World

Iran cracks down on Valentine's Day

Iran bans production of Valentine's Day gifts and any promotion of the day.

Reuters January 19, 2011

TEHRAN: Iran has banned the production of Valentine's Day gifts and any promotion of the day celebrating romantic love to combat what it sees as a spread of Western culture, Iranian media reported.

The February 14 celebration named after a Christian saint is not officially banned but hardliners have repeatedly warned about the corruptive spread of Western values. Under Iran's Islamic law, unmarried couples are not allowed to mingle.

The printing works owners' union issued an instruction on the ban, imposed by Iranian authorities, covering gifts such as cards, boxes with the symbols of hearts and red roses.

"Honoring foreign celebrations is the spread of Western culture," said the union's head, Ali Nikou Sokhan, ILNA news agency reported. "Our country has an ancient civilization and various days to honor kindness, love and affection."

"Printing and producing any products related to Valentine's Day, including posters, brochures, advertising cards, boxes with the symbols of hearts, half-hearts, red roses and any activities promoting this day are banned," read the instruction. "Authorities will take legal action against those who ignore the ban."

Some nationalists have suggested replacing Valentine's Day with "Mehregan," an Iranian festival celebrated since the pre-Islamic era. Mehr means friendship, affection or love.

Valentine's Day has become increasingly popular among the Iranian youth and is a money-maker for businesses in a country where 70 percent of people are under 30 and have no memory of the 1979 Islamic revolution which toppled the US-backed Shah.

COMMENTS (19)

Wasio Ali Khan Abbasi | 13 years ago | Reply @disgusted: It doesn't really matter if you're disgusted or anything by my views because what I speak is about reality and not the misguided notion of Progress. One's own identity is important and it is vital to preserve culture. I applauded Iranians for taking a step, however draconian you may consider, to preserve the culture and identity of Iran. We all know what Valentine's Day entails and how we celebrate, so please do not give me the crap of one's own choice. Your choice matters when you don't walk over other people's lives or squash your heritage and identity under the red umbrella of Valentine. We have made disgust of our own Urdu language, no institute of higher education has any worthwhile education to impart in our local language and anything less than English is considered dirt and uncivil, that's what we are left with. Walk around the majority of schools in Karachi and you'll discover that they are now hot-spots for dating couples comprising of school going children ... wow, what a choice they made, enjoying each other's company away from their families on the name of progress.

Ahmer Ali | 13 years ago | Reply @Azman:I am not impressed by your comments.Please tell me sincerely and honestly that can you observer muslims' festivals like two Eids in a year?Definitely not because you have to follow you own religious festivals and muslims have have to follow their own religious festivals.And there's a great difference between the muslims and nonmuslims festivals and UN according to your statement after 1945 these days are started to celebrate but our festivals are given us 1400 years ago without any mixture of other religions of the world and in the most perfect form and has told us that if you will hold firmly Quran and Sunnah then you shall never betray and 1400 years ago the most perfect and unchangeable laws were given us to follow even for the whole humanity of the world till the Judgment Day.Valentine's Day,April fool and other festival not mentioned in the doubtless Holy Quran and Sunnah are made as you said after 1945 are man-made not the only one God-made.Please obey your true religious values not fake and man-made because God-made festivals are the most perfect and unchangeable and are the keys of real success in the world and hereafter.

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Azman | 13 years ago | Reply @Ahmer Ali I consider your argument is hypocritic. If you can twist something to serve your purpose it is alright with you. Does Quran and Sunnah say good feeling towards another person cannot be conveyed ? It is un-islamic ? Inventions, discoveries and developments by non muslims are acceptable only if it serve my purpose. But I must not recognise the same. All the days observed by UN in respect of an event are therefore un-islamic. Because all those days of observence are created after 1945. You have to change your mind set about St. Valentine’s Day.

Ahmer Ali | 13 years ago | Reply @Dinesh.I am not impressed by your given ridiculous arguments on this topic and your comments are not convincing for me.Because Islam guides the whole humanity in the most exact manners and ways to get success and prosperity in the world and hereafter.So Islam is the most perfect religion in the world and other religions have been modified and changed with the time after the deaths of Prophets and Islam teaches us that Last Prophet Muhammad (APBUH) is the most perfect norm for you and who'll obey him shall be successful in the world and hereafter and as far as your standpoints are concerned,e.g,using English language,computer etc etc,you mentioned in the favor of valentines' day then these are sources for conveying and communicating the impressions,expressions and feelings towards the world most conveniently about the muslims,spreading the true teachings of Islam according to Quran and Sunnah.The use of technology doesn't mean you change your true religious values and obey the teachings against the Quran and Sunnah.You have to change your mindset about the muslims and muslims laws.

