ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AFP) – A Pakistani court has banned public celebrations of Valentine’s Day in the capital Islamabad while Indonesian students plan to spurn the event, as the festival of love gets a chilly reception in parts of Asia.
Lonely hearts looking for romance in Australia, Malaysia and Singapore were warned to beware of the growth in online love scams, while grumpy protesters in Japan rallied in recent days for an end to public smooching.
Monday’s (February 13) decision by the Islamabad high court was the latest attempt by authorities in the conservative Muslim country to outlaw a celebration seen by many as a vulgar and indecent Western import.
The annual occasion is increasingly popular among young Pakistanis, many of whom seize the chance to honor romance by giving cards, chocolates and gifts to their sweethearts.
The court issued the order after a petitioner declared love was being used as a “cover” to spread “immorality, nudity and indecency… which is against our rich traditions and values”.
The ruling, seen by Agence France-Presse and greeted with approval by Islamist parties, also called for the electronic and print media to stop promoting Valentine’s Day.
Meanwhile in Muslim-majority Indonesia, a group of school students in the city of Surabaya denounced the romantic day as a Western celebration that encourages casual sex and staged a protest.
“Say no to Valentine!” chanted the students, who were aged between 13 and 15 and included many girls wearing headscarves.
“This protest was organized as we have seen on television that Valentine’s Day tends to be associated with free sex,” said Pandu Satria, organizer of the demonstration. “That makes us afraid.”
Several cities across the country also banned people from celebrating.
In Malaysia, where Islam is also the dominant religion, a group called The National Muslim Youth Association urged females to avoid using emoticons and an excessive amount of fragrance in a pre-Valentine’s Day message.