Job Discussion Forums

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 12:06 am Post subject:

...well, John...at least that's better than "piddlin' in my ear and tellin' me that it's rainin' outside"! Shocked

And, yes, I picked it out of my saudi students' work as well... Laughing

NCTBA

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

So... you are confessing to plagiarism... tsk tsk...

VS

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:53 am Post subject:

Ohhh...! I been "punked"!

NCTBA

Afra · Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Posts: 389

Dear John,

Gearing up for next month you mean?

Afra

johnslat · Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:19 pm Post subject:

Dear Afra,
Well, as with the jewelry "dress code", the proscriptions against eating, drinking, etc. during Ramadan theoretically apply ONLY to Muslims, but woe betide the non-Muslim seen eating, drinking, etc. between sunrise and sunset during that month.
Regards,
John

anaxiforminges · Joined: 15 Apr 2009 Posts: 136 Location: UAE

Afra · Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Posts: 389

I don't really think this has anything to do with Ramadan.
The last time they got really heavy about the decency laws in Sharjah, I think 2001/2, the police stopped women who were driving to and from University City to give them leaflets about 'appropriate behaviour', Indian women who wore saris were told that their national dress was not suitable, and the management of various academic institutions told teachers that they must not share cars to work or socialise with the opposite sex unless married to the person they were with. As a result, people with no 'inappropriate' agenda were imprisoned and deported and many teachers found reasons to move to Dubai.

johnslat · Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 7:36 pm Post subject:

Dear Afra,

I give up - similes don't seem to make any impression.

Regards,
John

Afra · Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Posts: 389

Dear John,
Well, I'm confused.; similes usually have 'like' or 'the same as'. But then, I'm here and you're there so we may have a problem. However, I was here when Sharjah invoked the laws last time. It wasn't pleasant.
Regards,
Afra

johnslat · Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 8:11 pm Post subject:

Dear Afra,

Here's my "as"

"Well, as with the jewelry "dress code", the proscriptions against eating, drinking, etc . . ."

and here's my "like"

Kind of like the "Ramadan experience."

I really don't see what "I'm here and you're there" have to do with it. I experienced twenty Ramadans in Saudi.
The point I was trying to make is that, as in Ramadan, restrictions that are to be adhered to ONLY by Muslims (as the jewelry restrictions) actually affect non-Muslims as well.
I believe that I am, in fact, agreeing with you:

"Two of the people mentioned in the article probably aren't Muslim, Mr Varghese and the Mexican teenager. But aside from that, the jewellery problem, which might not affect too many teachers, is part of the larger issue of 'appropriate behaviour' which affects everyone. The decency laws cover all sorts of other areas of dress and behaviour."

Regards,
John

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Hey Afra... did they seem to be targeting specific nationalities? Or just certain ones? I know how they can be when they get on one of these binges. One year in Oman - which rarely over reacts to things like this - got on a thing about T-shirts with things written on them. (started from something political and I think about Saddam if my memory doesn't fail me... this was very early 90s) There was an article in the Arabic press, but not the English press, that they were now banned.

For about two weeks, they were snatching people off to jail... some families went to jail because their children were wearing Mickey Mouse tee-shirts. In this case, most of these were Westerners... women and kids. This is when someone very high up (the Sultan?) stepped in and enforcement disappeared.

Oddly, the stores never stopped selling them. Rather like the Sharjah souk and its acres of gold jewelry. Never a dull moment, eh Afra?

VS

helenl · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 1202

I too was in Sharjah when the first brochures were distributed. It was in direct consequence of 9/11 (in fact within 60 days) setting out all the clothing etc. directives.

While sarees were specifically mentioned (although it seems only because they could be directly pointed to as a dress that allowed bare midriffs) there was no mention of gold/silver/jewellry at all in the original publications.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

I have to say that I always surprised that they allowed Saris to be worn. I started in Oman in the late 80s and it was very conservative. Many of the students had never met a Westerner until they got to the university. The dress code was not in writing, but understood to be modest... except for Ramadhan when they asked us to all wear long sleeves, men and women (and not wear flip-flops...).

Yet, we had Indian female science teachers in Saris with bare midriffs, and nothing was said.

VS

Afra · Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Posts: 389

Dear John,

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you have no experience of the Gulf, I've read your posts. I only meant that I'm here, can see what's happening and I read the local papers. It seems that throughout the UAE there is a move to a more conservative stance and if this is so one would expect Sharjah to be in the forefront - perhaps, there has been another injection of cash from Saudi Arabia.
Dubai has recently issued directives regarding t-shirts but not Mickey Mouse-type. Inappropriate slogans and semi-nude graphics have been targeted.

Regards,
Afra

anaxiforminges · Joined: 15 Apr 2009 Posts: 136 Location: UAE