tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post4174094247927786021..comments2024-03-27T15:45:49.926+04:00Comments on Life in Dubai: Laws, blind eyes & heads downSeabeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06939892206726271433noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-51505129509270274452010-01-22T13:56:45.591+04:002010-01-22T13:56:45.591+04:00Anon@12.56, we didn't 'miss' anything,...<b>Anon@12.56</b>, we didn't 'miss' anything, the video was produced by the defence after I posted.<br /><br /><i>The majority of females lie about rape.</i><br />What utter nonsense. The majority? If you have any interest in accuracy the word you need is 'some'. <br /><br />What's your comment about authorites around the world who state that the majority of rapes are not reported? All lies I assume.Seabeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06939892206726271433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-45878779072041084652010-01-15T04:21:05.247+04:002010-01-15T04:21:05.247+04:00I have read the story in international news and yo...I have read the story in international news and your version on this blog. Unfortunately you are incorrect in the analogy. The lady in question reported the rape and after dealing with the rape claim, the police decided to charge her and her boyfriend for illegal sexual intercourse outside of marriage or whatever you want to call it. And this is exactly what was reported by the media. There was no red herring here.<br /><br />If the authorities want to take this stand and uphold the law of the land, then they must be prepared to tell the whole world that unless you are married, do not come into the UAE and if you do, you will be refused admission at port.<br /><br />You do not have to be a rocket scientist to work out that couples who are not married that come to the UAE on holiday will have sex with each other. I have lived in the UAE for numerous years and have seen first hand the double standards, discrimination, corruption by police officers, extortion rackets, illegal arrests, stitch ups and anything else that seems to be illegal. Unless you have money or Wasta, you are ignored. Yes, the country does have laws, but they are used and abused by the authorities depending on their moods. There is no uniformity or consensus. This is the problem. 2 people can do the same practice, but one will be held liable while the other will have a blind eye thrown towards him/her, depending on the mood of the law or 'contacts one may have'. <br /><br />Prostitution is rife, but only a handful of cases are actioned as and when the mood takes. Alcohol is openly served and drunkards are dime a dozen. <br /><br />The most frightening thing about the dictatorship of the UAE is the recent aquittal of Sheikh Eisa and the imprisonment of 2 others claimed to have spiked his drink for his torture of the Afghani merchant.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-32900603767711422612010-01-14T15:05:07.315+04:002010-01-14T15:05:07.315+04:00I think you are missing one important point here, ...I think you are missing one important point here, and this is that the British woman in question is of Pakistani Muslim descent. This of course should not matter, but in this part of the world there are plenty of self-appointed "moral guardians" who take it upon themselves to judge other Muslims according to their -usually backward- interpretations of how "good Muslims" should behave. As you know, even Sharia law is not applied equally and equitably to Muslims and non-Muslims. I think the woman just had the bad fortune to speak to the wrong policeman / judge at the time.huthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09299456569511629114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-44277458952770439762010-01-13T23:22:53.135+04:002010-01-13T23:22:53.135+04:00Do you think this will put doubt into the minds of...Do you think this will put doubt into the minds of couples thinking about coming over here on holiday who are not married?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-28578556701313430762010-01-13T23:04:07.966+04:002010-01-13T23:04:07.966+04:00In my humble opinion, when it comes to law, clear ...In my humble opinion, when it comes to law, clear specification is not enough. If executed poorly, it will send out confusing messages. As a result, the perception of this clear law to general public is unclear after all.Shuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09273509273801347490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-43195258166397298862010-01-13T18:33:54.228+04:002010-01-13T18:33:54.228+04:00Actually, I have to agree with Anon a bit. The alc...Actually, I have to agree with Anon a bit. The alcohol laws, while <i>generally</i> clear, do have some gray areas.<br /><br />A good example is the Duty Free shops at the airports. Anyone can buy liquor there, license or not. But without a license, you aren't allowed to drink (or even funnier, <i>transport</i> the stuff). <br /><br />Another example comes from the hundreds upon hundreds of bars/restaurants in the city that are licensed. Nowhere in those places does it mention that you need a license to drink there, although technically you do.