Saturday, February 14, 2009

Where every Valentine is a secret

Valentine's Day gifts in a Riyadh gift shop will be kept out of view of Saudi religious police inspectors.
clipped from www.thenational.ae
six days before Valentine’s, and the popular gift shop had already been sanitised.
“Yesterday, we removed red toys, hearts, red flowers because it’s prohibited to sell these things from February 1 to 14,”
Like many others in his line of business
was anticipating an unannounced inspection this week from the Saudi morals police who search for forbidden items.
That means anything with cupids, hearts, ‘I love you’, or the colour red.
The contraband will be stored in backrooms, storage vans and warehouses until the dangerous day of love has passed. “Maybe on 16th or 17th we will return them back,” Mr Abadoyo said.
they try to stop Saudis from celebrating Valentine’s Day, which they regard as an alien, un-Islamic festival.
But it does not seem to deter either group, who by most accounts resort to subterfuge to please sweethearts.
many customers purchased them weeks ago when still openly displayed on shelves.
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