Saudi officials ban Valentine's Day

Updated 19.54 Thu Feb 14 2008

Keywords: roses, Muslim, fatwa, Valentine's Day, Saudi Arabia

Police in Saudi Arabia are refusing to join in with the romantic theme of Valentine's Day.

Instead officials in the conservative Muslim country have banned red roses - a traditional symbol of love - forcing couples to find other ways of celebrating the event.

It is not unusual for the Saudi vice squad to clamp down ahead of Valentine's Day, because it is seen as encouraging relations between men and women who aren't married

The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has ordered all florists and gift shop owners to remove any ruby-coloured items from their displays.

It is not unusual for the Saudi vice squad to clamp down ahead of Valentine's Day, because it is seen as encouraging relations between men and women who aren't married.

But authourities have gone one step further by issuing a fatwa, an Islamic ruling, which clearly states that all outward celebration of the romantic day is banned.

Flower shop owner Ahmed Quradi said: "Ten days ago, members of the commission for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice came to us and handed out this decree which forbids (celebrating) this day, because it goes against the laws of Islam.

"As a Muslim country, we have two holidays only: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. As Muslims, (we only celebrate) these two holidays.

"The decree ordered that we ban the colour red ahead of the occasion (Valentine's Day), not to buy or sell red objects. Any illegal action could end up in the shutting down of our shop and our paying a large fine."

Saudi Arabia imposes a stern form of Sunni Islam which prevents unrelated men and women from mixing, bans women from driving and demands that women wear a headscarf and a cloak.