The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) will meet on Wednesday to discuss the core meaning of the term ‘Black Friday’ under the light of Islamic teachings. CII Chairman Professor Dr Qibla Ayaz will chair the meeting.
The term ‘Black Friday’ had been one of the most widely used terms in the consumer market of Pakistan, especially retail, and had come under heavy criticism from religious quarters who accused local brands of falling into the trap of consumer trends as practiced in the United States (US).
Historically, the following day of Thanksgiving had been called Black Friday since at least the early 1960s. An article published in the Oxford English Dictionary website stated , “The explanation typically given for the day’s name is that it is the first day of the year that retailers are in the black as opposed to being in the red. In other words, the day is the first of the year that retailers have turned a profit.”
Interestingly, the article adds, “The use of colours here refers back to the bookkeeping practice of recording the credit side of an account in a ledger in black ink and the debit side in red ink.”
The term ‘Black Friday’ became the point of discussion and criticism on social media in Pakistan where a certain group of people challenged the concept on religious grounds by saying that Friday was an important day per Islamic traditions and could not be associated with the colour black.
In the ensuing debate over the topic, some counter observations believed that associating the colour black with negativity and bad omens was equal to racism. While others said that associating a specific day with a specific colour could not reduce the religious significance of that day.
In addition to debating the meaning of ‘Black Friday’, the CII is set to pass a resolution protesting US President Donald Trump’s decision to shift the American embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The December 6 announcement incited severe global criticism and warnings that the move would jeopardise regional peace and create unrest among Muslim nations, as Jerusalem is claimed by Christians, Jews and Muslims alike.
The CII will also debate a bill that looks to provide members of the transgender community more rights.
The Constitutional Amendment Bill 2017 which looked to make changes to the oath taken by non-Muslims when being sworn in to office will also be discussed in the meeting.
