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Tolerance in Saudi Arabia: Unhappy Valentine’s Day

Feb 14, 2004 8:59 am By Robert Spencer

Tolerance in Saudi Arabia means non-Muslims can work there, but note: not only are Muslims not to celebrate it, but they are not to offer non-Muslims holiday greetings, and stores are not to sell any Valentines Day material. So while the Muslim majority is free not to celebrate the day, non-Muslims are not free to celebrate it. From Reuters, with thanks to Nicolei:

Saudi Arabia’s religious authorities have ordered Muslims to shun the “pagan” holiday of Valentine’s Day so as not to incur God’s wrath, the local al-Riyadh newspaper says.

“It is a pagan Christian holiday and Muslims who believe in God and Judgment Day should not celebrate or acknowledge it or congratulate (people on it). It is a duty to shun it to avoid God’s anger and punishment,” said an edict issued by Saudi Arabia’s fatwa committee published in the Arabic-language daily on Friday.

“There are only two holidays in Islam — Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha — and any other holidays, whether to celebrate an individual, group or event, are inventions which Muslims are banned from,” said the committee, headed by Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh.

Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are Muslim feasts that follow the annual fasting month of Ramadan and the haj pilgrimage.

The kingdom, which implements a strict version of Islamic law, bans non-Muslim holidays and its morality police usually conduct raids to ensure shops do not sell gifts or ornaments on New Year, Christmas or Valentine’s Day, which is named after a Christian saint.

About seven million foreigners live in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam. Many of them are from Asian countries where Valentines’ Day is celebrated.

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Filed Under: Saudi Arabia, Sharia


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