14 DAY TRIAL // Muslim cleric leaders in Sudan have recently urged the youth of the nation not to follow the Western tradition of Valentine's Day, saying that the tradition is sinful, and that it will lead couples away from each other, by creating a headway for the appearance of doubt and dissatisfaction. They have also urged youngsters not to renounce Muslim traditions in face of the Christian ones, and not to forget their duties to their own god. The boys and girls of the nation have been simply asked to ignore the 14th of February, and to act like this is any other day of the year.
The advice has come from Sudan Ulema Authority, one of the most influential and well-organized body of religious clerics in the country, which has a great deal of influence in the way the nation is run. It has urged lovers not to mark the day by taking romantic walks in the parks, but to behave normally and follow their daily routines. “Valentine's Day comes from Western countries. I call on Muslims not to imitate Christians. The money that is spent on Valentine's Day would be better spent encouraging young people to marry,” preacher Sheikh Hassan Hamid said on Wednesday, in a statement released to Reuters.
Over the last few years, the tradition has become increasingly popular in the state's capital, especially amongst teenage girls and boys, who are more prone to Western influences than “established” Muslims. Adults rarely follow other traditions than those of their own country, but the Muslim leaders fear that the nation's youth may become “corrupted” by the unhealthy influences of the West. In the northern part of Sudan, for example, kissing and holding hands on the street is a frowned-upon occurrence, and most individuals are forbidden from showing their affection in public.
“This is just part of Western culture that should not be followed in Sudan. Youths who go to parks with young girls up to midnight can make mistakes,” Al-Muhalab Barakat, another member of the Muslim authority, added in a statement on Wednesday. Decisions or directives sent by the Ulema Authority are usually respected by Muslims, even if they are not legally-binding, in the sense that police has the capacity to enforce them. They couldn't stop two people from strolling down the street holding hands or kissing, but, in such countries, the police has a way of doing things that makes individuals not want to repeat their mistakes.