February 26, 2007	Monday	Safar 8, 1428

KARACHI, Feb 25: Speakers at a protest demonstration condemning the government for patronising the Valentine’s Day and Basant demanded that the authorities should refrain from promoting such activities that were not allowed in Islam.

The demonstration, organised by the Jamaat-i-Islami at the Press Club on Sunday, was addressed by Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui, Mohammad Hussain Mehnti, Yunus Barai, Afzal Sardar, Allama Nazir Abbas Taqvi, Rafiq Ahmad and others.

They said the authorities even did not respect the feelings of Samjhota Express victims and their families and allowed people to celebrate Basant.

They said the country was founded in the name of religion and ulema, with the support from the masses, would not allow the government to promote the alien western and Hindu culture by celebrating Valentine’s Day and Basant.

They said though the court had given verdict against the celebration of Basant owing to which a large number of people died and many others were injured every year, the government patronised it by announcing the celebration schedule for different cities.

They said several people had died while many others had been injured this year during the celebrations.

Referring to the notion of enlightened moderation, they said the government by imposing its own version of enlightened moderation was pushing the nation towards vulgarity and the Islamic identity of the country was being damaged.

Owing to the poor economic and foreign policies, inflation was sky-rocketing with each passing day and the security of the country had been put at stake, they said.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Jamaat-i-Islami’s women wing comprising Durdana Siddiqui, Rakhshanda Naz, Tasneem Mouazzam and others visited the house of Ashraf Jahan, Ruqaiya and others, who had died in the Samjhota Express blast, in Buffer Zone to offer condolences to the bereaved family.