Florists with wilting bouquets of red roses and street vendors holding unsold balloons were heartbroken in the Afghan capital on Tuesday after the Taliban’s morality police banned Valentine’s Day celebrations.
While Valentine’s Day has never been widely celebrated in Afghanistan, some wealthy residents of the cities have developed a tradition to mark the day of lovers in recent years.
On Kabul’s famous Flower Street, shops are filled with heart-shaped wreaths and red stuffed animals, but there are no customers.
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In the window of one outlet, a poster signed by the Ministry of Virtue Promotion and Vice Prevention warns shoppers: “Don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day!”
Valentine’s Day ‘isn’t Islamic’
The poster stated that Valentine’s Day “is not Islamic and not part of Afghan culture but the slogan day of infidels”.
“Celebrating Valentine’s Day shows sympathy for the Christian Pope,” he said.
Officers from the ministry patrol the area in white uniforms, escorted by armed guards, an AFP correspondent reported.
Sengkuni in front of the shop, Omar – who does not have a surname – prunes the thorns and withered petals from his flower stock.
“[The Taliban authorities] publish and distribute orders to every store,” he told AFP.
“I don’t think I can sell these flowers today, people don’t buy them,” he said.
“You can see that there are no customers – the situation is very bad.”
AFP reporter saw a young couple furtively buying flowers and quickly left the scene when they saw the morality police patrol.
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“Things have changed – we can’t celebrate like other years,” said shopkeeper Zahrah, married for seven years.
“But we celebrate. There are some restrictions and the situation is not good, but we celebrate at home.
Another limitation
The deputy minister could not be reached for comment on the nature of the ban.
The Taliban authorities have issued various restrictions on social life in the country since coming to power in August 2021.
Music, social media apps and video games have all been scrutinized by the ultra-conservative government.
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The authorities have particularly oppressed Afghan women, effectively removing them from public life.