Saudi Morality Police See Red Over Valentine Roses

[Matrix Heart]

lol, this is very gay

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia's morality police are on the scent of illicit red roses as part of a clampdown on would-be St Valentine's lovers in the strict Muslim kingdom.

The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, Saudi Arabia's powerful religious vigilantes, have banned shops from selling any red flowers in the run-up to February 14.

Florists say the move is part of an annual campaign by the committee -- whose members are known as "mutawwaeen" or volunteers -- to prevent Saudis marking a festival they believe flouts their austere doctrine of "Wahhabi" Islam.

"They pass by two or three times a day to check we don't have any red flowers," said a Pakistani florist in Riyadh's smart Sulaimaniya district. "Look, no red. I've taken them all out," he said pointing to a dazzling floral collection covering every color of the rainbow except one.

Saudi Arabia's purist version of Islam recognizes only two religious occasions a year -- the Muslim feasts after the fasting month of Ramadan and the Haj pilgrimage.

Celebration of the Islamic New Year or the Prophet Mohammad's birthday, common in other Muslim countries, is frowned upon in Saudi Arabia.

Valentine's Day or the "Feast of Love" in Arabic, is beyond the pale in a country where women must cover themselves from head to toe in public and be accompanied by a male guardian.

"For the last week, we've had no red in the shop," said Ahmed, a flower shop manager. "You can't even have red cards."

Despite the prohibition, demand for the banned roses has been strong and unofficial business was booming, Ahmed said.

"Wait 10 minutes," he told one customer as an assistant slipped into the shadows to collect a bouquet of crimson flowers. At 10 riyals ($2.70) each they were double the usual price. "They would put us in prison for this," he smiled.

Another customer asked if he could deliver 30 red roses to Riyadh's diplomatic quarter, a potentially tricky mission which meant crossing a tight police security cordon. "No problem," Ahmed said. "That's the regular police, not the mutawwaeen."

The government-funded mutawwaeen patrol the streets of Saudi Arabia, particularly Riyadh in the Wahhabi heartland, ensuring women are covered and five daily Muslim prayers are observed.

Shopkeepers who fail to shut down for half an hour during each prayer risk a night in jail if they are discovered.

Despite government calls for them to show greater leniency, and some recent efforts to improve their own image, the bearded volunteers are not universally popular.

"The mutawwaeen are just backward," Ahmed complained. "It's the Saudi women who want these roses anyway."

[white Boy]

its sad that its 2005 and this is still going on in the world, fuckin faggets

[7even]

Why not liberating the Saudis? 

hahaha

[white Boy]

^ good idea

[*Jamal*]

Indian hardliners vow to disrupt Valentine's Day


BHOPAL, India (Reuters) - Hardline Hindus have vowed to disrupt Saint Valentine's Day (news - web sites) celebrations in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh, saying the Western love festival was a violation of India's traditional culture.

Saint Valentine's Day has become increasingly popular in India in recent years, led by retailers selling red balloons, velvet pillows and teddy bears to mark the festival.

But the growing popularity of the day in officially secular, but mainly Hindu, India has in recent years sparked countrywide protests which have sometimes turned violent.

"We will oppose it tooth and nail because the concept of Valentine's Day celebrations has come from the West and through it an attempt is being made to spoil Indian culture," said Devendra Rawat, a member of the Bajrang Dal, on Saturday.

"Our teams will visit all hotels and restaurants and stop Valentine's Day celebrations. The teams will also visit parks frequented by boys and girls."

The Bajrang Dal said it had set up 16 teams of 25 activists each who would ensure that couples would not be able to celebrate the day in public in the state capital, Bhopal.

Hardline groups have in the past made a bonfire of Valentine's Day cards and smashed shop windows to protest against what they describe as "cultural corruption" but that has not dampened the enthusiasm of youngsters who throng stores to buy Saint Valentine's Day gifts and cards.

Groups like the Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena are part of a growing tribe of cultural vigilantes in India opposed to increasing Westernisation.

Such groups have in the past stopped the screening of a controversial film about a love affair between two women and also stopped a film on the plight of widows forced into prostitution, saying they denigrated India's ancient traditions.

[Lincoln]

Well Valentine's day is fucking stupid anyways, so no big loss.

[Matrix Heart]

Well Valentine's day is fucking stupid anyways, so no big loss.

True that but this is not about Valentines day 

[Lincoln]

Well Valentine's day is fucking stupid anyways, so no big loss.

True that but this is not about Valentines day 

Yes I know, I was moreso making light of the situation of the disgustingly oppressive Saudi regime.

[King Tech Quadafi]

<-----------This Muslim doesnt see Valentines Day as an attack on morals, but a cheap and effective manner by which pussy can be gathered, and consumed.