Happy Valentines Day Infidels

Religious police enforce Valentine's Day ban
By Abdullah Al-Shihri, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - The Saudi religious police launched Thursday a nationwide crackdown on stores selling items that are red or in any other way allude to the banned celebrations of Valentine's Day, a Saudi official said.

Members of the feared religious police were inspecting shops for red roses, heart-shaped products or gifts wrapped in red, and ordering storeowners to get rid of them, the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

Red-colored or heart-shaped items are legal at other times of the year, but as Feb. 14 nears they become contraband in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom bans celebration of Western holidays such as Valentine's Day, named after a Christian saint said to have been martyred by the Romans in the 3rd Century.

Most shops in Riyadh's upscale neighbourhoods have removed all red items from their shelves.

A statement by the religious police, informally known as the muttawa, was published in Saudi newspapers, warning shop owners against any violations.

"Those who don't comply will be punished," the statement said, without spelling out what measures would befall the offenders.

Many Saudis, who still want to mark the popular Valentine's, do their shopping weeks before the holiday.

Each year, the religious police mobilize ahead of Feb. 14 and descend on gift and flower shops, confiscating all red items, including flowers.

I usually think its wrong when other countries try to deprive their citizens of Western culture. I mean what could possibly be wrong with extra Value meals, 'Jersey Shore,' 'Paul Blart: Mall Cop,' Nickelback and pancakes on a stick, right? But in this case I squarely behind the Saudi police cracking down on Valentine's Day. It's not a religious holiday anymore. Any remnants of St. Valentines Day have been robbed at gunpoint by Hallmark and Russell Stoffer and replaced with overpriced jewelry, candy, flowers and impossible oneupsmanship. The Saudi police are really just saving their citizens from spending too much money on a lot of hype. I just wish the police here would start cracking down on Valentines Day and lighten up on St. Patrick's Day.