No Roses in Riyadh

Saudis ban red roses for Valentine's Day, though this is a softening of their previous position. Kuwaiti hardliners take a different approach:

Kuwaiti MP Waleed Al-Tabtabae, head of the National Assembly’s Committee Monitoring Negative Alien Practices, will chair his group Wednesday to discuss ways to repress all public displays recognizing the international day of love.

“We want to discuss measures that should be taken by these ministries to prevent such alien events from impacting Kuwaiti society and spreading corruption among the Kuwaiti youth,” Al-Tabtabae told reporters Monday.

Negative Alien Practices. Those dangerous roses. Must be the thorns.

UPDATE: Honor-related violence in Britain estimated at 17,000! Via LGF:

Up to 17,000 women in Britain are being subjected to “honour” related violence, including murder, every year, according to police chiefs.

And official figures on forced marriages are the tip of the iceberg, says the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). It warns that the number of girls falling victim to forced marriages, kidnappings, sexual assaults, beatings and even murder by relatives intent on upholding the “honour” of their family is up to 35 times higher than official figures suggest.

The crisis, with children as young as 11 having been sent abroad to be married...