Saudi Valentines defy the love police
Saudi Valentines defy the love police
Riyadh — Red roses lurk hidden in flower shop back rooms and heart-shaped chocolates are sold under the counter, but Saudis still manage to buy Valentine's gifts and defy the religious police.
Florist Hussein came up with a simple solution to a ban on red tokens of love: he filled his window with white roses, orange irises and violet hydrangeas.
"I've hidden everything red in the shop, so when a religious police patrol comes along, they find nothing to complain about," he said.
Anti-Valentine's Day patrols by the Muttawa religious police -- formally known as the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice -- started on Wednesday.
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