Teddy bears, love hearts turn Baghdad streets red on Valentine’s Day

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Though ranked by the United Nations mission as the Iraqi province with the highest number of civilian casualties of violence during January, Baghdad’s streets became adorned with love-themed items on Valentine’s Day celebrations, which are globally marked on February 14th, apparently persistent on breathing hope in an atmosphere of gloom and terror.

Vendors’ stalls have become adorned with red teddy bears, love hearts and other representations of love to mark the occasion, seeming to defy deteriorating economic and security conditions that coincided with the Islamic State extremists’ reign of terror over many other cities and bloody strikes inside the capital.

On Monday, Islamic State barred wearing red-colored clothes in western Mosul, preparing to prevent Valentine’s Day celebrations, according to local sources who spoke to Alsumaria News. The group’s media surprisingly distributed warnings saying red colors were not allowed, even for children, said the source.The source presumed the move was aimed to prevent Iraqis from marking the occasion, adding that the group fears that the least sign of celebration would stand as a challenge to its rules.