Judith Caesar's Take on Life in Egypt, the UAE, and KSA...sorta

As we look at a move back to the Arabian Gulf, I stumbled up two books I wish I had found ten years ago. Both are written by Judith Caesar:

Crossing Borders: An American Woman in the Middle East



and

Writing Off the Beaten Track: Reflections on the Meaning of Travel and Culture in the Middle East


Having shared experiences in two of the three countries Caesar writes about, I thought both books provided insight that would be useful to anyone new to the region-particularly women.

Here's one way to ensure that you're blacklisted

An American teacher from a Tomorrow School here left the country secretly without submitting the grades of his class to the school management.

The management and the teacher's colleagues did manage to convince him to submit the results by e-mail, preventing serious problems for the school.

According to sources the teacher did not want to submit the grades to "punish" the Ministry of Education.

The English Language teacher, identified as D.A., was informed before the incident by the Ministry of Education that the ministry would not renew his annual contract.

The teacher decided to respond to this move, which he considered unfair, by leaving the country without submitting the grades of his class.

He knew the school would not be able to evaluate the students again, especially with the end of the academic year approaching.

D.A. sold his furniture and then drove to the airport with a rented car, which he left at the airport. He called the rental agency in Ras Al Khaimah from the aeroplane, informing them to collect the money from the Ministry of Education. He also left an unsettled bank account behind.

Yousuf Al Shehi, principal of the school, said once it had been confirmed that D.A. had left the country, his colleagues were instructed to take over his classes. The school management refused a substitute in the best interest of the students.

Al Shehi said the school management and colleagues wrote to D.A. to ask for the grades of his students, adding that the school adopted a friendly manner to handle the teacher. He responded by e-mailing the grades. The school told him that they did not have anything to do with the decision by the Ministry of Education not to renew his contract.

Original article found here.

Photo credits here.

Dubai's highest court upholds 15-year jail term for two who raped a boy

By Bassam Zaza, Senior Reporter

The highest court in Dubai on Monday confirmed the 15-year jail term handed to two Emirati men who kidnapped a 15-year-old French boy and had sex with him against his will.

The Dubai Court of Cassation turned down the two men's appeal for leniency and upheld the ruling.

The case now moves to Dubai Civil Court which will be looking into the victim's Dh15 million compensation claim.

During Monday morning's hearing, the Cassation Court confirmed I.M., 18, and A.K., 35, were guilty of kidnapping the 15-year-old French boy, A.R., and having sex with him against his will in a desert area in Al Barsha.

A.K's reports confirmed he had Aids and Hepatitis. Earlier this year, the victim's medical reports confirmed that he had not contracted either disease.

The Public Prosecution charged I.M. and A.K. and their compatriot, I.S., 17, with deception and kidnapping the boy and his compatriot, F.K., 16.

They were charged with forcefully undressing A.R., threatening him with a knife before having sex with him, while F.K. was kept outside the vehicle.

A.K was solely charged with threatening to kill the victim with a stick.

The Dubai Court of Appeal recently sentenced I.S. to three years in jail after he was found guilty as charged.

Records said the trio picked the boys up from a mall. A.R. testified one of the defendants snatched his cell phone from him when he dialled 999 shortly before he was forced to have sex with them.

"A.K. who carried a billiard stick and I.S. who carried a pocket knife asked me to step down from the car, but I refused. They switched off our phones and took them away. I.S. threatened to rape my mother, burn my parents and our house meanwhile I.K. pulled my friend out of the car powerfully."

The victim stated that he was beaten, forced to remove his clothes before the defendants sodomized him successively.

"One of them even forced me to have oral sex with him," he added.

F.K. confirmed the victim's testimony and said: "When I returned to the vehicle, my friend looked petrified and quivering. I saw him carrying his underwear in a small bag. The suspects dropped us off at Jumeirah and the victim, who was crying angrily, told me what happened in the cab."

The UAE has a firm standpoint against crimes of a sexual nature, said a top lawyer in light of the final ruling of the French boy's sodomy case which was given on Monday.

