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HomeNewsPakistan Claims Valentine’s Day Promotes Nudity an ...

Pakistan Claims Valentine’s Day Promotes Nudity and Indecency. So they Banned it

February 14, 2017

By Sharanya Gopinathan

Pakistani youth shout slogans against Valentine's Day in Lahore on February 14, 2013. Pakistan's media regulator Wednesday asked television and radio stations to avoid offending religious sentiments and corrupting the nation's youth in their Valentine's Day broadcasts. AFP PHOTO/Arif ALI (Photo credit should read Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images)
Photo courtesy Joshua Keitani via Twitter

Just in the nick of time, the Islamabad High Court yesterday banned all Valentine’s Day celebrations from public places. According to Dawn, Justice Shaukat Aziz has also asked the Federal Ministry of Information, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) and the Islamabad High Commission to submit their replies regarding the execution of the Court’s orders. Pemra has also been tasked with notifying and monitoring all mediums to make sure no special Valentine’s Day promotions are sent out.

The petitioner in this case submitted that Valentine’s Day celebrations need to stopped immediately as they promote “nudity and indecency under the cover of spread of love”. The celebration of Valentine’s Day was also labelled as un-Islamic and an import of the West.

Similar bans on Valentine’s Day have been attempted unsuccessfully in the past. Several unofficial bans on celebrating the day exist in smaller towns and villages. In 2015, a top clerical body in the country issued a fatwa against the sale of condoms following reports that they were being sold along with chocolate in Valentine’s Day-related business promotions. In an article that keeps weirdly referring to Valentine’s Day as a “festival”, The Independent also reports that last year, President Mamnoon Hussain had urged Pakistanis not to celebrate Valentine’s Day as it was a Western import and had nothing to do with Pakistan’s own rich culture. He warned Pakistanis against “the downsides of western culture” that had “adversely affected one of our neighbouring countries.” Ahem.

Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, too, have banned Valentine’s Day celebrations, with Saudi Arabia even going so far as to ban the sale of any red products, creating a black market for roses, wrapping paper and “red goods” around the day.

Tags: 14 february, ban, celebration, fatwa, indonesia, love, pakistan, saudi arabia, valentine's day

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Sharanya Gopinathan

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One Response to “Pakistan Claims Valentine’s Day Promotes Nudity and Indecency. So they Banned it”

  1. Reply
    Hosting
    August 17, 2017 at 6:54 am

    The court passed its ruling to the ministry, federal government, chairman and chief commissioner, who are obliged to submit a response to the order within ten days. The order was in response to a private petition which argued the festival promotes immorality, nudity and indecency under the guise of celebrating love.

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