Punitive steps await New Year revelers

The Kingdom’s religious police have warned the public against celebrating the New Year’s Eve, an Arabic newspaper reported on Sunday.
The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vices (Haia) based its warning on a religious edict issued by the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars banning such celebrations, the newspaper said.
Haia officials tour markets across the Kingdom to prevent the sale of red roses and other things used for celebrating New Year.
A Haia official said punitive measures would be taken against those who celebrate the New Year publicly.