My special Valentine post, with special thanks to the Saudi Religious Police. ❤
The Haya* have caught another couple on an illegal date. (dating is illegal in Saudi Arabia)
HAIL – A 10-year-old love story ended with marriage when two lovers were arrested while on a date at a shopping mall in Hail by the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, commonly referred to as the Haya.
The girl’s family declined a marriage proposal from the man ten years ago, but that refusal did not put out the raging fire of love between the two. After their arrest at the mall, the Haya mediated between the two families to finalize the marriage, a Haya official said.
“The Haya intervened to bring this complicated love story to a peaceful conclusion,” said Suliman Al-Rumidan, chief of the Haya Office in Hail. Public dating in Saudi Arabia is banned by the Haya.
*Haya is what the Commission for the Promotion of Vice and the Prevention of Virtue are called when you actually like them
Which is why I have never used the name before.
I love the ”raging fire of love” bit! 😀
You know, I don’t want to be writing about KSA like all the time, but it’s só inspiring!
Special Valentine Competition:
I think it’s time we find a name for our favourite CPVPV-member, please post suggestions. The best one will get a reward.
For some real Valentine Inspiration:
I love…
Guess who? 😉
And, yes, Achelois, Twitterpated Yeti, Bedu, Susie, Captain Kabob, Mahram, Lofter, Checkers, and everybody. I love ya’all too!!!
Update:
American Bedu has written an excellent post on the origin of Valentine’s day. Hmmm, it has changed a lot!
And John Burgess has a nice bit on the yearly Valentine crack-down which must make the whole Valentine experience so much more exciting and fun for those in Saudi Arabia.
Off to cuddle my Valentine now! 😉
Clouddragon 
You guys look great!
That was one good thing the Haya did!
Hey even the Catholic church is getting into the love business.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7888539.stm
Haleem– The Catholic Church has always been in on the act (canonizing St Valentine for example) 🙂
Thanks for the link. For those wishing the intercession of St Raphael to find their soulmate with whom they can celebrate Valentine’s Day (St Valentine is the patron saint of lovers who have already found each other), St Raphael’s feast day is:
September 29–post Vatican II Roman Catholic; and, Church of England. A 3 Saints in one day option: St Raphael, St Michael, and St Gabriel; or,
October 24–pre Vatican II Roman Catholic
So Aafke–you can celebrate with the Tarq on the 14th (and Twitterpated Yeti of course), and look for dreamrabbits on September 29 and October 24. 🙂
In this case the Haya seem to have been able to protect virtue, forestall vice, and facilitate a love match! Well done!
Chiara aka “everybody” 😦
Yeah, I’m with Chiara on this one. Hi, I’m a part of everybody too and I hope all’s well at your end. *grin*
Your picture of the man in a thob holding a heart had me in stitches!
Your photographs are truly inspiring 😀 You two ARE in love!
Haya in Love?
Haya gets struck by cupids arrow?
love it!
Haleem, I think modern Valentine’s day is só very different, it has nothing to do with the past anymore.
btw, it’s not at all popular in the Netherlands, most Dutch see it as too commercial, and it’s mostly limited to a cheap small fun present, or a bunch of flowers, for those who do pay attention to it. But it was big when I was living in London!
Chiara, I don’t want to wait until september! I want my soulmate NOW!!!!
Specs, 😀
American Bedu, 😀
Aafke — I think you are allowed to pray to St Raphael or St Valentine on any day of the year. The Virgin Mary also hears prayers. Better not try St Paul though, you and he don’t seem to get along. 🙂 🙂
What LOVELY pictures – you look nice too 😀
I love you so much, my dear Aafke!
That horse is EVIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IT’S TRYING TO EAT MY SISTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyone know the number for 911?
Rhysz– try üheksa üks üks– or xasuyu” ngopoy ngopoy–or ९ १ १
or .١.١.٩ but hurry!!!!!!!
I love the cartoon of the valentine Muttwa, it’s a classic. I think we should call him St. MuttLove 🙂
Happy Valentine’s day!!!
Chiara, I don’t believe in any saints…I will have to do it all on my own….
Achelois, Thank you 🙂 dear Achelois 🙂
Rhysz, These photos are from the summer! He hasn’t eaten me yet! 😉
Saudi in US, No, this one day he might be sweet, but the next time we’ll see him he’ll be his screaming old self again! (stay tuned) Come on, You’re saudi? You can think of a suitable name!!!!
Today is a good day Aafke. There were huge changes in the Saudi cabinet by the king. Replacing some ultra conservatives including the Minister of Justice, the head of the Commission, the minister of education, among others. They also appointed a woman as undersecretary for girls education. So I am feeling generous and hopeful today.
Let’s stick with the MuttLove name for today, if he goes back on his positive behavior we will just call him RedBeard.
Happy Valentine cuddly Yeti!
Saudi in US, I read about it! Waw! I happened to stumble on just the right kind of positive post for today! 😀 Today is a good day!
No, sorry, you have to do better than that!
Aafke–Best of luck then!
Saudi in US–it is great news, isn’t it!
By the way Aafke, I am not sure if you considered how evil the name MuttLove can be:
If used positively, mutt can stand for Mttawa (i.e. loving muttawa).
If used negatively. Mutt means mixed-breed dog, which is a huge insult to a Muttawa, which is likely tribal person (who views blood lineage as important). Add to that they view dogs as the filthiest animals.
Yeah, but then it would be our nickname for him, I presume he’s called Achmed, or Abdullah, or something, I have met some saudi blokes with pretty weird sounding names…
Come on, there must be some name which his parents gave him….
