Job Discussion Forums

[redeyes]

I have just briefly read a post on the Saudi board written by a guy worried about what books he will, and won�t be able to take into Saudi. (He expressed worry because some of the EFL materials he has, feature such lewd scenes as women errr�.uuurrmmm�. sitting in bikinis under palm trees�.. But that�s Saudi for you. Enough said.)

So � I know very well that UAE sure ain�t as repressive as Saudi, but do I still need to take extra special care what books I bring in with me?

Don�t get me wrong -- I am not some naive, culturally ignorant moron, planning on bringing in risqu� materials or provocative radical texts � but I wonder if sensitivities extend to much wider areas than the obvious �no no�s� ? For example, I enjoy reading books on European archaeology, some of which inevitably discuss, for example, things like Paganism in ancient Britain, and I also like art, and am now worried that some of those books too, might offend the border guards� sensitivities.

Any comment? Should I think carefully about the books I am sending, and what does UAE consider allowable? Again, I emphasize, I am not by any means some idiot intending to bring in obviously provocative books of any radical/religious/sexual kind � but I�d still like to know how sensitive border controls are.

( I have lived in Muslim cultures for years,and mixed with Muslims closely for about fifteen years, so I am not at all naive about what's offensive in Islam -- but I have never lived in the Gulf/ME, and am therefore unaware on these points.)

Thanks.

Redeyes.

[George R Stewart]

I was stopped at Abu Dhabi airport in January. My bag had been marked with chalk and a kind man asked me to open it. He said, 'show me this'. I opened it and showed him my 19th Shakespeare volumes. He loved them and so do I. Oh, I bought "God is Not Great" in Virgin Dubai. Oriana Fallaci is on sale at Book Corner in Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi. Some photography books have little (depends on the model) pieces of white tape stuck over 'rude' bits. If you have long fingernails, or a razor, you can usually peel them off.

Stuff on paganism can just be bumped into the 'pre Islamic' section. There's a good archeology museum in Al Ain that has some interesting labelling. Abu Dhabi has a great natural history group that often has archeologists talking about recent discoveries.

Books won't bring you drama, unless they are full of pictures you wouldn't want anyone but yourself to see. You are more likely to get done for a poppy seed on the bottom of your shoe. Look under legal issues on the following site.


http://archive.gulfnews.com/uaessentials/residentsguide/index.html

[lall]

Be careful about bringing in poppy seeds. Poppy seeds (known as "khus-khus") are commonly used in the Indian sub-continent, to flavour foods, by all communities including Muslims. Dried poppy seeds are freely available and even a ten-year-old can go out and buy them. There is absolutely no stigma or illegality attached to its use, there.

But, I believe it is a strict no-no in the UAE after they have put in new drug-detecting measures in place.

I read about it on the Web and was cautioned about the same by my relatives during a recent visit to Dubai.

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

Yeah, re., they draw the line at nudity (even if its "artsy-fartsy") so you're pretty good to go with anything else. I would, however, leave my Salman Rushdie collection at home.

NCTBA

[redeyes]

Thanks for everyone's responses. Interesting points.

George R Stewart wrote --

" Oh, I bought "God is Not Great" in Virgin Dubai. Oriana Fallaci is on sale at Book Corner in Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi"

Wow -- irrespective of people's opinions of those particular writers, the fact that those books are available is comforting to know, because it means the authorities iN UAE clearly aren't that repressive. I am very surprised indeed that those authors/books aren't banned/considered heretical. Isn't Fallaci considered an Islamophobe? The other text is by Hitchens isn't it, and he is notoriously neo con and all that implies.


I sometimes wonder if some bookstores simply order books without knowing their content -- I have worked in some fairly straight laced, conservative countries where quite shocking books could be bought in bookshops. I concluded the stores simply didn't know that some of their stock was subversive, even by Western standards.

[George R Stewart]

We have "The Moor's Last Sigh", "Earth Girls are Easy" (vid) and assorted other lovelies that would titillate many senses.

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

[lall]

[redeyes]

NCTBA -- damn, it's time to go and unpack that Salman Rushdie book!


Thanks for the heads up via the PM's by the way -- always appreciated.

Best,

RE

[uaeobserver]

The local McGrudy's bookstore had all kinds of interesting book titles.

It's hard to be selective when the staff can't read half of what's on the shelves.

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

[Bklyngrl]

I used to order books and DVDs from Amazon (shipped from Germany). Even with express shipping the prices were cheaper than what we could buy in Dubai. Also, we never had anything stopped/confiscated by the censors. We thought they might not have had a DVD player because some questionable films got through, like American Psycho.

As for other books, etc. I'd just try bringing them through with you. If they take them, they do.

[Iamherebecause]

Books which were apparently officially banned when I came here a few years ago are now readily available for those who want to read them - e.g. those titles about life for women in KSA (Princess etc).

[mishmumkin]

[sowsan]

No books should be banned

http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/05/04/01/158800.html

Or burned!

http://archive.gulfnews.com/nation/Education/10215942.html

And that about sums it up.