Every February especially 14th day of the month is synonymous with love and Valentine’s Day.
Many of the countries around the world embrace the romantic gestures and present gift to their loved ones but some countries as well discourage or even ban the celebration of Valentine’s Day.
These ban is as a result of religious or cultural beliefs of those country who view the celebration as either inappropriate or prohibited
Insight Media looks at some of the countries that don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, and the reasoning behind their stance:
1. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is an Asian Country with almost 99.9% of the people living there are Muslims, it occupies the majority of the Arabian Peninsula. Valentine’s Day is in violation of Saudi Arabia’s ideology where public expressions of affection are forbidden.
There are foreign Christian workers in Saudi Arabia but they are not allowed to practice their religion except that of Islam, As a result, on February 14th, all Valentine’s Day-related activity, such as the sale of red roses or teddy bears, was outlawed.
2. Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is a country known for a very long time with history and diversified culture, Islam is a dominant religion here like Saudi Arabia.
The citizens and residents of the country have been celebrating Valentine’s Day until 2012 when the government banned the celebration through Ministry of Education and Department of Enlightenment and Promotion of Values after citing an irregularities in the celebration
Instead of Valentine’s Day, people in Uzbekistan commemorate the birthday of their country’s hero, Babur, the Mughal Emperor. Valentine’s Day is discouraged in favor of honoring Babur.
3. Indonesia
- To say the fact, no legislation in Indonesia officially prohibits the day’s commemoration. But in some part of the country like Surabaya and Makassar, where majority of the people are Muslim and they hold more extremist Muslim views, intimidation techniques or small-scale prohibitions are used, and Bando Aceh has an entire ban.
In recent years, there have been various protests which expressed that Valentine’s Day promotes premarital sex and Alcohol usage, which are absolutely prohibited by Islamic law.
Despite this ban on Alcohol and Premarital Sex, young people in Jakarta sections of the country continue to openly and enthusiastically celebrate the day.
4. Iran
Iran is an Islamic country run by religious leaders. The government has banned the production of all Valentine’s Day gifts and goods. The marketing of this romantic love event is also prohibited because it is viewed as a spread of Western culture.
A proposal has been made and put forward to the Government so as to replace Valentine’s Day with Mehregan, an ancient Iranian celebration that predates Islam. This event honors Yazata Mehr, who is responsible for friendship, love, and affection.
5. Pakistan
Pakistan is the home to the world’s second-largest Muslim population, they has conflicting sentiments to the celebration of Valentine’s Day. As the popularity of Valentine’s Day among the younger generation continues to grow every year, multiple riots have broken out in this country to condemn the celebration.
A private citizen petitioned the High Court of Islamabad to get the day banned. Finally, on February 7th, 2018, the Islamabad High Court prohibited Valentine’s Day celebrations and media coverage, citing a Western cultural import that opposed Islamic teachings. Not everyone in Pakistan supports this choice, particularly university students and flower vendors who performed well on Valentine’s Day.
