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15yearsinQ8 · Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Posts: 462 Location: kuwait

British Couple Appeals Dubai Kissing Conviction
Sunday, March 14, 2010

Print ShareThisDUBAI, United Arab Emirates � A British couple is appealing a jail sentence after being accused of sharing a passionate kiss in a Dubai restaurant.

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Personally, I'm shocked - I didn't know the Brits could kiss, passionately.

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

I'm shocked--shocked to find that there is kissing going on in the Middle East.

Oh--Hi Khadija, here's your A grade. Mwah.

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

... between opposite sexes you mean...

VS

uaeobserver · Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 236

Dubai continues on its path as the moral model of the UAE.

The defendant has lived in the UAE 16 months. That's long enough to know what gets you in trouble (at least, one would assume).
I'd bet a dihram there's a story behind the story.

a) The name male defendent is Persian (at least he has a Persian name)
b) He is an expatriate worker from the UK
c) I suspect the female defendent has much fairer skin than the male defendent.

The complaint was in Jumeirah - where plenty of interesting activity occurs.

harrykylee · Joined: 15 Jan 2010 Posts: 15

This is shocking! Hopefully common sense prevails and their sentences are overturned on appeal!

helenl · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 1202

Have you worked in the GCC before? The shoe's on the other foot, this couple should have known better. They'll probably not get any jail time but they will be deported (mostly for consuming alcohol without a license).

PDAs are not appreciated by some locals and police will act on complaints. End of story. These types of arrests don't happen as often as the PDAs do (especially in Dubai) - but police act on complaints.

homeless vet · Joined: 01 Apr 2009 Posts: 80

Given the alcohol charge, we should presume that the defendants are Muslims. The complaining witness (Emirati bitty who had her children out at 2am, what a good mom) gave bad contact info, so she wasn't even present to testify at the trial and be cross-examined, and yet these two were convicted, based on two prior written conflicting statements of the absent witness - and blood tests showing they had alcohol in their system at the time of arrest.

helenl · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 1202

and the results of the blood test was probably the weighty factor in any conviction. You have to have a license to consume alcohol anywhere in the UAE including hotels (technically).

I agree the mother leaves lots to be desired as a responsible parent, but she filed an official complaint, the police will act and the result is pretty predictable.

harrykylee · Joined: 15 Jan 2010 Posts: 15

helenl, I guess it is quite evident that I have not worked in any of the GCC countries. But I am actively looking for education faculty positions in colleges and universities.

helenl · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 1202

I think only one of the defendants is muslim - and you don't have to be muslim to be charged with drinking alcholol and being out in public. The rules are strict, if not always enforced. As I said, if the police get a complaint, they act and you can and will be charged.

Harry, I didn't mean to be terse, but if you want to live and work in the GCC you have to be aware of the cultural and societal norms here and what can happen if a complaint is made against you or a colleague.

I've lived through a colleague being arrested, jailed, "tested" for adultery, fined and deported - the lashes were deferred. It was a very unhappy time (especially for him) but it affected everyone's morale/attitude. I also know 2 people who were arrested for having drunk alcohol (in one case, 1 beer 3 hours previously - the blood test came back positive), jailed for 6 - 8 weeks and one was deported (the other's employer went to bat for him because he was irreplaceable at the time)

All of these people were white western christians (and looked it)

Caution is always your best bet in any situation.

harrykylee · Joined: 15 Jan 2010 Posts: 15

helenl, you have been forthcoming and most helpful in your comments, thank you so much. I reckon it will take more than a fair bit of adjusting to live and work in another culture. These forums are a treasure trove of lived experience and information.

crocus · Joined: 01 Feb 2004 Posts: 79

Remember, too, that a simple question posed in class that is understood by your low-level-English students to mean something else entirely, can lead to your contract being terminated or not renewed. I'm sure many of us have had colleagues who have fallen foul of that particular pothole in the road.

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:54 pm Post subject:

Especially, when "Foundations" student's aural interpretation is taken as gospel.

However, I must say, my experience is that the system's investigation was positive in my instance.

NCTBA

Pikgitina · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 420 Location: KSA

And the latest:

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100317/NATIONAL/703169807/1133

Shocked

helenl · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 1202

Like I said, this sort of stuff happens all the time - it becomes an issue when someone files an official complaint.

It's the Dirty Harry factor - you feelin' lucky, punk? Proceed at your own risk, but inform yourself as to the possible consequences - I get tired of those who say "but, but, but," - that's the Porky Pig defence - which is haram