February 12, 2003	Wednesday	Zul Hijjah 10, 1423

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PESHAWAR, Feb 11: Terming celebrating of Valentine’s Day as part of Western culture, the Islami Jamiat Talaba has demanded of the government to discourage such un-Islamic cultures and take measures to promote indigenous values in order to send a message to the world of peace and tranquillity.

Speaking at a news conference, IJT’s provincial chief, Waqas Ahmed Khan, city chief Mohammad Naeem and others, lamented that the Muslims had replaced their rich culture by Western value and the people took pride in celebrating the Valentine’s Day. This, he said reflected the enslaved mind-set of those who followed the westernised culture blindly.

The IJT, he said would observe the Valentine’s Day as a black day to send their message across that the Muslims had rejected the Westernised culture.

The so-called elite class was adopting the Western culture, which was dangerous for the preservation of Islamic values being practised by the Muslims over the years. He also referred to the semi-naked processions taken out by the women in US and European country on the occasion of Valentine’s Day.

It is deplorable that the government had terribly failed so far to inform the young generations and spread much-needed awareness among them regarding the ill-affects of such celebrations and save them from falling pray to moral bankruptcy.

“The words uttered by Gen Musharraf on Feb 28, are source of guidance for us, wherein he had made it abundantly clear that the Western culture is in conflict with the Islamic values and that I (Musharraf) wanted to put Pakistan on the path of true democracy, brotherhood and progress,” he quoted the president as saying. The president, he said had also said that he did not want his nation to follow the Western culture leaving aside their own.

Mr Waqas also demanded of the governments to prevent the holding of such celebrations.