For the second year in a row, Pakistan has voted to ban all public programs, literature and media coverage related to Valentine’s Day.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) announced the ban on Wednesday.
“Reminder in pursuance of order passed by Hon’ble Islamabad High Court regarding stoppage of promotion of Valentine’s Day on media,” PEMRA tweeted out last night.
Reminder in pursuance of order passed by Hon’ble Islamabad High Court regarding stoppage of promotion of Valentine’s Day on media. pic.twitter.com/AejorEpWp5
— Report PEMRA (@reportpemra) February 7, 2018
Pakistan’s reason for banning all Valentines-related media relates to the holiday’s historical roots. Since the day is dedicated St. Valentine — a Christian saint — Pakistani officials believe the commemoration is toxic to the country’s culture.
“Valentine’s Day has no connection with our culture and it should be avoided,” Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain said after the holiday was first banned in 2017. He also argued that it celebrates “immorality, nudity and indecency.”
This isn’t Pakistan’s first run in with popular Western culture. Black Friday — the day after Thanksgiving that pushes blowout sales and pre-Chirstmas celebrations — was also banned in 2017. Many Muslims complained that the unofficial holiday interfered with their prayers.
According to Al Jazeera, many Pakistani sites “rebranded” their sales to more “culturally Islamic” colors, like White and Green Friday.
It’s pretty wild that some countries in the 21st century are still threatened by the spread of Western ideals and multiculturalism. It’s also pretty wild that mainstream leftists want to force cultural tolerance down Americans’ throats while some of those very cultures are actively trying to ban and destroy us. Yes, Valentine’s Day is an overrated holiday but everyone needs to just settle down. Chocolate goes on sale February 15th and the world will keep turning.
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