page along with the above photo.

"Eating tomatoes is forbidden because they are Christian. [The tomato] praises the cross instead of Allah and says that Allah is three [in reference to the Holy Trinity]. "I implore you to spread this photo because there is a sister from Palestine who saw the Prophet of Allah in a vision and he was crying, warning his nation against eating [tomatoes]. If you don’t spread this [message], know that it is the devil who stopped you.”

Naturally, the fatwa caused an uproar among the less ignorant of Facebook users, so PEIA changed its message claiming it was not outright banning people from eating tomatoes, no, it was just a warning for them not to

"...cut it in [such a way that it reveals] the cross shape.”

Yes, and these are the people taking over Egypt and elsewhere.

Iran Now Bans Homer Simpson Dolls

Doh! Those wacky Iranians are at it again. Last month Barbie Dolls were banned and therefore deemed haram (forbidden). This month, it's Homer Simpson and his gang. The dolls, that is.

The Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, (yes, there's actually a governmental agency for this) banned the Homer Simpson dolls because owning them promotes Western culture, and we know how odious Western culture is in the eyes of the mullahs.  Apparently Spiderman and Superman are cool, because they happen to be heroes, and “They help oppressed people and they have a positive stance.”  At least according to Mohammad Hossein Farjoo, secretary of the above agency.

Okay.

Farjoo said of Homer Simpson:

“We do not want to promote this cartoon by importing the toys.” 

He did not elaborate on what was wrong with the Simpsons specifically. But he noted that any doll on which genitals are distinguishable, as well as dolls of adults, are banned. So were toys with speakers that blare out the voices of Western singers, or toy kitchen sets that include glasses for drinking alcoholic beverages.

Dolls of adults? Why?

Last month, they wound up shuttering a bunch of shops for selling Barbies illegally. I'm sure another slew are headed for closure.

Bye Bye Barbie and Ken- Iran Cracks Down On Sale of Un-Islamic Barbie Dolls

Barbie dolls have been banned in Iran since 1996, not because oftheir unrealistic, anorexic, cinch-waisted, long-legged, blond-headed perfection but because they represent Western culture in all its hated glory.

But that fatwa hasn't stopped shop owners from selling those evil dolls in their stores. The mullahs might find Barbie and Ken dolls distasteful, but the average Iranian is just as taken with the cultural icons as people in the West. But the Iranian Jane-Q might have a harder time finding Barbie as a result of a recent crackdown by the Iranian morality police.

Iran’s morality police are cracking down on the sale of Barbie dolls to protect the public from what they see as pernicious western culture eroding Islamic values, shopkeepers said on Monday.

As the West imposes the toughest ever sanctions on Iran and tensions rise over its nuclear program, inside the country the Barbie ban is part of what the government calls a “soft war” against decadent cultural influences.

“About three weeks ago the morality police came to our shop, asking us to remove all the Barbies,” said a shopkeeper in a toy store in northern Tehran.

As a replacement for the un-Islamic Barbie and Ken, the Iranian government in 2002 approved of Sara and Dara: plump, modestly and traditionally dressed female and male dolls that were deemed kosher for Iranian consumption. 

But that hasn't quite work out as planned, because people still want their Barbies.

“My daughter prefers Barbies. She says Sara and Dara are ugly and fat,” said Farnaz, a 38-year-old mother, adding that she could not find Barbie cartoon DVDs because she was told they were also banned from public sale.

Though they were openly sold in shops in spite of the ban, the Iranian government's latest Barbie clampdown has the shop owners scuttling to hide those harbingers of Western cultural decadence behind Iranian-sanctioned toys.

Pointing to a doll covered in black long veil, a 40-year-old Tehran toy shop manager said: “We still sell Barbies, but secretly and put these in the window to make the police think we are just selling these kinds of dolls.”

I wonder if Barbie wore a veil would she be state-approved? 

Oh, and remember that U.S. spy drone that Iran claims it allegedly shot down, although there is debate as to whether it actually crash landed?  Replicas available in a slew of different colors will be available in toy stores soon.

Iranian Cleric Claims Facebook Is Un-Islamic and Membership a Sin

According to Ayatollah Lotfollah Safi-Golpaygani, a senior Iranian cleric, Facebook is un-Islamic, because, you know, they had the internet back in Mohammad's time and the Quran specifically states that the social networking empire was haram (forbidden).  Or maybe it's in the hadiths somewhere. At any rate it's a no-no.

