American Woman held in Abu Dhabi for refusing to talk to strange men.

Article

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A US woman has appeared in court for allegedly insulting the United Arab Emirates in public while waiting for a taxi at the Abu Dhabi International Airport.

The newspaper says the woman, whom it did not identify, told the court she’s been jailed since Feb. 23. It quoted her as saying two men approached her at the airport and that she “refused to engage with them and nothing happened.” The report did not say if evidence was presented against her.

There is not a lot of detail in the article as of yet but based on what is being reported this is a gross display of the heinous treatment of and lack of respect for women in the Middle East. I find the laws and customs of the Middle East to be disgusting and for a woman to be made out to be a criminal for refusing the advances of strange men in a foreign country is absurd. This is why I strongly feel that unless you are operating in the name of government with diplomatic status and/or military protection then no person from western countries should be in these places. I sincerely hope that the state department is on this and working quickly to return this young woman home. I'm so tired of people defending this culture it is a scourge to the planet and needs to be pacified with extreme prejudice. I'm sorry but this is inexcusable, it's like "hey you better come with us and let us rape you or we will have you arrested, it's your own fault for wearing a short sleeve shirt and I'm having a sexual emergency".

They will hold her until she grants the ones accussing her sexual favors to drop the charges.

a reply to: RainbowPhoenix

I'm sorry but this is inexcusable, it's like "hey you better come with us and let us rape you or we will have you arrested, it's your own fault for wearing a short sleeve shirt and I'm having a sexual emergency".

Come on really? Rape..? This is incredibly disingenuous.
You had me up until that.

The story is ridiculous as it is... To speculate as to what their intentions were based on such little facts is injudicious.

originally posted by: NateTheAnimator
a reply to: RainbowPhoenix

I'm sorry but this is inexcusable, it's like "hey you better come with us and let us rape you or we will have you arrested, it's your own fault for wearing a short sleeve shirt and I'm having a sexual emergency".

Come on really? Rape..? This is incredibly disingenuous.
You had me up until that.

The story is ridiculous as it is... To speculate as to what their intentions were based on such little facts is injudicious.

You do realize that its two men and therefore a womans view is only counted a s half a person there. They prolly asked for her to come hang with them or something and she said something like not in a million years or something.
Point is The men can make up any story they wont and its automatically believed by the men in charge.

a reply to: RainbowPhoenix I do hope she is okay, but the story is so limited in it's information... we will just have to wait and see if more comes out, like what they have against her... maybe she gave them the finger? Apparently, your not even supposed to use swear words in public there... so who knows?

a reply to: RainbowPhoenix

This story is bollocks.

Dubai is not Saudi Arabia. It is by far the most liberal Gulf State. Seventy percent of the population is foreign residents. Seventy percent of those are Indian -- do you think Indian women would live and work in a country where they had to put out to any local who asks?

Dubai is full of enjoyable vice. Booze and hookers are everywhere. Commonly available illegal drugs include coc aine, ecstasy, party acid and some of the world's finest weed. The laws are strict and the jails are nasty but deals can be done. And provided they don't get too blatant or confrontational about it, white folk, in particular, can get away with just about anything.

It's an awful place -- a cultural as well as an actual desert, shallow, mercenary, wasteful and pretentious -- but it is not a place where women are randomly molested. I'd say a woman is much safer alone on the streets is Dubai than she would be on the streets of New York or New Delhi.

a reply to: yuppa

You do realize that its two men and therefore a womans view is only counted a s half a person there. They prolly asked for her to come hang with them or something and she said something like not in a million years or something. Point is The men can make up any story they wont and its automatically believed by the men in charge.

Yes I'm well aware of the women's right's issues currently going on in the UAE and didn't say I disagreed with the story...
However to speculate what these men intended on doing when in engaging the woman with such little information is silly.
The point that should be taken away isn't what the men's supposed intent was but the fact that a woman is being imprisoned for the most ridiculous BS I've ever heard of.

The US government can send in those TR3B's and some super weapons and break them out.

DO IT!

a reply to: Astyanax

New York is one of the safest big cities in the world, (not on say Singapore's level but still safe) I guarantee you Abu Dabhi is not safer especially for a Western woman. This is proof right here.

a reply to: BoxFulder

Oh, this is Abu Dhabi. The dateline threw me. Things are a bit tighter there but not enough to make me believe this story.

I've lived in Abu Dhabi for 6 years now. I can tell you it's by far the safest country I've ever lived in.

www.thenational.ae...

From this article it looks like she might have said something offensive towards some people. The UAE is a very sensitive place when it comes to things that are said about it, or about the people there. You can and will be arrested for giving someone the finger while driving, no matter if they caused some kind of road incident or not.

