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[redafiya]

This is a brief query re. "blowback" from the Iraq war -- In England ( where I am currently ) there is very powerful and rising tension between the Muslim communities and the indigineous white/christian/asian hindu/jamaican UK residents....and yes, it was heating up for a few years before the Islamic suicide bombers hit the London subways....

So my query is -- if relations here in UK are burning up, tense due to Tony Blair's support of the war on Iraq, and his percieved "anti Islamic" crusade -- how is it in specifically, UAE, Dubai and Bahrain? ( Note, I am asking about these locations specifically, becuase they have long been namechecked as being peaceful and moderate and free from anti western rhetoric -- I am fully aware of the anti western attacks in Saudi compounds, Qatar theatres etc, so i wonder if its spread.... )

Thanks very much for your insights/comments/advice. Personally, I was against the bombing of Iraq and have known Muslims as students and friends for around 20 years,and enjoyed their friendsdhip..... and whilst I certainly do not condone the Islamic violent response -- I do understand it. It's hard for me to imagine that UAE/Bahrain/Dubai would be totally safe and free from anti western attacks in the present political climate -- but i dont know. Please advise.

Redafiya.

[veiledsentiments]

well, the obvious answer (to the same question on three different sections) is that the Gulf is not the UK. Fortunately the residents of the Gulf mostly understand that we have as little control of our governments actions as they do of theirs.

There is always a chance of something happening... same as in Europe or North America. Personally of the three I would generally feel safest in the Gulf. But everyone has their own 'worry' threshold. You would have to make that choice on your own whenever you come to that point.

VS

[dmb]

I only ever experienced anti western feeling once. During the Gulf war(in Qatar) I stopped a taxi. The driver asked me where I was from. I answered Scotland. He was none the the wiser and asked where it was. I Then stupidily said the E word and told him it was next to England. He cursed me then drove off.
The kids I was teaching were always saying how much they hated Bush and Blair and how stupid they are. Agree with them and you'll be ok.(and you won't even have to lie)

[Bindair Dundat]

[dmb]

Did they ever find out who planted the bomb? It was a perfomance by the doha players, and could have been planted by other expats

[redafiya]

Bindair wrote : //I think you are either a rabble-rouser or less than "fully aware". ///

What an odd response -- has it occured to you that besides the above, it is possible there may be other explanations for such an enquiry, like perhaps, I may be a married man with a kid on the way who is trying to ascertain the mood of a place before I move there?

It seems to me a very reasonable query to make before packing ones bags and planning the next two/three years of ones life with a wife and kid to be responsible for. As I said,due to Bush/Blair's bombing of Iraq, white/Christian/Muslim/Sikh/Hindu relationships are very volatile in UK right now. If they are volatile here, it is not reasonable -- and indeed, responsible -- to query the conditions in the middle east for teflers on the ground? I would say its common sense.

To the others that replied in a constructive way with your experiences, thank you very much. I look forward to more.

I have no other agenda for making this post other than wishing to take care of my wife and child in a new environment, and therefore want to know the mood on the street -- specificially in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Dubai -- What on earth would be the point of "rabble rousing" on daves esl board? I fi wanted to do that, there are numerous political boards to post on. Not for me thanks.

( I think these "pre move" questions are very important in EFL. Let me give you an example. I worked in Korea before. There was a fellow teacher who was openly, flamboyently gay. He had been in Burma before, where apparently according to him -- this had been no problem, no taboo whatsoever, and he had thrived, had a boyfriend, rich nightlife etc -- he moved to Korea, without making prior enquriies, thinking Korea would hold the same "live and let live" attitudes to gays as they did in Bangkok and Rangoon and some parts of Indonesia -- He didn't know Koreans are extremely conservative people, who have no space whatsoever for gays in their society -- as a result, he was beaten up in clubs, in the street, and had to leave a highly paid, professional efl job becuase the students and local Korean staff were utterly gobsmacked to have an out of the closet gay teacher in their midst.

Now, I would say pre move questions are VERY important -- and not "rabble rousing" . Alright with you now Bindair? )

Again, to the other posters in this thread -- thanks for your advice and insight -- to be frank, I am hoping for optimistic replies since the places I listed are the planned destination for my Korean wife , child on the way, and myself ( I am English ).

But just tell the truth about how it is. I thank you all for your responses.

[scot47]

Personally I do not care what is happening in England. Even when I lived in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland I was not gretaly enamoured of that portion of Her Majesty's Realms - or of its inhabitants !

[dmb]

totally off topic.(sorry)

Just read Scot's location.
why is the middle east called the middle east?
middle of what?
East of what?
where is the middle west?

[redafiya]

Scott wrote //Personally I do not care what is happening in England. Even when I lived in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland I was not gretaly enamoured of that portion of Her Majesty's Realms - or of its inhabitants !///

Well Scott, whilst I don't totally agree with you, I certainly do partially, and as someone who has travelled my whole life, I definitly sympathize with your sentiments!

I know you as someone who is very knowledgable about "life on the ground" for efl teachers in the Middle East ( you kindly advised me in some depth via off board email about four years ago ) so any advice and insight appreciated. As I said, I need to know so I can feel comfortable bringing my wife and kid to live for three years. ( If it was just me going it alone, I know I would just jump in and sort it out -- I have done that so many times before, but now, since I am responsible for two others, I can't do that anymore )

[QatarChic]

Redafiya

Would you not consider Qatar? It's very safe and there are lots of expats living out here too- including many with young families. I know that the theatre was bombed earlier this year. But I can assure you that there is lots of security here- in fact I feel safer here than I do in the UK!

If you need any info feel free to PM me.

Good luck wherever you go

[scot47]

Well I ran away from Saudi last year after the events in Oasis Compound in Khobar (25 people were murdered).

I came back but my family are not here. You have to make your own decision.

[dmb]

[veiledsentiments]

Redafiya,

Don't let BD get to you... he is often mean to newbies. Actually it is that this question tends to come up so often - and then, like you, people put it on a number of boards. Perhaps Dave, like Lonely Planet, should start an 'Is it safe?' section. That way regular posters would not get so tired of answering the same question over and over and over.

Especially with the current political situation...

[moonraven]

I am going to invoke the S word: If you behave like a stereotypical Westerner--at least one from the UK or the US, you are probably bound to stir up animosities in most places on the planet.

People are people--if you relate to them on a one to one basis. I went to lunch today with a really sharp teacher from here (Bahrain), and we talked politics much of the time. She is very much against the Iraq and Afghanistan invasions, but says she is not anti-American, for example (she took her PhD from a US university), and that it depends on the person's behavior. She indicated, however, that she was not interested in meeting George W. Bush....

[Cleopatra]