Kuwaiti MPs plan Valentine's Day ban

NO LOVE: Kuwait plans to ban Valentine's Day (Getty Images)

Valentine's Day celebrations that contradict Islamic teachings and values will be banned in Kuwait, government officials have warned.

Islamist MPs said they will investigate the possibility of amending existing laws to ban the celebration of Valentine's Day, Kuwait Times reported on Thursday.

A committee which monitors practices alien to Kuwaiti society met on Wednesday with representatives of several government ministries to study preventive measures, including monitoring hotels, restaurants and retailers that sell Valentine's Day items.

Committee head Waleed Al-Tabtabae said the ministries will take measures to prevent "indecent celebrations and practices", as well as any "immoral behaviour" that may happen on Valentine's Day.

Islamist MPs believe Western traditions like Valentine’s Day encourage illicit relationships, the newspaper said.

The government warning follows the banning of red roses by Saudi Arabia's religious police on Sunday.

Mutawwa, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, ordered florists and gift shop owners in the capital Riyadh to remove any items coloured scarlet, widely associated with romantic love.

Black market prices for roses have been already rising because of the ban, with the ban regularly enforced in recent years, the newspaper said.

Saudi authorities also consider Valentine's Day as un-Islamic, primarily for encouraging relations between men and women outside wedlock, an act punishable by law in the conservative kingdom.

The Saudi Gazette reported that some people placed orders with florists days or weeks before Valentine's Day in anticipation of the ban.

Meanwhile, Dnata Cargo said it imported more than 40 tonnes of fresh flowers into Dubai during the first week of February, as the emirate prepared for the increasingly popular Valentine's Day celebration.

The flowers are imported into the UAE for Valentine’s Day from Kenya, Holland, Malaysia and Thailand using thermal blankets, electronic temperature probes and wireless technology to prevent damage from the extreme local weather.

Print | Email | Discuss this article

| Share |

READERS' COMMENTS

comment
Posted by suzanne, dubai, uae on Friday 15 February 2008 at 10:27 UAE time


there are so many other major issues that really needs more attention why focus on this one? this is rubbish!

Ban Valentines Day
Posted by clg, Dubai, UAE on Thursday 14 February 2008 at 20:08 UAE time


- What Rubbish !!!!!!! . . . . . .

February 14th
Posted by Tom, Liverpool, England UK on Thursday 14 February 2008 at 16:50 UAE time


Live and let live

Valentine's Day
Posted by Charm, Dubai on Thursday 14 February 2008 at 15:42 UAE time


I think there is nothing wrong with assigning one special day out of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year) in a year for loved ones. It's like celebrating Mother's Day, Father's Day, Friendship Day, or whatever special days we have the whole year through. The history of Valentine's day has evolved or should I say, has been reinvented from a religious context to the widely commercialized romantic context that is much more popular these days. This could be a source of misgivings from some cultures and societies. However, if practised in good taste, without the suggestions of indecency and immorality and sans the cringy public displays of affection, it is an important day indeed for couples, family members and friends to re-affirm the love and commitment they have for each other.

View all comments (5) >>

Click here to post a comment

Add your Comment All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic. Arabian Business would like to point out that only comments relevant to the story will be published. Any containing personal insults or inappropriate language will not be approved.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *	(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Enter the words above *
Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM