Valentine's Day on Feb.14 may be popular around the world, but it is banned in Saudi Arabia. However, there are people who celebrate the day in secret. Many Saudi and expatriate couples in Saudi Arabia celebrate the event privately. Gift shops dare not advertise at all, to avoid clashes with religious authorities. “We are always celebrating the important events, such as the national day, Eid, the holy events, but we have never celebrated Valentine's Day,” said Ibrahim Madag, a clothes designer, and the creator of the Dare Ware group that works on creating special clothes with special themes. “If we receive orders to produce clothes carrying the symbol of love, in red, we will immediately do that, regardless of diverse opinions on this issue,” he said. According to Madag, they are not preparing anything for this year's Valentine's Day, to avoid any confrontation with the religious authorities. Saudi Gazette visited several shops selling gifts, chocolates and flowers that are planning to show Valentine's Day products in a way that cannot be identified. “We will have a new collection of cakes decorated with hearts and red colors especially for Valentine's Day, but we are planning to show it in a way that cannot be identified by the religious officials,” said a chocolate shopowner. “We will present the collection without advertising that it is for Valentine's Day.” According to the shopkeeper, only observant people will be able to spot the Valentine's Day cake collection in the shop. A famous international chocolate shop bought Valentine's Day products, but the shop's management has decided to only display these collections at the end of Valentine's Day week. “We already bought the collection, but the management issued an order to remove all these products for the whole week,” said Abdo, an employee at the chocolate shop. Saudi Gazette spoke with Jihad Ka'eli, a director of chocolate shops in the Jeddah region, who confirmed that there will be no sign of Valentine's Day products on display this week. “We got information that authorities and the General Presidency of the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the Hai'a, will inspect chocolate and flowers shops on Valentine's Day that is why we issued an order to stop selling any such products.” “Sometimes we get people asking us to design a special chocolate basket covered or decorated in red, but we have decided not to offer these designs until the end of the coming week.” According to Ka'eli, over the course of the year, shops can sell any products, with any colors. Some Saudi couples have chosen to celebrate the day in secret away from the eyes of the Hai'a authorities and family criticism. “I am engaged to a Saudi who is living in Riyadh, and we celebrate Valentine's Day in secret each year, without informing our families because we don't know how they will react,” said Noha Mohsen, a Saudi university student. “This year my fiancée is working in Riyadh, and I cannot celebrate the day with him, that is why I am trying to find a way to send a gift by mail, without telling my family.” Mohsen explained: “Sending a gift or celebrating Valentine's Day is something shameful in my family that is why I am trying to hide this issue, even though I am celebrating it with my fiancée.” Based on Islamic rules, couples, lovers, and even married people are not allowed to celebrate Valentine's Day, according to Sheikh Asem Al-Hakim, the Imam of Ja'fer Al-Taiyyar Mosque. “Celebrating love between lovers, couples, engaged people, or married people is not considered acceptable on Feb.14 because it means people believe in this day. Islam has banned us from celebrating any day except the two Eids.” A fatwa was issued by a standing committee consisting of Sheikh Abdullah Bin Ghadyaan, Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah Al-Sheikh and Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid – Fatwa Number 21203 – which quoted passages from the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that celebrations are only allowed on the two Eids – Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. According to an Associated Press report, the Saudi religious police are cracking down on stores selling items that are red or in any other way allude to Valentine's Day. A Saudi official was quoted as saying that policemen are inspecting shops for red roses, heart-shaped products or gifts wrapped in red, and ordering storeowners to get rid of them. Such items are legal at other times of the year, but as Feb.14 nears they become contraband. Saudi Arabia bans celebration of Valentine's Day, a Christian festival named after Saint Valentine who is said to have been martyred by the Romans in the 3rd Century.
