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helenl · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 1202

an unmarried British couple have been arrested, passports held and face up to 6 years in jail.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2799483/Dubai-waiter-rapes-British-girl-then-SHE-and-fiance-are-held-for-illegal-sex.html

As an aside, I understand the Sun is a UK tabloid newspaper? I looked at the Gulf News website today and so far nothing on this incident.

While I sympathize with this woman whole heartedly - when will people learn that the laws are applied regardless of even such extenuating circumstances?

I sincerely believe that they will probably get a hearing and almost immediately deported (no jail time) - but in the meantime, this poor woman (and her boyfriend) - already traumatized, has to undergo more trauma. Unfortunately, by trying to do the right thing (and to have the rapist arrested and punished) - they've suffered the same fate because of geography.

Sheikh N Bake · Joined: 26 Apr 2007 Posts: 1307 Location: Dis ting of ours

Dubai wants to be Singapore but will never attain that.

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

Oh dear, but the article says that she is Muslim. And if the boyfriend is not, there is another detail that will count against this disappearing quietly. I have to say that I think she was old enough to know that this could be a problem... even if she grew up in the UK. I'll never understand why people don't stop to think.

VS

USAMATHMAN · Joined: 01 Oct 2009 Posts: 72

I have heard that there are no problems with a UAE Male marrying a non- emirati female, but the only way for a Emirati female to marry a non-emirati male is for the male to convert to a muslim. Is this true??

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

This is an Islamic rule, not just the Emirates. A Muslim man can marry a non-Muslim woman because the children belong to the father and his religion. That is why a Muslim woman can't marry a non-Muslim. It is a loss of both the woman and her children by their interpretation.

Through the years, I have encountered a number of men who married Muslim women, and with the exception of one, they had all officially converted.

VS

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I have absolutely no sympathy for them.

Neil McBeath · Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Posts: 277 Location: Saudi Arabia

Heleni,

This one is likely to be huge.

The story has been picked up by The Guardian newspaper in Britain, which means that the broadsheets will now follow suit. It also has all the sun. sea. sex and nasty foreigner elements which help a good story along.

You are right about The Sun. It is a sensationalist tabloid that has no coherent editorial policy and which caters to a public who have a reading age of about eight.

littleoldlady · Joined: 06 Apr 2009 Posts: 286 Location: knitting heaven

Neil, let's face it. The Sun is a Comic. In fact, that's an insult to the Dandy Laughing

helenl · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 1202

If it does become huge - that doesn't bode well for a quick resolution. UAE doesn't like meddling in what is quite rightly, internal legal affairs - and if they are pressured (by public opinion or otherwise) they tend to dig in their heels, at least for the short term.

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

I found it picked up on various US news collection sites like Google and even Huffington Post. One of the other articles that I skimmed said that the couple had been released from jail, but their passports were being held.

VS