Red Roses? What Red Roses?

RIYADH, 14 February 2006 — A flower shop owner closed his store for three days in order to avoid harassment from the moral police, Al-Watan daily reported. Valentine’s Day is a favorite target of the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, viewed by the religious police as a holiday that promotes immoral behavior. Red roses often disappear from stores before, during, and after the holiday in order to avoid attracting the attention of the PVPV patrols, especially in the Kingdom’s capital.