A Kuwaiti parliamentary committee wants to ban Valentine’s Day celebrations, will meet the government on Wednesday to work out how to achieve its goal.

Kuwait City (AsiaNews/Agencies) – In many Muslim countries Valentine’s Day (14 February) is either banned or frown upon. For MP Waleed Al-Tabtabae, head of the Kuwaiti National Assembly’s Committee Monitoring Negative Alien Practices, it is alien to Kuwait’s traditions and values even though it is celebrated in almost the entire world. His committee will meet on Wednesday with the government to discuss ways to ban the celebrations.

“We want to discuss measures that should be taken by these ministries (interior, information, commerce and industry) to prevent such alien events from impacting Kuwaiti society and spreading corruption among the Kuwaiti youth,” Al-Tabtabae said.

Committee member Islamist MP Jamaan Al-Harbash urged the minister of commerce and industry to act responsibly.

He said that many foreign nations ban the celebrations because they aim at “spreading moral corruption,” adding that he and his committee colleagues will closely watch what happens during the next few days to judge if the government is serious over banning the celebrations.

In Kuwait Valentine’s Day has always been tolerated. Shops traditionally sell gifts for the occasion and major supermarkets allocate special corners for Valentine's Day paraphernalia.

However should the government heed the request of ultra-Conservatives, then Valentine’s Day will be no more in the oil-rich emirate.

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