Pooch Hall on Valentine"s Day Texts from the Ex
Naila Inayat, Special for USA TODAY Published 12:41 p.m. ET Feb. 14, 2017 | Updated 46 minutes ago
Pakistani people sell balloons on Valentine"s Day in Karachi, Pakistan, on Feb. 14, 2017. Valentine"s Day, celebrated annually across the world on 14 February, is considered to be un-Islamic in Pakistan. According to media reports, a court banned celebrating the holiday in public places in Pakistan. EPA/SHAHZAIB AKBER ORG XMIT: KHI01(Photo: Shahzaib Akber, EPA)
LAHORE, Pakistan Usman Shahid didnt want to break his wifes heart by not celebrating Valentine"s Day with her, so he decided to break the law instead.
Shahid and many other Pakistanis are outraged over a court"sban on celebrating Valentine"s Day because it is considered"unIslamic." They vowed to press forwardwith hearts,flowersand love.
"I am still going ahead with my Valentine"s Day plansin defiance of this unrealistic ban despite the consequences,"said Shahid, 30, a university lecturer in Lahore.
The Islamabad High Court in Pakistan"s capital issued theorder Monday after a citizen,Abdul Waheed, petitioned the court to ban celebrations in public places to stop the "spread of love immorality, nudity and indecency (from) being promoted which is against our rich culture. The court order does notmention a fine or punishment. Police here on Tuesdayhave been issuing warnings to people.
The ruling was a victory for a conservative group that had long tried to forbid the celebrations in the majority-Muslim country. In a society where adultery is punishable by death and public displays of love are forbidden, the young had increasingly used Valentine"s Day as a form of rebellion.
"Every year that Feb. 14 is celebrated, it is done so as the Day of Shame," Abdul Muqeet, president of Punjab University"s Jamiat-e-Talaba, the student-wing of conservative Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party, told USA TODAYa few years ago. "All over Pakistan, our organization holds protests, marches and distributes literature telling our youth how they are being manipulated toward this un-Islamic and immoral tradition."
People buy flowers at a flower market, to celebrate Valentine"s Day, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Feb. 14, 2017.(Photo: B.K. Bangash, AP)
"We cannot allow such acts as they will spoil the present and future generations," he added.
As a result of the ban, the government ordered the media and retailers to refrain from promoting or mentioning the holiday.
Some in the country bemoaned the order, noting the absence of flowers being soldby the side of the road and heart-shaped balloons.
"I was looking forward to celebrating valentines day with my friends, but this ban from the government has ruined everything for us," said Azhar Kalam, 27, an engineering student in Lahore. "It is laughable that the state makes issues out of non-issues like Valentines by calling it a Western trend.Isnt heating food in a microwave Western? Why do we copy that then?"
Some Pakistanis saidfestivities were likely to be muted anyway because of Monday"s terror attack claimed by the Taliban that killed at least 13 on Lahore"s busy Mall Road.
"The blast light night in Lahore has also scared off the people," Kalam added, echoing others that said public celebrations in the country are always risky in light of the security risks.
"Since public festivities are banned, I am throwing a private party at my place and inviting afew friends over," he said. "We had earlier made reservation at a restaurant. It is the only non-religious festival we enjoy celebrating, and we look forward to it each year."
Mehak Haque said the ban was a relief for singles.
"Valentines Day is a dreadful day for all the single people out there," said Haque, 23, a communications studentin Lahore. "There is unwarranted pressure on those who dont have a Valentine date or arent seeing anyone."
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Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/02/14/pakistanis-defy-valentines-day-ban-hearts-flowers-and-love/97892692/
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