<br /><br />And then you have the fact that different Emirates have different rules when it comes to liquor.. No drinking at all in Sharjah (although the Duty Free is surprisingly well-stocked, and there's a bar at the airport), whereas no license is required to buy liquor in Ajman and UAQ (transporting them back home is a whole other issue).<br /><br />As far as I've been able to see, the only reason the 'no drinking without a license' law even exists is so they have a good reason to slap a charge on someone who is being a jerk (rightfully so) even if that person hasn't actually broken any 'real' laws.Ramihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11961779333573843463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-25760927898653807722010-01-13T17:22:50.885+04:002010-01-13T17:22:50.885+04:00I wish gulf news or the newsspapers put things the...I wish gulf news or the newsspapers put things the way you do, well one day maybe.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-30371827093465439972010-01-13T16:55:06.682+04:002010-01-13T16:55:06.682+04:00I agree that the law and police methodology is cle...I agree that the law and police methodology is clear. However, both are utterly reprehensible. If you are not going to enforce a law, then such a law should not exist, end of story. The purpose of law is to remove discretionary/arbitrary action of the state. The present enforcement methodology is wholly arbitrary, and obviates the legal system. Is one judged in the supposed afterlife based on whether or not one kept one's head down? Of course not. Enforce the laws and throw out the tourists, or welcome the tourists and throw out the laws. In the mean time, how about legal immunity for the victims of rape?eric blairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00792656103149724140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-71140681180811363452010-01-13T16:37:36.614+04:002010-01-13T16:37:36.614+04:00Rami I agree with you. Compassion should be the or...<b>Rami</b> I agree with you. Compassion should be the order of the day and the police were heavy-handed in not turning the usual blind eye to the couple in this case. To treat a woman in her position this way is, to me, completely unacceptable.<br /><br />(I wasn't commenting on the case, I was just clarifying incorrect stories and pointing out the way the laws are handled here).<br /><br /><b>Anon@4.20</b>, I disagree. The law is perfectly clear.Seabeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06939892206726271433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-75795569599404797702010-01-13T16:20:37.308+04:002010-01-13T16:20:37.308+04:00I'm a regular reader of your blog, but here I ...I'm a regular reader of your blog, but here I have to disagree with your simplistic view.<br />Problem is, what is the law exactly? I've been here a while and I still don't get it. Nobody can drink alcohol without a licence, really? Does this include tourists on a temporary visa -they NEVER have a licence, do they?<br />If the law is that stringent, then how come every bar or restaurant serving alcohol does not remind people on its menus or entrance that "alcohol is available only to people with adequate licence"? (In my home country there is by law such a such a sign in every bar serving alcohol: "alcohol is forbidden to patrons younger than 16")<br />What about my wife? I have a license, but she doesn't - and as she does not work I don't even know how she could get one. Does this mean that I can buy and drink alcohol, but that she should not?<br />Now, if Dubai and Abou Dhabi are serious about developping their tourism, how come they have not legalised the current practice (that is: OK to drink for non-muslims, both tourists and residents. Interdiction to drive with alcohol or to be drunk in a public place). Instead, they are forcing so many people to act in this grey zone of "illegal but tolerated as long as nothing special happens".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21258644.post-88912645523106789172010-01-13T15:58:55.995+04:002010-01-13T15:58:55.995+04:00I don't disagree with you that the law is clea...I don't disagree with you that the law is clear on these things.. but surely some amount of compassion is called for here?<br /><br />This reminds me of that case in Saudi a while back where a woman was gang-raped by 8 men.. and then sentenced to lashes for being in a car with an unrelated male beforehand.<br /><br />I mean, if the point of putting someone on trial for a morality crime (such as sex/alcohol) is to punish them, you'd imagine that the person being <i>raped</i> could be a severe enough punishment.<br /><br />This woman is going to need enough therapy without the incoming trial and possible jail time.Ramihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11961779333573843463noreply@blogger.com