In the land of the pure

As we see the colour red infest the country, we all know that February 14 is a date which has gained massive popularity amongst the masses of Pakistan. But the question remains how and why has Valentine’s Day become so important for our awaam?

While some define it as a ‘day for lovers’, others say ‘it’s a day to ‘hate’ those celebrating it’.

The trend of girls and guys throwing leaflets in colleges and in car parking against valentines with messages such as ‘this day is for non-Muslims, you will commit a sin if you celebrate this day, if you believe in God you will protest against the day,’ etc has been going on for a while.

However, this year extra effort has been made to put up huge billboards in Karachi stating,

“If you do not have haya (shame) on you, then you are free to do whatever you like.”

This tradition reflects our insensitivity, indignity and ignorance of Islam. If only such an effort was made to spread a positive message to the masses about human rights or other changes in society, then maybe some positive energy could be felt in the air.

It was only years ago that we witnessed this instant hype about the day which carried no significance to our religion or culture and as the trend began to rise, many youngsters without knowing the historical significance of the day just started celebrating it.

But most importantly, at the end of the day, this day does benefit small businesses that end up making good profits.

Each year the debate about who is right, who is wrong, who is a lover and who is a hater, who is a Muslim and who is a kaafir on the day continues.

But, at the end of the day, it’s more of a personal choice rather than a religious or national debate and boycotting the day won’t win anyone a ticket to heaven.

Read more by Maha here.