LAHORE – Women’s colleges and universities’ administrations along with the Islami Jamiat-e-Talba (IJT) have started an anti-Valentine’s Day campaign to stop female students from celebrating the day, Pakistan Today has learnt. It learnt that college administrations are restricting the use of cellular phones on campus while IJT activists are distributing anti-Valentine’s Day pamphlets.
The anti-Valentines Day campaign is continuing at the Lahore College for Women University (LCWU), APWA College Lahore, Samanabad Degree College, Fatima Jinnah Medical College, King Edward Medical University and other colleges where the IJT has strong foundations.
Students complained that college officials are stopping them from celebrating events associated with Valentine’s Day. Some students said their college administration had banned the use of cellular phones while others say that officials are confiscating girls’ cell phones while female IJT boarders in various women’s colleges etc are distributing posters.
According to students, these pamphlets and posters ‘explain’ that exchanging cards and sending roses are un-Islamic and Western countries are invading Pakistani religious values, so girls should boycott Valentine’s Day.
IJT activists are also sending text messages to female students quoting the Holy Quran and Hadith discouraging young students from celebrating the day. Female IJT activists are also advising students not to spend money on Valentine’s Day and gain a place in the hereafter. They are arranging gatherings to advise students not to indulge in such activities. College administrations have started taking a number of steps to stop students from celebrating the day.
Last year, some female educational institutions stopped students from celebrating the day by imposing a ban on wearing black and red dresses. The LCWU administration, for example, issued a notification last year against celebrating the festival. Similarly, IJT activists thrashed students who were preparing to celebrate Valentine’s Day. An LCWU student said that the administration is confiscating cell phones, which had never happened before. She said that faculty members are saying that students would not be allowed to use their cell phones until the event is over.
The student said that gate rules have also been revised, which was causing problems for them. LCWU student Rubab said that students know right from wrong and IJT activists should not impose their agenda on others. She said that the administration is not allowing students to wear red and black dresses to discourage celebrations and is also stopping students from bringing flowers to the university.
LCWU Communications Adviser Dr Anjum Zia said she didn’t know that the administration is confiscating cell phones and academic activities are continuing at the college. She said that students are allowed to bring cell phones to college but they cannot use them openly.