Dinesh | 13 years ago | Reply @Ahmer Ali, So you will no do any thing unless it is prescribed in the Quran, correct ??? That's why you are against Muslims celebrating Valentine's day. Perfect, so i take you as a true Muslim. Now tell me, does your Quran say anything about using the English language or using computer or using Internet and that too posting comments on a news portal ???? I am sure it does otherwise you will not be here with your post. Hmmm How stupid I am.

Sankalp | 13 years ago | Reply Lame! Talk about saving one's culture/civilisation at the cost of freedom to express. Do they really think celebrating Valentine's day would blow away their culture?!

Ahmer Ali | 13 years ago | Reply Assalam-o-Allaikum Warahmatullah.First of all when we follow any custom and tradition on the name of freedom of expression why we forget to see this that either this is according to the true teachings of Quran and Sunnah or not?Allah Almighty has clearly defined it in the doubtless Holy Quran that "Last Prophet Muhammad (APBUH) is the most perfect norm for you".On other place said "obey Allah and His Last Prophet so that blessing could be bestowed upon you".And Last Prophet Muhammad (APBUH) said on the occasion of Huja-tul-Widda that I am leaving two things in you,id est,Quran and my Sunnah if you will hold them firmly you shall never betray.And on other place said "my sahaba are like stars for you whoever shall follow them shall never betray".Then we don't follow the bright and golden rules of successful life?We have given 1400 years ago and now the science is proving them true and the most authentic.This Irani government's step is much the best and other muslim countries must have to follow this Irani government's bold step so that true and real Islamic society's picture could be displayed before the Western world.I pay homage and salute to Irani govt on this taken step to promote Islamic culture.Well done Irani lion-hearted leaders well done.Please keep it up.

Mubashir | 13 years ago | Reply Good for them. They are a sovereign country. Free to make their choices and decisions. I respect that.

disgusted | 13 years ago | Reply the people who are welcoming such a draconian and authoritarian move capture everything that is wrong with Pakistan. there is nothing to celebrate or applaud in the infringement of an individual's right to freedom of expression whether that be political, religious opinions or romantic feelings. every person regardless of their religion or background should have the right to make decisions for themselves whether they are deemed to be in line with Islamic thinking or not. and by the way I definitely don't see how sending a card or a flower to somebody on Valentines day can be considered to be unIslamic or against one's culture. @ Wasio Ali Khan Abbasi and Mohsin Ahmed: if you're conception of Pakistani culture is to oppress people and their basic freedoms of expression and happiness then do the rest of the Pakistani community a favour and disassociate yourself with them because the majority of Pakistanis in Pakistan and abroad wish to progress in life and do not wish to be associated with such backward and illogical thinking. It is just embarrassing and not representative of the people who want to live in the 21st century.

anonymous | 13 years ago | Reply @amna = Saint Valentine was obviously a part of the church @ abdullah = We should ban mazars and pirs

abdullah | 13 years ago | Reply this is wrong and the gov has no right to do it ................if this is the case than v should not allow ppl 2 celebrate the birthdays of peer and sufis ..and should not allow any1 to go to peer and hamils and should also not allow any1 2 go to mizars ..this is also not islamic ....lets than ban all these things in our country................

Ashutosh | 13 years ago | Reply Probably Iran's culture is not deep rooted and is likely to be blow away by a mild breaze like valentine's say, which dose not have any religious significance.

Paras Vikmani | 13 years ago | Reply wht disgustin dictatoship is this??

Amna | 13 years ago | Reply @Disco Molvi: Just fyi, Valentines Day is not a "christian holiday". It has no religious significance...for any religion

hari | 13 years ago | Reply people have become hypocrites....the more you suppress, the more it will uprise.....i think as human beings we should think beyond religions.....love doesn't have religion why to link that with christians/muslim etc....valentine day is only a reason to celebrate that day...if you want to, then you celebrate or else keep quiet....few people/so called protectionists of islam/religion can be considered the voice of masses...i think these muslim countries need centuries to grow...

hafeez | 13 years ago | Reply most cursed country on globe is Iran. No freedom of speech. after Tunisia next will be Iran, I hope so.

Mohsin Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply It is really a good step by Iranian government to curb these indecent western culture. May God bestow sense and courage to Pakistani government to restrain the same in Pakistan.

Wasio Ali Khan Abbasi | 13 years ago | Reply Good work by Iranian authorities. Saving one's own culture should be priority and the idea of Mehregan sounds better than celebrating a day that has nothing to do with them.

Disco Molvi | 13 years ago | Reply What about the Iranian Christians celebrating St. Valentine's Day? Will the authoritarian regime next be banning Christmas too just because some confused Muslims have started celebrating that festival as well?

Replying to X