Be Careful in Islamic Countries

A British woman is facing one year in jail in Dubai for adultery.

Sally, who has been married for 14 years and lived in Dubai for 12, told officers she paid for her lover’s flights from the UK to the strict Muslim emirate.

But the affair was uncovered by her hubby Vincent, 48, who tipped off cops on May 2.

(...)

“No one here believes she would be able to cope with prison.

“She has two children and she’s desperately worried about what will happen to them.

People really need to do some sober consideration before going to a place like Dubai.

There's never been a Muslim Pierre Trudeau who said the government has no business in the bedrooms of citizens.

Crime Syndicates Running Somali Piracy

The Independent has a fascinating article about the filthy lucre in modern piracy. Syndicates control it and it reminds me of S.P.E.C.T.R.E from James Bond novels. (Read the full article here)

The security company Idarat Maritime, which specialises in maritime protection, is working with leading Lloyd's underwriters to formulate safeguards for shippers. Christopher Ledger, a former Royal Marine officer and a director of the firm, said: "There is evidence that syndicates based in the Gulf – some in Dubai – play a significant role in the piracy which is taking place off the African coast. There are huge amounts of money involved and this gives the syndicates access to increasingly sophisticated means of moving money as well as access to modern technology in carrying out the hijackings. This is an international problem and the shipping companies need to ensure that their crews learn how to deal with it."

Investigators have discovered that the pirate gangs are exploiting information available to the shipping industry to plan their attacks. Front organisations are believed to have signed up to the Lloyd's List ship movement database, and sources such as Jane's Intelligence, to ascertain protective measures being undertaken by the shippers. In addition they have bought equipment to monitor radio traffic.

A few well-funded pirate syndicates have experimented with a "stealth" paint such as AR 1, invented by a German scientist living in the UAE, which is credited with making boats difficult to spot via the long-range radar of cargo liners.

It is not clear whether the use of the paint has been effective in helping hijackings, but its use, say the security companies, shows that the pirates are seeking out advanced technology and have the means to acquire it.

Andrew Mwangura, a piracy expert in the Kenyan port of Mombasa, says the gun-wielding Somalis who are fighting and dying in the hijackings are the just the front men of larger syndicates. "They are just the small fish. The big sharks operate out of places like Dubai, Nairobi and Mombasa," he said.

It's articles like this that make me fear the collapse of newspapers. This is fantastic journalism. Bloggers don't have the reach, nor the resources to pull this off. Kudos to The Independent.

The Dark Side of Dubai

Here's a gripping read from The Independent about life in Dubai. I've known several people who have worked there, and have heard mixed reviews about it. In this panoramic article, reporter Johann Hari breaks it open and exposes the rotten core. I read the article with healthy skepticism, but one can't help but be appalled. (read the full article here)

As soon as he arrived at Dubai airport, his passport was taken from him by his construction company. He has not seen it since. He was told brusquely that from now on he would be working 14-hour days in the desert heat – where western tourists are advised not to stay outside for even five minutes in summer, when it hits 55 degrees – for 500 dirhams a month (£90), less than a quarter of the wage he was promised. If you don't like it, the company told him, go home. "But how can I go home? You have my passport, and I have no money for the ticket," he said. "Well, then you'd better get to work," they replied.

Sahinal was in a panic. His family back home – his son, daughter, wife and parents – were waiting for money, excited that their boy had finally made it. But he was going to have to work for more than two years just to pay for the cost of getting here – and all to earn less than he did in Bangladesh.

(...)

Sahinal could well die out here. A British man who used to work on construction projects told me: "There's a huge number of suicides in the camps and on the construction sites, but they're not reported. They're described as 'accidents'." Even then, their families aren't free: they simply inherit the debts. A Human Rights Watch study found there is a "cover-up of the true extent" of deaths from heat exhaustion, overwork and suicide, but the Indian consulate registered 971 deaths of their nationals in 2005 alone. After this figure was leaked, the consulates were told to stop counting

(...)

And today? Sheikh Mohammed turned Dubai into Creditopolis, a city built entirely on debt. Dubai owes 107 percent of its entire GDP. It would be bust already, if the neighbouring oil-soaked state of Abu Dhabi hadn't pulled out its chequebook. Mohammed says this will constrict freedom even further. "Now Abu Dhabi calls the tunes – and they are much more conservative and restrictive than even Dubai. Freedom here will diminish every day." Already, new media laws have been drafted forbidding the press to report on anything that could "damage" Dubai or "its economy". Is this why the newspapers are giving away glossy supplements talking about "encouraging economic indicators"?

(...)

It is an open secret that once you hire a maid, you have absolute power over her. You take her passport – everyone does; you decide when to pay her, and when – if ever – she can take a break; and you decide who she talks to. She speaks no Arabic. She cannot escape.

In a Burger King, a Filipino girl tells me it is "terrifying" for her to wander the malls in Dubai because Filipino maids or nannies always sneak away from the family they are with and beg her for help. "They say – 'Please, I am being held prisoner, they don't let me call home, they make me work every waking hour seven days a week.' At first I would say – my God, I will tell the consulate, where are you staying? But they never know their address, and the consulate isn't interested. I avoid them now. I keep thinking about a woman who told me she hadn't eaten any fruit in four years. They think I have power because I can walk around on my own, but I'm powerless."

Places I Would Never Travel To

A long time ago, a friend of mine got quite upset at me because I said, no matter what reason, I would never travel to an Arab country. He had just taken a job in sales as the middle eastern account manager for a company, and he was to expect at least two months a year being over there. That meant Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, etc. He viewed my objections as bigotry, closed mindedness, etc., etc.

I have met many people who have visited, and lived in Dubai. Most people have great things to say about it, and how open minded the people are there to westerners. (Though some people who have worked there have grumbled about how they were treated, especially the arrogance and laziness of their bosses.)

It doesn't surprise me to come across this story about an Aussie skipper who was jailed and no charges have been laid yet. (From the Australian Online)

He was celebrated upon arrival as a "crazy Aussie" who had sailed the boat from Geraldton in Western Australia, to the Cocos Islands, the Maldives and on to Oman, with a young crew of three. Now he languishes in Al-Amir, Dubai's central prison, having been arrested at his apartment on October 8, with no clear idea of the charges he faces, or how long he might be detained.

In a statement yesterday, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said its consulate staff in Dubai had visited Mr McNeair six times in prison.

But it, too, has no idea how long he'll be there.

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"It seems to change all the time," his mother said. "First, they talked about the alcohol, then about the air-rifle, then about assault against the girl. But they haven't charged him with anything and we're at our wits end. My boy's not a criminal."

The case comes after an Australian woman, Nasrah Alshamery, was detained in Kuwait, for allegedly insulting its emir.

I have been to Mexico where there is a risk that you might get framed up for something, but it least it's not a country whose religion views you as less of a person.

UPDATE: Partially on this topic, it seems that there is a trend these days of travelling to exotic and dangerous places. These are seen as more "authentic." For example a friend of my wife's took a trip to Burma with ther husband and two young children under the age of five. For god sakes, a military junta rules the place, wouldn't Hawaii be a better call?