Main Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7239005.stm
Other Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/12/saudiarabia.religion
Black market activities, in the American mind set, often connotates activities involving porn and drugs. In "Saudi Arabia's Sleazy Underworld", Natasha makes the point that these activities also exist in Saudi Arabia despite their strict adherence to Islam. After scouring the net, I've discovered that while the definition of illicit material in Saudi Arabia and the U.S. are sometimes similar, there are also differences; this was highlighted when Saudi officials banned the sale of red roses. This reportedly happened in the weeks following up to Valentine's Day (2008). To quote BBC News, because of this ban, "black market prices for roses were already rising ".
According to the BBC, "Saudi authorities consider Valentine's Day, along with a host of other annual celebrations, as un-Islamic.'
"In addition to the prohibition on celebrating non-Islamic festivals, the authorities consider Valentine's Day as encouraging relations between men and women outside wedlock - punishable by law...".
Despite this ban, orders of roses are being delivered stealthily in the night while some couples are contemplating celebrating Valentine's day in another country.
It's strange for us to see how our traditional holiday can be deemed dangerous from the perspective of other cultures. I've come to realize that what gets put on the black market is often a reflection of a society's standards (versus a universal standard). For example, I often assumed drugs and porn belonged on the market, but never in my dreams would I have thought to include red roses.