”Love-Mutt”
ok so you are looking for a given name. Let’s tray
Bakheet Al Anzi
The first name is a rare Beduin name. Which sound as strange in Arabic as in English. Especially of you focus on making a phlegm throat sound when pronouncing the kh.
Al Anzi: means goat man. Also a funny tribal name. Can be a refernce to the beard long unkempt beard.
Hahahaha, I totally love the picture of the Haya, how about Shekh Valentine/ Shekh el houb(love)?? 😆
I love your horse, may he be there always for you 🙂
saudi in Us, we have a name Bukheet too, lol, though its an older generation name.
Excellent!
Bakheet Al Anzi sounds very good!
Unless somebody comes up with something better, Saudi in US is the winner!
The prize has to be virtual, so I had been thinking to let the winner choose a subject for me to write or draw as a future post.
sf, nice one, but I need a real name for our resident CPVPV-member. Shehk el houb is a cool nickname, but only for today… remember him screaming at the poor woman to cover herself?
Hmm, Tarq el houb…
I happen to like Sheihk Hajibeardedman bin shortthobe 🙂
Luckily for me I haven’t had any personal experience with any of the CPVPV members, but when I read that story with a happy ending for that Saudi couple who has been in love for 10 years, I was really astonished. I thought they didn’t believe in love! So I would have to nominate as “Favorite CPVPV” that Haya who was successful in bringing that couple together at long last – he deserves it! I love the painting of the Arab guy and the heart – you are too much! And I hope you had a good V.Day – I love you, Aafke!!!
Ok Aafke, I think I would like a drawing. However, I am greedy I want the real thing, so I can own an Aafke original. I have a very good spot for it on one of the walls at my home office 🙂
I will choose the topic when the eval period is over and I am lucky enough to win.
Chiara,
Sorry I missed your comment to me. Yes, I think it was a great move. I have commented many times about King Abdullah as being the best Saudi ruler so far. However, I was disappointed on him not taking aggressive bold steps in reforms. The latest changes is a good step forward and showed some bold leadership. I will look forward to the impact. especially in reforming the judicial system, women education and getting the Haya under control.
Saudi in US
Thanks for your reply. I don’t know much about the history of the situation except that King Abdullah has ruled officially only in the last few years. I hope he will make progressive lasting reforms even if he has to proceed slowly to prevent a backlash. King Juan Carlos of Spain was able to take more bold steps because of the nature of Spanish society, but Mohamed VI of Morocco has made some impressive reforms while handling a stronger conservative movement–far from ideal, but progress (esp in family law, and women’s rights–human rights reform in Morocco seems to be at the whim of the USA eg. extradition sites). I hope King Abdullah will be able to continue forward in a steady manner.
I love the Muttawa Valentine painting but could not seem to come up with a name until the other suggestions inspired: Adham al-Kalbi (“Blackness of the Dogs”) for the negative muttawa, and Faris al-Habibi (“Knight of the beloved”) for the good one. 🙂
Bakheet Al Anzi seems like an name for all moods. 🙂
coolred, not bad, but I’m not looking for a nick-name, but for his real name 😀
Suzie, had a great day, also because there was a lot of good news! ±’
Saudi in US, German Proverb for you: ”Bescheidenheit ist eine Zier, doch weiter kommt mann ohne ihr..”
(modesty is an adornment, but you get on better without it.)
Still like yours.
Chiara, NIce, but I doubt if his parents would have named him Adham al-Kalbi
Oh, sorry, I got carried away with our naming him, and forgot Kalb is specifically listed as an unIslamic name that will not be accepted for birth registry.
How about Adham Darwish Al-Badr (“Dark Dervish of the Moon”) (all are officially acceptable names)?
The pic of the arab with the flowers is so cute but the pic of you and tarq is so much more beautiful! Both of you are simply adorable!
Can’t commend on the name,cause I don’t know any! If you concern with any Indian names then I can help much! Chellam! (sweety!)
@Aakfke, Good proverb, I bet our sales staff would love it. They live by that rule 🙂
@Chiara, Yes the King has to balance a number of power centers, but he was not the ruler only for a few years. He was the defacto ruler for almost a decade when the previous king was ill. I do think he has to continually get bolder in his decisions and capitalize on his enormous popularity to take the country in the right direction.
Saudi in Arabia
Yes, I did realize he was the de facto ruler while only the number 2 officially for a number of years. He probably wasn’t as free then to make major changes. Hopefully he will do so now. He also seems to be actively pursuing diplomacy in the region to try and establish a more peaceful “neighbourhood”. Uncoupling (in the scientific sense not a more lascivious one) from the Bushes should help.
I like him too … the king that is.
The saudi religious police getting soft? :-O
Lat, 🙂 thank you!
I think I’m starting to become a fan of king Abdullah!
Sumera, one branch, must have been infiltrated……
Awww, I love you too! Great posts on valentines day, I loved all of them!
Captain Kabob! Welcome to my blog! 😀
(at last)
Glad you enjoyed, and I hope you had a really haraaaam Valentine’s day!
Correction: Sorry, Saudi in US (not Saudi in Arabia–rather more common a phenomenon i should think) 🙂
There’s nothing “religious” about what the Saudi government does. I know this is in all good humor, but I worry that someone ignorant of Islam and Muslims are going to think all Muslims think this way about Love.
Muslims have some of the most Romantic poetry ever written. For the Sufi – the Islamic mystic — every day is “Valentine’s Day.” The Sufi her/himself is the Rose to the Beloved.