A court in Pakistan has banned public
celebrations of Valentine’s Day in the capital,
Islamabad, on the grounds that it is not part of
Muslim culture.
The Islamabad High Court’s order prohibits all
Valentine’s Day festivities in government offices
and public spaces with immediate effect.
It also directs the media not to promote or cover
Valentine’s events.
The orders were a response to a private petition
which argued that Valentine’s Day was contrary
to Islamic teaching.
The court’s order came after a petition was
submitted by a citizen called Abdul Waheed —
who claimed that ongoing promotions of
Valentine’s Day were “against the teachings of
Islam and should be banned immediately.”
In Pakistan, Valentine’s Day is seen by some as
amoral and an appropriation of Western culture.
Resistance against it is not completely unusual.
Religious groups like the Islamic political party
jamat e Islami have often protested against
marking Valentine’s Day in the country and hold
rallies annually against the celebration on
February 14.
In 2016, the local government in the city of
Peshawar in the country’s northern province of
Khyber Pakhtunkhua also banned celebrations.
The country’s president Mamnoon Hussain,
made a statement in February 2016, asking
Pakistan’s not to celebrate the day since it was
“not a part of Muslim tradition, but of the West.”
The Islamabad High Court’s decision has also
divided social media users, with some tweeting
for the ban and others vehemently against it.
A court in Pakistan has banned public
celebrations of Valentine’s Day in the capital,
Islamabad, on the grounds that it is not part of
Muslim culture.
The Islamabad High Court’s order prohibits all
Valentine’s Day festivities in government offices
and public spaces with immediate effect.
It also directs the media not to promote or cover
Valentine’s events.
The orders were a response to a private petition
which argued that Valentine’s Day was contrary
to Islamic teaching.
The court’s order came after a petition was
submitted by a citizen called Abdul Waheed —
who claimed that ongoing promotions of
Valentine’s Day were “against the teachings of
Islam and should be banned immediately.”
In Pakistan, Valentine’s Day is seen by some as
amoral and an appropriation of Western culture.
Resistance against it is not completely unusual.
Religious groups like the Islamic political party
jamat e Islami have often protested against
marking Valentine’s Day in the country and hold
rallies annually against the celebration on
February 14.
In 2016, the local government in the city of
Peshawar in the country’s northern province of
Khyber Pakhtunkhua also banned celebrations.
The country’s president Mamnoon Hussain,
made a statement in February 2016, asking
Pakistan’s not to celebrate the day since it was
“not a part of Muslim tradition, but of the West.”
The Islamabad High Court’s decision has also
divided social media users, with some tweeting
for the ban and others vehemently against it.
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