Protests Against St Valentine's Day in India

From National Post

NEW DELHI -- The small Hallmark shop in popular Lajpat Nagar market was crammed this week with Valentine's Day paraphernalia and young Indians showing it some love.

They pored over sentimental red and pink cards, carefully considered whether to purchase the big teddy bear or the really big teddy bear, and pushed their way to the cash
Valentine's Day is more popular here than ever, the shop owner said.

Yet despite this display -- or perhaps because of it -- February 14 has been cast as a forbidden holiday in this quickly modernizing country by fundamentalist groups that call it "un-Indian," and threaten violence, or even enforced marriage, to those who dare celebrate it in public.

A right-wing Hindu group, Sri Ram Sene, was reportedly organizing to marry off couples seen dating on February 14.

The fringe group's earlier threats of violence against anyone displaying public affection were muted late this week by leader Pramod Muthalik, who promised only peaceful protests in various cities. An Indian news outlet reported last night that police had detained him and about 100 members to prevent them "from creating any trouble."

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Valentine's Day nixed in Indonesia

Valentine's Day banned by Indonesian Islamic Council

Indonesia's highest Islamic council has declared Valentine's Day celebrations illegal, while a ban was issued by authorities in West Sumatra province on observing a holiday in hotels and restaurants, local media reports said Thursday.

Ma'ruf Amien, chairman of the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI), warned the country's Muslims the celebration of Valentine's Day is 'haram,' or prohibited by Islam.

Amien, who is also head of the council's commission of edicts, said the romantic holiday encouraged drunkenness and other types of immorality. Meanwhile, West Sumatra's Bukittinggi municipal administration banned residents from celebrating Valentine's Day on grounds that such celebrations were contrary to local Minangkabau traditions and Islam, The Jakarta Post reported.

'The Valentine's Day celebration is not our culture as it usually relates closely to immoral acts where, during the celebration, young couples tend to hug and even kiss each other. This is an immoral act, right?' the Post quoted Ismet Amzis, Bukittinggi's deputy mayor, as saying.

A ban was imposed by the administration on cafes, restaurants, hotels and other tourist sites planning to hold Valentine's Day celebrations.The city administration also planned to shut down a number of tourist spots, including the city's tourist icon Jam Gadang, which were known to attract visitors on Valentine's Day.

Some 100 public order officers would be deployed to closely monitor cafes, restaurants, hotels and other public places Thursday, and authorised to detain amorous young couples found on the streets or at tourist sites, Amzis said.

Saudis Nix Valentines Picks

Valentine’s gifts, cards, and red roses were banned today by religious police in Saudi Arabia. Store owners and workers were ordered to remove all red items and wrapping paper from their shelves.

Valentine’s Day is considered as being un-Islamic, along with a few other annual celebrations, so the authorities prohibit its commemoration. The religious police also state that Valentine’s Day encourages forbidden relationships between men and women outside of marriage, which is punishable by law.

Some Saudis, however, surreptitiously celebrate the event by ordering flowers and gifts weeks in advance of the ban. The store owners make deliveries in the middle of the night or early morning to avoid suspicion.

Some Islamic mullahs have also written prohibitive statements concerning Valentine’s Day. The following example comes from Pakistan:

Muslims should avoid celebrating this occasion by:

1- Not expressing joy and happiness on this occasion.

2- Not exchanging red roses, which represent the ‘spiritual love’ of the pagans or the ‘love’ of the Christians. Hence it is known to them as the Feast of Lovers.

3- Not sending greeting cards as some of their cards have pictures of “Cupid” (a child with two wings carrying bows and arrows). This was the god of love of the pagan Romans.

4- Not exchanging words of love and desire in the cards or verbally. Some of the cards contain the words ‘be my Valentine’. This is the Christian concept of this festival after they adopted from the pagan Romans.

5- Not attending dance parties with mixed gatherings.

I guess they don’t know how much fun they are missing…