Job Discussion Forums

[uaeobserver]

In my experience, the UAE doesn't ban many books.

I have a friend that had books confiscated, once. But that's because he had 20 copies of the book (making his intentions somewhat clear).

Even then --- all they did was confiscate the books, and send him on his way. They didn't even take his passport.

[15yearsinQ8]

if a book is banned in schools, it's NOT automatic it will be banned from sale in a bookshop
go figure!

[veralynn]

When I came here 9 years ago I was paranoid about what books to bring and so anything with the vaguest of sex scenes I left behind - even Tess of the D'Urbervilles!! Then, when I got here I bought a Fay Weldon book that had some kind of classical nude picture on the front that had undergone the black marker pen treatment. But my god if 'they' had actually read the book they would have been far more concerned about the content than they were about the cover!

[redeyes]

uaeobserver wrote --


"I have a friend that had books confiscated, once. But that's because he had 20 copies of the book (making his intentions somewhat clear)."

That sounds uncomfortably like he was hoping to proselytise. Not a good idea I'd have thought.

[lyndalorient]

Never mind books. I was amazed at what they allowed on signs.
Outside Choueifat school, there is a big sign in red stating "GULF ERECTION" much to the amusement of English speaking staff. I could think of a better name for a construction company.

I love it when they misuse English in the UAE. Its common to see signs proclaiming "Mo'hd Al Gadfri .... Food stuff shop" or "Nice burger shop" LOL. Its like they think of the names in under 2 seconds and post them on signs without checking are they correct.

[fof]

I would like to bring an "Adam and Eve" style painting..showing the usual amount of flesh that Adam and Eve paintings do. Bad idea?

[redeyes]

fof, I used to work as an art/s journalist in Europe, and I have loads of art books, classical and modern, and I was planning on bringing them to UAE too.

However, quite a few of the books have pictures I feel some concern about -- they are not taboo images at all in a Western context, but perhaps they are within a Gulf context.

Maybe I will just ship them back to Europe before heading to UAE.


Does anyone have experience of art images shocking local customs people?


PS Fof, just speculating here , but Adam and Eve might be particularly upsetting to some Muslims because of their place in the Koran? Just a thought -- I remember when teaching in England, on a number of occasions taking Muslim students on a tour of Oxford University, and how distasteful some of them found the stained glass images of the Prophets and the other stone image depictions of Biblical/Torah ( and thus Koranic) stories.

Still, I don't know if that is a common reaction -- maybe just a Wahhabi reaction?

I don't know.

Advice anyone?

[adorabilly]

Hey RE.

I play roleplaying games (D&D, Rifts, and others). For this last christmas my wife ordered me a "grab bag" of role playing games. We didn't think anything of it.

Well 2 weeks after ordering we get a phone call from the post office saying you have a box.

We were busy, so we went down the next day. When I get there and try to pick up the box, they can't find it.

The ladies at the post office asked me if I knew what was in it and I told them a box of books that are make believe. Hero's fighting monsters. EVERYONE in the office gasped. "Oh... the books with demons in them. They were so scary and frightening" (I can only think that they all looked the books over trying to figure them out)

(at that moment I thought, "oh $hiT") They told me the books appeared to have demons and monsters and they didn't know what to do about them. So they sent them to the "ministry" to determine if they were appropriated.

After a week, I got a phone call from the "ministry" and they told me to come and pick up my books, they were fully acceptable.

So I really do believe the only things you have to worry about are things like porn... (and I do not believe older western art would be considered porn especially if it is in a book of ART)

[mishmumkin]

I'm going to curse myself here, but of all the times I've entered the UAE I've never had my bags search. There. I've done it. Now they'll do it next time for sure. I've taken loads of books and DVDs in. I suggest packing what you can; use up that shipping allowance.

[veiledsentiments]

I agree with MM. It is luck of the draw whether anyone looks or if they confiscate. I would say that if you have books that you value that you know may cause problems 'if' they look, don't take them.

VS

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

[caliph]

One if the largest builders of NY skyscrapers is called something like:

"Smith & Jones Erections"

[mandalayroad]

Oh, jeez... I was thinking of taking some of my old AD&D books and Grenadier miniature sets to teach my young sons to play in a couple years.

On a side note: do US region DVDs play in DVD players bought in the UAE? Will US bought DVDs play in UAE classroom players?

[adorabilly]

Hey Mandalay..

yes the do. so far region encoding hasn't been a problem for us. (and we have stuff from the US, Japan, and even legitimate Chinese dvds (which is saying something for the amount of work that went into finding "legit" DVD's). No issues or problems.

[uaeobserver]