“Black Friday” – The term has finally triggered religious emotions in Pakistan

Black Friday Banned in Pakistan

OpinionMost of the people in Pakistan didn’t have a clue about the term “Black Friday” until it hit the country back in 2015 when the online retailer Daraz launched the biggest shopping festival. Whereas the festival got successful nationwide, the term may have missed to trigger the brains thinking about the meaning of it which is believed to be contrary to the Islamic teachings.

Sooner than later, others online retailers started adapting the trend and offering their own deals in partnership with various payment services, courier services and banks. Being a product of Rocket Internet, Daraz is considered a non-Pakistani brand originally. So they actually didn’t bother about the term before launching in the country. But the company runners in the country should actually have an idea about that. Well other local startup retailers online and stores might have had the idea about the term’s religious point as it wasn’t hard to think of, hence they chose their own terms for the same festival such as White Friday which didn’t go as popular.

Even though the internet now has huge consumer base in Pakistan but it’s true that it usually doesn’t hurt major society of the country with online controversies until they are reported on mainstream media. As the months passed, the term “Black Friday” made its way out of the online marketplaces and reached to local offline markets. Small and bigger brands started showing interest in the largest sale festival and that’s when the term hit the religious emotions among consumers and political circles.

Importance of Friday in Islam

The thing is, “Friday” is believed to be the most blessed day of a week in Islam. There is no way or reason it would be referred as “black” which means something related to “ill-fated”. In fact, according to Islamic beliefs, associating any day or anything with ill-fate is forbidden – it’s considered as superstitious.

Courts moved to ban the “Black Friday”

Past Friday, there have been a walkout of opposition in Punjab Assembly, to register their protest against the use of the term “Black Friday” in the country. Ruling party was also on the same page as they suggested to table resolution against the term but opposition wanted to take practical steps against it, brecorder reported.

On the other hand, Lahore and Islamabad High Courts have moved on to ban the shopping festival under the term “Black Friday”. The petitioner writes “According to the dictionary, Black Friday means ill-fated or black day. Hence, the court must ban the celebration of Black Friday on November 24 in Pakistan,” he said. “Government officials must also be barred from attending ceremonies under the same banner,” he further added.

Advocate Azhar Siddique has also written a letter to the president to ban the term “Black Friday” and its promotion across the country and has suggested another term for that – Bright Friday

“Consumers could be facilitated under the banner of ‘Bright Friday’ instead.”

Blessed Friday Pakistan

Blessed Friday or Bright Friday?

Interesting thing is that it didn’t create any kind of chaos among right and left wing of people which is a good thing. In fact, the local brands have already started promoting with the term Blessed Friday instead. As well the online retailer Daraz has also switched the banner title to Big Friday. No one will be effected for their profits or loss and consumers will get what they would have otherwise.

Do you really know what “Black Friday” is, and how it evolved?

It’s not only in Pakistan or Islam, in fact the word “black” has never been meant as something good when used with a day of the week. Every next day has been tagged with that color for some negative reason. The “Black Friday” is the only term which seems to run positive festivals around the globe, but that’s not true. It has, as well, been tagged to some negative reference.

Black Friday is the fourth Thursday of November after Thanksgiving Day in United States. This day is regarded as the start of the Christmas shopping season in US since 1952 but first sponsored by Macy’s in 1924. However, the term “Black Friday” was said to be associated with the day by the local police in Philadelphia in the 1960s when they had to deal with heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic as well as other mental or physical distress caused by the densely packed crowd of shoppers.

Black Friday Queue

Even then, it’s told, that the local retailers didn’t want to call the day as “Black Friday” and they tried to give it some positive name – Big Friday. Well, that didn’t work for them and after over some twenty years when the term “Black Friday” became most popular and widespread, they managed to find a positive reason for the term instead – the day when the retailer’s books turn into “black” from “red ink”. Well that’s technically a talent to derive things from other things.

What did you feel about the term “Black Friday”? Did it bother you? Or you didn’t care about the name and all you wanted were the attractive deals? Do tell us in the comments below.