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| Arabia |
| 30 Saudi shops caught in anti-Valentine crackdown |
| 2007-02-20 |
| The retaliation of the Saudi religious police against those flouting the ban on Saint Valentine festivities, announced last week by the local press, has struck some 30 shops in Jeddah, who were found clandestinely selling gifts and cards for the lovers' fest. According to a report on the Saudi daily al-Medina, the religious police carried out various searches in the run-up to the 14 February celebrations. "Despite the circular from our ministry and the body for the promotion of virtue banning these celebrations we have found businessmen flouting this," said a commerce ministry spokesman. The offending shops were in the al-Balad and al-Hindawiah areas of the Red Sea port of Jeddah, where in out of sight they had supplies of red love cards and romantic presents which they sold secretly to a few trusted clients. The religious police has fined the 30 shops, confiscating and burning all the material seized. Last week the same moral police had warned that it wanted to organised anti-Valentines patrols, recalling a fatwa issued by the Saudi chief mufti sheikh Abdelaziz al Sheikh, who wrote that "any Muslim who believes in Allah and in the Day of Judgement cannot celebrate this event". Despite this young Saudis have shown they want to recognise the lovers' fest, as red roses were sold out, and their price had leapt in just a few days from 5 to 12 riyals each. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #10 More from the bizarre world of the religion of peace. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-02-20 19:18 |
| #9 Tonight, on "Religious Cops"... "This is Mullah John Burnell ! This crook thought his powerful sports car could help him outrun the law and deliver his Valentines card but he didnt count on the Saudi Religious PD and now all this hoodlum has got for his troubles is a one way ride to the county jail!" When bad religions just get worse ! |
| Posted by: MacNails 2007-02-20 10:14 |
| #8 So, Islam thinks it is strong enough to take on Hallmark, heh ? Well, let me remind you that a greeting card company can quickly gear up to produce cartoons, and we know how deadly they can be. I'm going to buy a spare seething meter, just in case. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2007-02-20 10:02 |
| #7 Hallmark Hall of Fame presents "Law Goons of Arabia." |
| Posted by: Mike 2007-02-20 09:42 |
| #6 Tonight, on "Religious Cops"... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2007-02-20 09:04 |
| #5 Arabs dont believe in love or affection!!!! Allan told them to hate instead!!! |
| Posted by: Ebbolump Glomotle9608 2007-02-20 07:46 |
| #4 Sheesh, guys, have a heart. signed Merlin Olsen |
| Posted by: doc 2007-02-20 07:42 |
| #3 The Salt Lake City victims of Allen were killed in what kind of shop? Bingo. |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2007-02-20 06:46 |
| #2 Love , why does it hate us so much ! |
| Posted by: MacNails 2007-02-20 05:42 |
| #1 Oh my allan!! Can you imagine those filthy apostates? Kill an infidel, rape an infidel. But whatever you do, don't send a valentine. |
| Posted by: anymouse 2007-02-20 02:04 |