jour de la Saint-Valentin en Saudi Arabia....

[MD12]

Valentine’s Day: Don’t say it with flowers (at least not red ones) in Saudi!

All avid readers of the English language version of the Saudi Gazette will be aware that Saudi Arabia’s religious police zealots have banned the sale of red roses ahead of Valentine’s Day! Furthermore, all crimson coloured items - from roses to wrapping paper - have also been banned from the shelves of florists and gift shops in Riyadh until Friday by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice - aka the religious police! Apparently, it is now customary for representatives of the Commission to visit florists during the week leading up to February 14th to issue warnings on crimson items, which are widely seen as symbols of love, according to local newspapers.

The reason given as to why the Commission raids shops before Valentine’s Day, is that it sees Valentine’s as “an encouragement of relations outside of wedlock”! Relations which, presumably, could lead to a flogging or a stoning – cultural events resulting in a lot of unwelcome additional work for the Koranic fanatics.

Yet, according to the Saudi Gazette, the ban has resulted in a blossoming black market for red roses – which all goes to prove that even in Saudi some people prefer profit to The Prophet! Indeed, one man, is reported as bravely claiming to run an underground flower shop out of his flat, saying he could earn as much as SAR20-30 (£2.70- £4) per rose, when the normal price is a mere SAR5-7 (68p - £1). Furthermore, the man told the paper that he, on occasion, delivers bouquets in the middle of the night to avoid prying eyes, and that his “loyal customers place orders weeks before the Feb 14 holiday”. However according to one umimpressed Islamic scholar: “As Muslims we shouldn’t celebrate a non-Muslim celebration especially this one that encourages immoral relations between unmarried men and women.”

The ban came into force in Riyadh on Sunday and red items remain forbidden until after February 14. So if you reside in Saudi and wish to express your feelings to a loved one, then you couldn’t do worse than send her a red rose for Valentine’s - as that could result in an obituary by Easter! Just one more reason for rejecting Sharia in Britain.

A related story may be read here: here.

Source - http://www.bnp.org.uk

Traduction - http://www.google.com/translate?u=http% ... en&ie=UTF8

Kevin