In Saudi Arabia, five men have been sentenced to 32 years in prison and 4,500 lashes for holding a Valentine’s Day party with unrelated women, drinking and dancing. The men were caught at a rented rest house in the Al-Farouq area of Buraidah Qassim province by police from the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (CPVPV). The six women found with the men will have their fate decided by a judge. The CPVPV is the Saudi Arabian government agency that employs religious police or mutaween to enforce Sharia Law within its borders. Members patrol the streets, enforcing a strict religious code among citizens, checking dress code, segregation of men and women, and other behavior it believes to be commanded by Islam. This organization has widespread powers to detain and berate offenders and shut down businesses. The CPVPV has a budget of around US$390million. Saudi Arabia has strict Sharia laws that forbid many Western customs, including Valentine’s Day. Punishment for many offenses is severe, often involving beatings and humiliation. Even foreigners are not excluded from arrest. The country has a long history of suppressing free expression.
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