Got this in an email by Faisal Naik - thought to share it …!
Archive for February, 2007
Festival of Love
February 15, 2007The story of the Festival of Love (Valentine’s Day)
The Festival of Love was one of the festivals of the pagan Romans, when paganism was the prevalent religion of the Romans more than seventeen centuries ago. In the pagan Roman concept, it was an expression of “spiritual love”.
There were myths associated with this pagan festival of the Romans, which persisted with their Christian heirs. Among the most famous of these myths was the Roman belief that Romulus, the founder of Rome, was suckled one day by a she-wolf, which gave him strength and wisdom.
The Romans used to celebrate this event in mid-February each year with a big festival. One of the rituals of this festival was the sacrifice of a dog and a goat. Two strong and muscular youths would daub the blood of the dog and goat onto their bodies, then they would wash the blood away with milk. After that there would be a great parade, with these two youths at its head, which would go about the streets. The two youths would have pieces of leather with which they would hit everyone who crossed their path. The Roman women would welcome these blows, because they believed that they could prevent or cure infertility.
The connection between Saint Valentine and this festival
Saint Valentine is a name which is given to two of the ancient “martyrs” of the Christian Church. It was said that there were two of them, or that there was only one, who died in Rome as the result of the persecution of the Gothic leader Claudius, c. 296 CE. In 350 CE, a church was built in Rome on the site of the place where he died, to perpetuate his memory.
When the Romans embraced Christianity, they continued to celebrate the Feast of Love mentioned above, but they changed it from the pagan concept of “spiritual love” to another concept known as the “martyrs of love”, represented by Saint Valentine who had advocated love and peace, for which cause he was martyred, according to their claims. It was also called the Feast of Lovers, and Saint Valentine was considered to be the patron saint of lovers.
One of their false beliefs connected with this festival was that the names of girls who had reached marriageable age would be written on small rolls of paper and placed in a dish on a table. Then the young men who wanted to get married would be called, and each of them would pick a piece of paper. He would put himself at the service of the girl whose name he had drawn for one year, so that they could find out about one another. Then they would get married, or they would repeat the same process again on the day of the festival in the following year.
It was also said concerning the origins of this holiday that when the Romans became Christian, after Christianity had become widespread, the Roman emperor Claudius II decreed in the third century CE that soldiers should not get married, because marriage would distract them from the wars they used to fight.
This decree was opposed by Saint Valentine, who started to perform marriages for the soldiers in secret. When the emperor found out about that, he threw him in jail and sentenced him to execution. In prison, he (Saint Valentine) fell in love with the jailer’s daughter, but this was a secret because according to Christian laws, priests and monks were forbidden to marry or fall in love.
But he is still regarded highly by the Christians because of his steadfastness in adhering to Christianity when the emperor offered to pardon him if he forsook Christianity and worshipped the Roman gods; then he would be one of his closest confidantes and he would make him his son-in-law. But Valentine refused this offer and preferred Christianity, so he was executed on 14 February 270 CE, on the eve of February 15, the festival of Lupercalis. So this day was named for this saint.
The Pope designated the day of the death of Saint Valentine, February 14, 270 CE, as a festival of love. Who is the Pope? He is the “the archbishop, the supreme pontiff of the universal church, the successor of Saint Peter.” Look at this “archbishop” and how he prescribed for them the observance of this festival which was an innovation in their religion.
Among the ugly rituals of the Romans on this day was the sacrifice of a dog and a goat, the daubing of their blood onto two youths then washing the blood off with milk, etc… This is something that would cause revulsion in anyone of a sound nature, and it is unacceptable to the sound mind.
The connection between Saint Valentine and this festival has been questioned by many sources, and it considered to be far from definite. It would have been better for the Christians to reject this pagan festival in which they imitated the pagans. So how about us Muslims, who are commanded to be different from the Christians and the pagans before them?
It is better for us (muslims) to reject it, warn others against it and to fulfill their duty towards it of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil.
PS: Comes via a forwarded mail.
Fields [FLICKR]
February 10, 2007
Beautiful surroundings .. colours … shot and what not … Yah ISLAMABAD :>
T-Shirt Quotes
February 9, 2007@ 99% of the women in this world are beautiful…
THe remaining 1% are in my college 
@ i am not useless , u can use me as bad example
@ who says i am greedy, all i want is EVERYTHING!!
@ save the EARTH!!
it is the only planet that has chocolates!!
@ ………………BOYZ R GOOD
………..SO EVERY GIRL MUST HAVE 1
@ I M GOOD FROM FAR
AND FAR FROM GOOD.
@ You have the right to remain silent, so please SHUT UP.
@ I don’t believe in miracles. I rely on them.
@ Please do not disturb
Already DISTURBED..
@ I was thinking about thinking something but then I thought thinking is wastage of time..
@ love is misunerstanding between two idiots
@ do me a favour………..D I E
@ I hate jokes but still I love You.
@ What would Scooby Doo???
@ All women are stupid, and I married their queen.
@ I got my looks from my father.. He’s a plastic surgeon!
@ why are you reading my shirt?
@ Every man should marry once b’cos happines is not the only thing in life……….
@ follow only one Rule of Game i.e.
…………….Dont follow any rule….
STORY OF PAKISTANI IN NASA
February 9, 2007This is the story of a Pakistani Scientist, who is a Mechanical Engineer from NED and a PHD from Florida Institute of Technology.)
NASA was getting ready to launch a very important Space shuttle. The scientists and engineers checked And double checked everything to make sure That things are fine.
However, on the day of its launch, something seemed to Be wrong.
The rocket gave all sorts of noise but never Took off even an inch from the ground.
The engineers were puzzled because they could not Figure out the problem.
Finally, there was a Pakistani scientist (the one who Is mentioned
above) he offered the help. NASA people Were desperate by that time and agreed to do Anything.
“Tilt the rocket 45 degrees to the left” said the Pakistani scientist.
The engineers were puzzled but did it anyway. “Bring It back to vertical position” the Pakistani said.
The engineers did so . “Now start the engines” he Said. And surprise, the rocket took off and flew into Outer space!
Everybody congratulated him and asked him how he knew what to do. He replied -
“It’s very simple. This is what we always do with our CD 70 motor bike in Pakistan
The Eagle
February 1, 2007
Picture at its best … lovely capturing and wow what a bird it is ….!!!!!!!
