Taliban 'destroyed flowers and popped balloons' in Valentine's Day clampdown
dailystar.co.ukValentine’s Day gifts, The Taliban “destroyed flowers and popped balloons” in the streets of Kabul. Enforcers from Afghanistan’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (MoPVPV) raided flower shops in the capital Kabul, enforcing the hardline Islamic republic’s new rules. “They destroyed flowers and popped balloons,” one terrified florist told The Times. “Those who took photos of what they were doing had their phones confiscated and broken."The MoPVPV agents “beat balloon sellers in the street,” he added.Local journalist Ayesha Tanzeem said the Taliban had patrolled around Kabul's flower street on Feb 14, but hadn’t tried to prevent Valentine's Day sales.“They told shopkeepers to keep it low key and told some of them not to give interviews,” Tanzeem said.MoPVPV spokesman Muhammad Sadiq Akif rejected claims that the agents had been violent, but stressed that Valentine’s Day was “haram” – against Islamic law.He says that the strict enforcement of Sharia law is intended to preserve “the safety and wellbeing of women”.He added that women were made to wear the hijab and other “modest” clothing for their own protection: “When flies try to get into the honey pot, you screw the lid on to stop the flies.
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