It has nothing to do with Muslims, any religion would be just as backwards and oppressive if they were ever allowed free reign. Muslim countries aren’t this way because they are muslim, they are this way because conservatives are winning.
Actually a great many Westerners in such a country do not live in the culture of that country; instead they live in a Westernized ghetto.
F that. Dubai is one of the bigger centers of business in the world, and anyone involved in international business is going to cross paths with Dubai eventually. Telling women never to go there is pretty crippling in some industries, and not at all an acceptable technique for dealing with people who use rape to terrorize women.
This is what should be happening- call them out publicly for their backward policies, and out the pressure of the world on them. That is better than telling women to let them win.
I have doubts about the accuracy of the info in the piece you cite.
For example, on page 4 of the linked article, one finds:
That can’t possibly be true. I hope.
“What’s this? Lipitor?!! Twelve lashes for you, infidel!! But, wait! What’s this? There is more!?! Aspirin?!! You dare to insult us with aspirin? Twenty-fo . . , no, thirty! Yes, thirty lashes for you, you, infidel son of a dog!”
Can you give some modern examples?
Islam and Islamic countries are where Christianity was hundreds of years ago, and where Judaism was a couple thousand years ago.
But these days, it’s pretty much only the Muslims, I’d say, and nearly all of the policies are based on Islam. It’s not like they just happen to be Muslims but thought up the nuttiness of how to govern without basing it on Islam.
The ones who are winning are conservative, alright. Conservative Muslims. And there are gobs of them. Which is why they are winning in those Muslim majority countries. Something like 20% of Muslims think suicide attacks directed against innocent people are justified. You won’t find those kinds of insane numbers with any other large scale religion.
Nonsense.
Any religion? Cite?
And please provide any kind of a cite that ‘conservatives’ are winning as opposed to this is the way the society works.
How about the regimes in very Christian places like Uganda and some of its neighbors?
As for the second point, it wasn’t that long ago that even Afghanistan had a government that was forcefully trying (and succeeding) in improving women’s rights, and even toyed with state atheism. That did not end well, partially thanks to some geniuses in the Carter administration.
Look at the changes in Turkish, Egyptian, Palestinian, and for that matter Israeli politics in recent years. Israel’s Jewish far right don’t behave much differently than these creeps in Dubai. Look at the clashes between Haredi communities in the diaspora and their neighbors, often over women’s issues.
This report is a little different.
She is quoted as saying she had been drinking with colleagues, asked (or agreed) to someone walking her back to her room, ended up in the mans room (not her own), and the next thing she remembers is waking up while being raped.
None of which changes the fact that the penalty is IMHO absurd.
Fine, but my basic question remains: the UAE forbids extramarital sex. But whose definition of “married” do they use? Theirs? The country of origin of the people involved? Islam’s?
It is 100% true, they will pull a tourist arriving aside at customs and test their urine/blood/hair and if any drugs are found jail them. Not even illegal stuff OTC crap, mind you we’re talking molecules of drug residue in body fluids here.
They jailed one tourist arriving in the country because they apparently looked over his clothes with a magnifying glass and found a poppy seed from a bagel he ate before boarding the plane. A POPPY SEED!
I made a thread a long time ago asking if anyone had any background info on WHY this was going on, or had any info on why certain tourists are targetted for this nonsense. It baffles me and makes me wonder if there is more going on the media is leaving out.
Well, the UAE is off my holiday list…
The place seems to be a loony bin.
And I will concede that the newer reports have confirmed your earlier suspicion - Dalelv had been drinking and she did ask the man to escort her to her room. She still says she never agreed to have sex with him but now says she made a false statement to the police that she did agree.
At this point, I think we’re probably in agreement. These are bad laws and they were enforced in an overly harsh manner. But it does appear that Dalelv technically broke the law.
Meh. I was offered a very highly paid job in tax free Kuwait at the end of my brief internship there. And not highly paid by Indian standards, highly paid by white expats in Kuwait standards. I politely turned them down because I didn’t want to live in a country where there was a hierarchy of citizenship(locals, whites then Indians/Pakistanis/Bangladeshis). I don’t like the idea of being a third class citizen no matter how much money it makes me. Just a data point for you to consider.
ETA: I had another offer too, but nowhere close to better or even equivalent
Crap, I now remember that I didn’t have another offer at the time I turned down the Kuwait job, although I was reasonably sure that it wouldn’t be difficult for me to get a job. Sorry for the double post and the poor edit.
Not more than signing his name on the letter when she was sacked. Anyway, I just read that she has been acquitted.
I can’t quite buy this. This IS Islam as it is now practiced in countries that use Sharia law.
<nitpick>
To be more accurate, she was pardoned by the emir of Dubai, not aquitted - which AFAIK happens in court.
</nitpick>
Not acquitted - pardoned by the ruler.
ETA - Ninjaed. Although I’d argue that it’s not a nitpick.
Give us a few generations of Todd Akins in charge and christian law would be exactly the same. You must be delusional if you don’t see the same exact anti woman mentality in conservatives the world over, the name of their religion makes zero difference.