DH thinks we're going to get arrested in Dubai

[willyougobacktobed]

Going to Dubai next week for Easter on a mini break with DH. As a tactile couple who enjoys a couple of drinks with dinner he's getting really anxious that we're going to get arrested if we a) unthinkingly give each other a peck on the cheek or b) share a bottle of wine and have a giggle.

He has googled their strict laws and legal systems LOTS.

I think he's BU, his worries and mithering are making me not look as forward to a holiday I've saved hard for as much as I otherwise would.

Are we going to get arrested?!

I love Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. Fab holidays, great for kids. I'd never felt happy about leaving my children in kids clubs till I went there. Once we saw what was available in the various hotels and how much children are catered to there I don't think they'd ever have forgiven me if I had said no.

I laugh at the sneery virtue signallers. They've nearly always never been and actually have no clue what kind of a holiday it can be and the range of experiences possible.

clairemcnam - sorry, what do you mean? Get away with what?

I used to live there, in Sharjan and your husband has every right to be cautious! Each emirate has different laws so be very careful. You can drink in hotels, you'll see loads of locals there too.

After our experience of strict Muslim countries we have decided to stick to home or liberal countries, not living in the 12th century.

I am not even allowed to visit Dubai or anywhere else in UAE even if I wanted to. (Both they and Qatar ban travel by anyone with refugee status). sterling-law.co.uk/en/uk-refugee-travel-document-visa/

"They've nearly always never been and actually have no clue what kind of a holiday it can be and the range of experiences possible."

You've entirely missed the point of the objections that people make, if you think it's about the kind of holiday and the range of experiences possible.

You've entirely missed the point of the objections that people make, if you think it's about the kind of holiday and the range of experiences possible.

Well no. I was addressing the snobbery aspect as previously mentioned. When many of you who pontificate about human rights issues would most likely have spent many happy hours flinging yourselves around at New Moon parties in Thailand - massive effects on the environment in case you didn't know, not to mention the economy largely being built on the sex trade - and visiting temples in India outside of where poverty stricken children routinely sleep on the streets and women are regularly slaughtered in honour killings. It's the idea that Dubai is a shallow place for shallow chav types with more money than sense whereas India and Thailand are culturally more acceptable. Hope none of you go to Mexico or most countries in South America where multiple murders of women go un-investigated and enforcing domestic violence law is pretty much unheard of.

Oh and don't forget Canada with all those murders of indigenous women that have never been investigated and were in fact totally ignored.

As it happens I haven't and wouldn't go to Thailand, India, Mexico or most other South American countries.

I think it's fairly absurd to suggest that Canada is in any way like Dubai or those other countries listed. It's not perfect, nowhere is, and they have a lot of work to do around justice for indigenous people. But I would hold out more hope that they might address that than Dubai would address or even acknowledge any of the issues there.

No I have never been to Thailand and don't even know what a New Moon party is.
But this is whatabouttery.

Elleborough ... this post is about Dubai .. if someone wants to post about going to any country with appalling backward attitudes I’ll comment on those if I have formulated an opinion based on the what I’ve read,seen, listened to or experienced

I’ve plenty to say about the USA for starters so this isn’t about it being a Muslim country... it’s about this post and her husbands valid concerns that the OP should not dismiss out of hand ....
I would love to go to Iran for example ... lovey people, amazing rich history, buildings,artefacts, , great food I could go on...
But firstly they do not let unmarried couples share rooms (yes hotels let westerners do this especially in major cities)I wouldn’t be able to relax and feel free to be me . I don’t drape myself over my other half in this country but I may when tired rest my head on his shoulder or grab his hand for support or just to connect ..its natural ... so that puts me off ... yet I really want to support all the thousands of intelligent individuals who have to live out their lives in subterfuge under the current regime. I’ve watched footage of secret clubs or young people driving to areas where they can be politically free or mix with the opposite sex ... so it’s not as simple as condemning all countries out right ... ..or never exploring the world ... it is about showing some solidarity with those that have less freedom to be who they want to be or travel where and when they want to... so Dubai is a no no it attracts people who put shopping and drinking too high on their list of priorities in life along with those who are happy to boast about how much extra they have in the bank from tax free wages ... if people like me didn’t stand up and say no ... we would still have apartheid in South Africa ... where similarily lots of truly ignorant people Endorsed that appalling state of affairs for decades while many were denied their rights by the few ... forced into servitude and living in fear
Dubai will hopefully change when the money stops rolling in

sure Canada is exactly like Dubai in terms of human rights abuses

Ferret is your 3rd paragraph about Iran or Dubai - I’m probably being stupid.

Carol Danvers..... please enlighten us on the varied experiences (in hotels)you and your no doubt pampered kids are experiencing... I am open to being Re-educated on this .... (did I read right .. they would never have forgiven me !!!) the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree .. so it seems ...

I go to Dubai regularly,don’t believe all you read,it’s perfectly civilised,just behave yourself as long as your not full on snogging,which I wouldn’t even do in the UK you will be fine.Enjoy,you will love it.

Actually Ferret we have family in the UAE and stay with them; a couple of nights in a hotel is a huge treat. Do you see what you did there? You made a snidey assumption by calling me and then my children pampered and implying that we are not very nice people because we go to the UAE regularly. You do know what they say about assuming don’t you?

Also can you tell me exactly what you mean about the apple not falling far from the tree. I understand the saying but it doesn’t seem to make much sense in this context...?

Ok ..please give more detail on how you spend your time there and the range of experiences .. I read fab kids entertainment in hotels ... and kids clubs ...enlighten those of us who have no idea and who you accused of sneery virtue

Claire I’m not saying that women are oppressed but happy I’m saying that what you consider to be oppression would not necessarily be considered as such by Muslim women. Because we have a different perspective. Where there is genuine oppression everyone should support the fight against it as far as possible. But when you see people campaigning and saying we need to give up aspects of our religion in order to be free- that view doesn’t have widespread support. But sadly many people don’t want Muslim women to have a voice about their own situation unless what they are saying fits in with people’s preconceptions. How can I be patronising when I’m talking about my own experience, and that of family members friends and neighbours?

Dapplegrey ... sorry if not clear ..... Iran .. hard to get everything across without rambling on .....

Ah, got it. Thank you ferret.

Right. I'm sure that women love the fact that they can be imprisoned for reporting a rape, just like they love not being equal in law to men. Just like gay people live hiding their relationships to avoid prison sentences.

I wonder if breeze would equally make excuses for Saudi Arabia.

No, I don’t think I will ferret (perfect name for you). You were mean about my children without knowing a thing about them - both have significant additional needs by the way, which you couldn’t have known but obviously still makes me really dislike you due to your unnecessarily nasty tone and assumptions about them - so I don’t think I will explain or justify anything to you. Plus you didn’t explain the context of apples and trees in your silly first post that you addressed to me, though I suspect it was another mean assumption about my children and myself. It’s all one way traffic with you.

You could always have a google if your sneery and rigid assumptions will allow you to actually make the effort to.

Has the DM recently started campaigning for human rights? I don't read it myself but I have never seen any mention of high profile DM stories attacking the way immigrant workers are treated in Dubai.

DM the bastion of liberal values and HR, wow, who'd have thunk that?

And so committed to human rights that it is apparently making up human rights abuses.

Ludicrous to suggest Canada is in any way like Dubai.
Yes, Canada may have a shameful history (as have many countries inc. the UK, Australia and America) but as a woman in a gay marriage - Canada or Dubai for my hols (even India or Thailand?) hmm.. not really a difficult choice.