Posted on 02/14/2002 2:15:35 PM PST by vannrox
'Worthless' Day?
Thu Feb 14, 7:16 AM ET
RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has officially banned Valentine's Day (news - web sites), prohibiting shops from selling red roses and couples from displaying tokens of affection during the international day of love.
The Arab News daily said the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Evil, which upholds Islamic values in the ultra-conservative kingdom, would conduct round-the-clock patrols to ensure nobody celebrated this "un-Islamic" occasion.
"The commission has been geared up to enlighten youth on the dangers of blindly following worthless foreign customs," Jabir al-Hakami, head of the commission in the holy city of Mecca, told the English-language newspaper.
Shops, hotels, restaurants and public parks were warned two weeks ago against staging special activities on February 14. Teachers were also ordered to caution their students against wearing red or other Valentine-related items, the daily said.
About seven million foreigners live in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam. Many are from the Asian subcontinent where Valentine's Day is celebrated with much fanfare.
The ban was based on a fatwa, or religious edict, issued by a high-ranking Islamic commission that says Muslims cannot celebrate festivals other than the Muslim ones of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
Laws in Saudi Arabia tend to be based on the kingdom's strict and sometimes radical interpretation of Islam.
Men and women who are not related cannot mix in the kingdom, which also prohibits public worship by non-Muslims.
Most Gulf Arab states, and even conservative Iran, celebrate Valentine's Day, which is named after a Christian saint.
In the United Arab Emirates, which borders Saudi Arabia, hotels offer special overnight packages for lovers and stores fill with cards and red roses, jewelry and other gifts.
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