Feature: Syrians seek to spread messages of love, peace on Valentine's Day - Xinhua

A picture taken on February 13, 2018, in Damascus, capital of Syria, shows red heart-shaped cakes displayed in a shop a day ahead of the Valentines' Day that is marked on February 14 in Syria. The Damascus residents have been suffering from an intensified mortar shells from the rebels in the countryside but the hard war times didn't keep them from observing the love occasion. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

SWEIDA, Syria, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Wearing a red jacket, Salam held a white placard reading "Love has different meanings in my heart, mind, and soul... Syria is love and peace."

Her friend, holding a heart-shaped red basket filled with sweets, was giving the sweets to the passersby in Sweida city in southern Syria, greeting them with a smile and best wishes for the Valentine's Day.

Scores of young men and women, calling themselves "Syria's team for development and civil work", huddled together Wednesday in the public squares in Sweida, holding banners to urge people to love each other and spread peace.

Najib Raad, the coordinator of the volunteer group, told Xinhua that his group wanted to spread the notion of Valentine's Day to have a broader meaning than just the love between a man and a woman.

"We want this occasion not to be exclusive for lovers, and to spread the idea of love to be celebrated by everyone as a day of love, as we seek to spread love and peace in our country," he said.

Raad said they were advocating the idea that "love must bring together all Syrians," as the war-torn Syria has been overwhelmed by sorrow and violence for nearly seven years.

The 42-year-old man said his team had made heart-shaped red biscuits with letters inside reading "Syria is love" and "Syria is peace", which reflects the message of his team to spread the culture of love and peace.

Wissam Farahat, 25, told Xinhua that the group wanted this Valentine's day to be a message of love to all Syrians.

"My message is for love and peace to prevail Syria, we have missed the love as a result of war and should remind the people of the importance of love on this day," he said.

On her side, Thuraya, another volunteer, told Xinhua that the Valentine's Day should not be just for lovers.

"The only thing that can save Syria is love, so we should encourage people to express love to each other," she said.

Sweida, which has remained largely peaceful during the Syrian war, had a good turnout of people in the markets to buy the Valentine's Day gifts, where shop owners decorated their stores with teddy bears, red roses and balloons.

Zaid, a flower shop owner, told Xinhua that he had sold more red roses this year in comparison with previous years due to the improving security conditions in that city.

Also, restaurants in Sweida competed to offer the best entertainment programs on the occasion, bringing in famous singers and offering free gifts for customers.

Rafat, 29, said he paid what was equivalent to 90 U.S. dollars to spend a lovely evening with his fiancé on the Valentine's Day.

"We want to celebrate with our loved ones, and we hope that peace and security will return to Syria and this war, which deprives people of love, will come to an end soon," he said.