What happens if Nigeria banned this holiday?
Valentine's Day has been banned in the capital of Pakistan. Can this absurdity happen in Nigeria?
Do not answer just yet because the lover's holiday has been banned in Pakistan?
A court in the populous Asian country has banned Valentine's Day activities in public in Islamabad, the country's capital city. It was banned because it was successfully argued that Val's Day has no part in Muslim culture.
The court has also directed the media not to cover any Valentine related event. According to Dawn Newspaper, the petition to ban the lover's day argued that it celebrated immorality, nudity and indecency. This is the first time a ban has been placed on Valentine's Day in the city.
The ban will however not affect restaurants and shops. A year ago, President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain said Valentine's Day should not be embraced because it was not part of the country's culture.
In some highly religious countries, fragrances, condoms and chocolates have been banned for Valentine's Day celebrations.
ALSO READ: America spends over $30m on Valentine's Day
Believe it or not but in Malaysia which is predominantly Muslim, females have been told to avoid the excessive use of emoticons and fragrance by The National Muslim Youth Association.
In 2015, the Islamic clerical body in Indonesia threatened a fatwa against condom and chocolate sales during Valentine's Day.
Nigeria is a conservative society but it is highly unlikely that the government would ban Valentine's Day on religious grounds. Also, there hasn't been any history of religious bodies actively discouraging people not to celebrate Val's.
Valentine's Day is a big day for most businesses across the country. In terms of sales, it is probably up there in terms of the amount of money spent.
February 14 is big business in Nigeria and no government can stop it.
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