And since he deems it un-Islamic to own a Facebook page, it's therefore a sin:

"Basically, going to any website which propagates immoralities and could weaken the religious belief is un-Islamic and not allowed, and membership in it is therefore haram (a sin)," the ayatollah replied.

"Only the use of websites propagating religious criteria and not leading to any kind of ethical immoralities is of no problem," he added.

As of October last year, the official estimate of FB users was 17 million, though that figure is probably inaccurate given the fact that many young Iranians have found ways to get around the severe restrictions placed on internet use in that country. 

Over 5 million websites are reportedly blocked in Iran, but Iranians use proxy software and virtual private networks (VPN) to access them.

Iranian officials have, for over three decades, been waging what they call a "battle against the invasion of Western culture."

This has led to blockades of "immoral" internet sites and banned Western music and movies. However, pirated versions of those are easily available on the black market.

Where there's a will, as they say.

So, with a population of about 70 million people, approximately 25% or so of Iranians are sinners.

The Stupidest Fatwas of 2011

Here's something for a good laugh: a list of the weirdest Islamic fatwas issued in 2011 courtesy of al Arabiya news.  Some I had heard of, like the banana fatwa whereby women are prohibited from eating any kind of phallic-looking fruits or veggies, because a cucumber is just so sexy. Of course, no melon fatwas for men.

But some of the others mentioned in this article must have somehow slipped by me, like the fatwa that says that necrophilia is cool, for men that is, because hey, it's not mentioned in the Quran so it must be okay. As long as they're not too dead.

In Morocco, the head of the Moroccan Association for Jurisprudence Research stirred both outrage and controversy when he issued a fatwa allowing Muslim men to have sex with their just-deceased wives under the pretext that nothing in Islam prohibits sex with corpses. This fatwa followed a series of sex-related ones issued by the same cleric.

Then there's the one Mohamed al-Zoghbi from Egypt issued last June saying that eating Jinn meat is perfectly acceptable in Islam, because of course those elusive creatures are edible, if you can find them.

Somalia's al-Shabaab, who have banned everything from women wearing bras to school bells, because they sound like church bells this year banned some little pastries (samosas) because they were too Christian looking.

In Somalia, the ultraconservative al-Shabaab al-Mujahedin Movement issued a fatwa during the holy month of Ramadan prohibiting the consumption of sambousak, a triangular pastry stuffed with meat, cheese, or vegetables. The popular snack, they explained, is a symbol of the Trinity in Christianity and is therefore not to be consumed by Muslims.

I couldn't make this up if  I wanted to. The rest aren't quite as interesting, but you can read them here, although I'm sure there were plenty more equally asinine fatwas this past year.

Can't wait for more laughs next year.

Photo source

New Year's Eve Un-Islamic- Fatwa Against Celebrations In Bosnia

There's always some Muslim group taking the fun out of something somewhere in the world. In this case it's Bosnia-Herzegovina, where Muslim leaders have decided that New Year's Eve is un-Islamic and therefore no-one should celebrate.  In fact, not only should they not party they should

 “turn off the lights early and let everyone see you’re boycotting everything happening on that night”

According to a statement by the the Islamic Community, since Muslims already celebrated the Islamic New Year (when Mohammed schlepped from Mecca to Medina) on November 25, they would be violating "...God’s boundaries, and do something their master hates and despises” if they were to celebrate New Years like most everyone else around the world. Okay, so I'm in bed before midnight, but that's because I'd rather stay at home not because anyone has told me it's not kosher. 

Quoting from a book by someone you can't even find on google (Almir Dumica, “Pearls of the Sunnah in the Mosaic of Time”), at least in English, they said in a statement,

“On that night, turn off the lights early and let everyone see you’re boycotting everything happening on that night. Do not fear anyone's objections. Don’t you have a right to choose? Do not say, ‘how can I do that, I will change nothing, most people do it. I will be declared a black sheep’,” Dumica writes in the book. “On that night go to bed on time, happy and satisfied that the Allah gave you many benefits that you do not consider often, and which you would become aware of only if you lost them,” the Islamic Community said in its release. “Think about your health and family ... the peace and security you enjoy. Then, each night of the year will be much more dear to you than the New Year’s night is to any of those who eagerly await it all year, while a blessed feeling of triumph will overcome your soul and body, because piousness and reason will have won over passions and ugly customs.”

Before the Bosnian War, during the mid 1990s, the Muslim population was primarily secular. That unfortunately changed when foreign fighters came to fight alongside the Muslim Bosniaks.  Now this is what they have to deal with.