By the sounds of things she did something similar and was reported for it. As a visitor to another country it's important to learn and understand the cultural differences of that country you are in. Even more so for a very conservative country like the UAE. Never mind the fact that under the surface things are VERY different, as mentioned above the drinking and prostitution is out of control in some places in the region, VERY out of control.

So, without more facts about what exactly was said or done it's hard to judge. However knowing the region I can speculate that she said or did something offensive and was reported and arrested for it. It sucks, you don't have the same freedom of expression out here as you do in other parts of the world, but that's the way it is here.

Without knowing more, I'm inclined to let my opinion stand closer to Astyanax and balrathamir. Culture shock can be a #, even in first world countries. I've been to Japan a few times and I'm always stopped by the police for...no reason at all. If you're a foreigner and don't have your passport, I've heard that they can detain you for up to two weeks without allowing you access to any consulary services. Because I'm a darker complexion Japanese-ethnic, I usually get stopped once a day while there to get patted down for weapons, probably because I look like buraku. My record was being stopped and patted down 3 times in one day

Anyways, my point is that, yes, tragedies and travesties happen, some places are more dangerous than others. But while traveling, it's very important to do research on your point of destination and keep close to your heart the phrase that begins with "when in Rome..."

I wish the subject of the article safety and a speedy processing, regardless of the full story.

a reply to: yuppa

Seriously? What their intentions were is obvious. They saw a foreign woman and wanted to hit on her. They were rebuffed, and that pissed them off so they reverted to their chauvinistic pig syndrome natural state that they usually don like a baseball cap in that country, and the rest is history.

Trying to pretend it is anything else is laughable.

a reply to: RainbowPhoenix

From what I have learned I would never venture outside the air port. This woman could disappear for ever. A few years ago an Australian business man was thrown in the clink for a while at for a short time he shared a cell with a bloke from Sydney who got thrown in their cos some local bloke in the airport took exception to the pic on the front of his Tshirt.

The bloke had been prison for 6 months and had never had heard anything from anyone else in the world apart from the prison guard.

I lived in Dubai for a few years, and agree generally with what you say, especially about the drugs and vice. But I would not say it is as safe as you state. Not being female, I was never on the receiving end of harassment, as such, but female friends, and colleagues told me enough stories.

One particular friend had to stop letting her tall, blonde (hence more noticeable in the street as Western) 14 year old out going out on her own as she was often sexually harassed on the streets, and from cars, very sad.

Of the UAE, Dubai is probably the most liberal but foreigners still have to be careful what they do, how they dress etc.

a reply to: Astyanax

When I see news like these...

Woman sentenced to death for adultery

...you can take your safe and beautiful Emirates to hell. Please..take your family and move there.

Even more then by Emirates, I am sickened by apologists of this kind of culture.

edit:

the beauty of Sharia

As per Islamic Sharia law, a person may be convicted of adultery if a confession is obtained, or if four people testify. However, similar cases have ruled that getting pregnant without the husband present is sufficient proof.

Cant wait to integrate this culture into our own. Quickly...we need to push this through ASAP.

a reply to: RainbowPhoenix

I'm going to go ahead and advocate for drone-bombing the extended families of these two men in hopes of persuading release of this poor woman.

A wedding or funeral should do nicely.

a reply to: RainbowPhoenix

That story is full of Bull#. Show me the woman. Show me the video. Usual BS from nypost.com

originally posted by: balrathamir
I've lived in Abu Dhabi for 6 years now. I can tell you it's by far the safest country I've ever lived in.

www.thenational.ae...

From this article it looks like she might have said something offensive towards some people. The UAE is a very sensitive place when it comes to things that are said about it, or about the people there. You can and will be arrested for giving someone the finger while driving, no matter if they caused some kind of road incident or not.

By the sounds of things she did something similar and was reported for it. As a visitor to another country it's important to learn and understand the cultural differences of that country you are in. Even more so for a very conservative country like the UAE. Never mind the fact that under the surface things are VERY different, as mentioned above the drinking and prostitution is out of control in some places in the region, VERY out of control.

So, without more facts about what exactly was said or done it's hard to judge. However knowing the region I can speculate that she said or did something offensive and was reported and arrested for it. It sucks, you don't have the same freedom of expression out here as you do in other parts of the world, but that's the way it is here.

And No man EVER make sup a lie to get revenge on anyone who refuses his advances right?

a reply to: yuppa

And No man EVER make sup a lie to get revenge on anyone who refuses his advances right?

And that only happens in Arab countries, right?

You offer us a shining example of ignorance and prejudice. I mean your post -- of course.

Never been in the UAE, probably never met an Arab, but has already weighed and judged a situation based on no knowledge whatsoever.

Ah, humanity.