Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain Stirs Valentine's Day Debate: 'No Room For Celebrating It In Islam And Pakistani Culture'

On February 13, 2016, Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain condemned Valentine's Day, stating: "Valentine's Day is part of the Western culture. There is no room for it to be celebrated in Islam and Pakistani culture."[1] Mamnoon Hussain, who holds the ceremonial post of the president and is not seen as outspoken on various issues, noted that the Valentine's Day is "not a part of Muslim tradition" and that "we must maintain our religious and national identity."[2] Speaking about the education system in Pakistan, he also stressed the "need to formulate the educational curriculum of Pakistan, according to the requirements of the modern age and ideology of the country."[3] The use of the word "ideology" here refers to Nazaria-e-Pakistan (Ideology of Pakistan), a theoretical principle that Muslims cannot live with non-Muslims, which led to the birth of Pakistan. In the run-up to Valentine's Day, the administration in the Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province "banned the sale of greeting cards and all goods associated with the day."[4] Maulana Niaz Muhammad, an elected district official, said: "Valentine's Day has no legal basis and is against shari'a."[5] However, the district government's order to ban the February 14 holiday was dismissed by the police officials, because it was perceived as a violation of human rights.[6] Similar directives against Valentine's Day were issued by the local administration in Peshawar, and in Punjab province, in order to ensure that terrorists did not take advantage of the festivities to carry out terror attacks.[7] Osama Naseer, a Lahore-based leader of Islami Jamiat Tulaba, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, said: "Valentine's Day is not a tenet of Muslims."[8] Despite President Mamnoon Hussain's calls, some Urdu dailies published images of Pakistani men and women buying Valentine greeting cards and flowers in Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, and other cities.[9] Maryam Aurangzeb, a leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) party, said that Hussain's statement does not represent the government's view.[10]


President Mamnoon Hussain Criticized By Liberal Writers

Roznama Express, an Urdu daily printed from six cities, published a report based on the views of shopkeepers and different sections of people. Its report, "Valentine's Day – a Day of Expressing Love, Banned in Some Cities; People's Excitement Worth Seeing," observed:
"Despite opposition, the Valentine's Day is being celebrated in Pakistan with much excitement, like in the rest of the world. The religious organizations have been campaigning against observing Valentine's Day."[11] The report added: "There is ban on Valentine's Day in different areas of Punjab, including Islamabad, but people's fervor doesn't know how to stop; Valentine's Day is being marked in every home. Valentine's Day has become a day of the rich and wealthy."[12] The Roznama Express reporter spoke to shopkeepers, who reported that "more flowers are sold on Valentine's Day than in the rest of the year put together. There is a flower shortage, leading to the import of flowers from abroad."[13]

However, the president's statement did stir a national debate regarding Valentine's Day. Umar Cheema, a senior journalist, wrote a piece questioning President Hussain's statement as well as other such viewpoints. In an article titled "Valentine's Day – What Is the Meaning of a Good Muslim and Pakistani?" he noted: "Does being a good Muslim mean that he prays five times and simultaneously engages in bribery? Is tax evasion permitted in Islam? There are many advocates for 'our culture,' but has anyone tried to clarify this for others? Consequently, a munafiq [hypocritical] culture full of contradictions has been birthed by confusion."[14]
A key concern of the liberal Pakistani intelligentsia has been that Islamists have disallowed local practices in the name of Nazaria-e-Pakistan, and the people's space for individual freedom has shrunk.



http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/9041.htm


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