Job Discussion Forums

[johnslat]

Hmm, reminds me a bit of Bill Clinton: define "sex."

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - A British couple was sentenced to three months in jail Thursday in a case that has caused controversy in this Gulf boom town because the two were charged with having sex on the beach.
The judge did not provide any details about his verdict as is customary in Dubai, so it is unclear whether Michelle Palmer and Vince Acors were found guilty of engaging in intercourse, or some lesser offense.

The two Britons, who are both in their 30s and met at an all-you-can-drink champagne brunch before the alleged incident occurred, were arrested in July and later charged with sex outside of marriage, public indecency and drunkenness.

In addition to the three month jail sentence, Judge Hamdi Mustafa Abu el-Khair levied the equivalent of about a $270 fine against each of the defendants and ordered them to be deported from Dubai after serving their prison time.

"I will appeal (the verdict) and ask a judge to look at the medical report that says they did not have sex," their lawyer, Hassan Matter, told the Associated Press after Thursday's ruling.

Both previously admitted they were drunk but denied having sex. The two were not in the courtroom Thursday to hear the judge's verdict, and it was unclear if they would remain out of prison while their lawyer appealed the case.

Matter said he will submit his appeal after the judge issues a formal explanation of his verdict, which the lawyer expects in a week to 10 days. The defense has to file an appeal within 15 days.

"I think the judge gave a small punishment for a kiss, not sex on the beach," said Matter.

The couple could have received two years in prison if convicted of all charges.

Public displays of affection are illegal in Dubai � a city that has worked hard to cultivate an image as a haven for Western tourists and businesses in the Middle East but has a conservative legal code based on Islamic laws and tribal rules.




http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081016/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_dubai_sex_on_beach

[veiledsentiments]

I'm sure that I have told this story before, but I will repeat it since it is apropos here for new readers. Early in my career in the Gulf, I was asked to give private TOEFL lessons to a man who had a second job being the censor of Oman TV. This was before satellite dishes were allowed. I had been watching The Cosby Show, our half hour of English programming for the night, before one of our lessons. It was a segment where one of the daughters had sneaked out on a date with a boy and they were kissing and talking in a car. Naturally this meant that chunks of the scene were cut. But, at the end, Bill Cosby and his wife were discussing the situation in their living room and when they kissed and cuddled, it too was cut. You could tell from the lost dialogue - AND - the scene was in the credit showing the kiss.

The next afternoon I was curious so I asked the censor. I said that I could understand the cut with the young couple as their activity was obviously culturally unacceptable, but since the parents were married, why was their rather innocent affectionate kiss cut too? He appeared as surprised at my question as I was about the cuts. He said something to the effect that he would never allow his kids to see him kiss his wife... kissing is for the bedroom and privacy.

The kicker here is that unlike in the West, they do NOT separate kissing from intercourse. Under the law, they are equal offenses. Every tourist needs to get this fact in writing when they arrive. This is exactly where this couple got caught if they were not actually having intercourse as they claim.

VS
(PS: This fellow had a great sense of humor and when I pointed out that the kiss was in the credits, he just laughed and said that was OK because no one watches that part of the show - except me.)

[redeyes]

Very interesting post VS, with essential cultural info.

[007]

Silly girl!
She should have kissed her friend in a tent or at her flat, instead in a public area!
I think she deserves the punishment, because she was warned by the policeman, but she was drunk, she ignored him, insulted him, and waved her shoe in his face!!
Of course, if I were the policeman, I will take her to the black box without hesitation. If you are in country, you should respect its culture and laws, it is as simple as that!

[redeyes]

[johnslat]

Dear 007,
But not for too many, I'd wager. Citizens of the UAE and other Gulf States, have, I'm pretty sure, libidos that aren't much, if any, different from ours in the decadent West.
Regards,
John

[Stephen Jones]

Frankly they deserve it. The policeman had come along and told them to stop and go home. They ignored him which is why they got arrested when he came back a few minutes later.

[MrScaramanga]

There is a rather disturbing double standard going on in Dubai.

On the one hand, it is a place that advertises itself throughout the world (and even locally) as an ideal tourist/good life destination: the pictures invariably show a western family/couple at the beach, wining and dining at beautiful locales. Hence the message received is that Dubai is much more "liberal" than other Gulf destinations.

On the other hand - and this is the part that is definitely not advertised in Europe or elsewhere - the reality is that it is a conservative Muslim state under Shariah law. I am almost surprised that the man got punished at all, in fact.

Although I understand and personally try to be respectful of the local UAE culture, I can't help but feel sympathy for this couple.

MrS

[redeyes]

Scaramanga, same point here -- http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=66169

but to be honest, I don't really feel that sorry for the beach couple -- they'd both lived in UAE for a while, and they should have known the score IMHO. However, I felt very sorry for the Rastaman ( easy target? ) who had a sugar grain sized fragment of Marijuana ON HIS SHOE SOLE -- and was sentenced to four years of which he served four months.

That's obscene in my book.

[007]

[redeyes]

007, I don't feel even vaguely sorry for any fool who knowingly imports drugs into any country, UAE or any other place. No sympathy. However, the poor guy in the BBC links had the ganja on the BOTTOM of his shoe,NOT inside his shoe, which means he most likely stood on it when walking, as could happen to any of us. And it was the size of a GRAIN OF SUGAR.

So my point is -- how could UAE possibly prove possesion of a drug? It was a grain on the bottom of his shoe.

Also, I can't believe that you compare someone being caught with Marijuana in their stomach -- to someone found with a speck of ganja on the bottom of their shoe! Drugs in the stomach prove either use of substances, or intent to smuggle, both illegal actions -- a speck of ganja on the bottom of the shoe however, proves nothing at all,no sign of personal use,and no sign of intent to smuggle whatsoever.

Now, how would you feel if your son/daughter stepped on a grain of ganja -- and the same happened to them at customs?

You wouldn't be so quick to condemn then, would you?

[veiledsentiments]

One point redeyes... only the woman was living in the UAE and consequently should have known better. The man was a tourist.

As to the marijuana on the sole of the shoe tale... I suspect that we are not getting the whole story. What led them to check? It is not as though they check the sole of every shoe that passes through their airport.

But, IMHO, US marijuana laws are danged near as irrational. You can get a lesser sentence for murder in many states than possessing less than an ounce.

VS

[Stephen Jones]

[veiledsentiments]

[redeyes]

Yes, VS you are right -- I have just re read the press, and one was indeed, a tourist, which as you say, does shed a different light on affairs. Even so, I feel significantly less sympathy for them than the speck of Ganja man.