"Yesterday's irrevocable verdict [15 years imprisonment] shows that the UAE has a firm standpoint on crimes of rape and sexual violence and that we do not tolerate such crimes irrespective of the nationalities of the individuals involved in the crime," Dr Habib Al Mulla, of Dr Habib Al Mulla and Co, Advocates and Legal Consultants, told Gulf News.

Commenting on the ruling, Dr Al Mulla who is the Dubai Government spokesperson in this case, said: "The verdict reconfirms our position that we have been putting forward from the beginning of this case that we need to let the system work. This judgement proves beyond any doubt that the UAE in general, and Dubai in particular, enjoys an efficient, reliable and trustworthy judicial system which is capable of dealing with issues of this nature."

Dr Al Mulla expressed his gratitude that the judgment "has put an end to this saga that should not have existed from the beginning."

He stressed that the UAE's judicial system is independent and treats all parties equally before the law.

In an earlier statement Dubai's Attorney General Essam Eisa Al Humaidan said: "Our role is to enforce the penal code and prosecute criminals who commit such terribly awful crimes which are considerably strange to our society. We ordinarily ask the court to apply the stiffest punishment applicable to combat all sorts of crimes and criminals. The judicial system works to protect the interests of all the UAE population including expatriates and locals."

Original article found here.

Again...

Suspects plead 'not guilty' to raping schoolboy repeatedly
Article found here.




Dubai: A salesman and a student have denied luring a 15-year-old schoolboy into their car, driving him to a deserted area and sodomising him.

Records said the Emirati suspects, 22-year-old salesman, F.A., and 18-year-old student, J.M., tricked the schoolboy, A.H., to ride with them to the supermarket to buy beverages, driving to Al Mezher where they forced him to have a homosexual affair with them.

The victim alleged that they recorded the abuse on a cell-phone camera and repeatedly threatened to beat and kill him. He also alleged that they threatened to burn his house and scandalise him every time they wanted to 'have a homosexual affair with him'.

During their first appearance at the Dubai Court of First Instance yesterday, the two suspects pleaded 'not guilty' before Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir.

The Public Prosecution charged them with kidnap. They were also charged with repeatedly forcing the victim to have sex with them by intimidating him with threats. Records state the suspects repeated their alleged crime with the schoolboy over different occasions between October and December of 2007.

"I met J.M. in Al Muhaisna area ... He threatened and forced me to have sex with him in a public toilet ... though I refused his continuous advancements... One day he phoned and said he was waiting outside my house to say goodbye because he claimed he was travelling to Thailand ... I went out and saw the two suspects in the car," testified the victim. He stated that they lured him into the car before they forced him to have sex with him in a sandy area behind some villas in Al Mezher.

"J.M. took naked pictures when he abused me... meanwhile A.H. threatened to disgrace me...," claimed the victim who confirmed that they repeated their action a number of times. Records said the victim informed his father who reported the incident to police. After their arrest, the duo initially denied their charges but later accused the victim of being a homosexual and confessed to having consensual sex with him.

It is the second case of its kind at Dubai Courts in recent months.

In December 2007, two adult Emiratis were sentenced to 15 years in jail each for committing a similar crime with a 16-year-old French boy. This case differs due to the fact that the alleged crime was repeated a number of times.

If a picture is a worth a thousand words...

...what does this one say?



Photo found here.

Two men jailed for kidnap and rape of 15-year-old French boy

Original article found in The Gulf News
By Bassam Za'Za', staff reporter



Dubai: Two Emirati men will each spend 15 years in prison for kidnapping and having sex with a 15-year-old French boy against his will, ruled a court on Wednesday.

The Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced the men - a 35-year-old Aids patient and his 18-year-old compatriot - and referred the victim’s compensation claim of Dh15 million to a civil court.

Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir pronounced the ruling in the absence of the accused. They refused to be brought to the court from prison.

Dubai Government spokesperson in this case, Dr Habib al Mulla of Dr Habib Al Mulla and Co Advocates and Legal Consultants, told Gulf News: “This judgement proves the position that we have continuously been making which is that we should leave the system to take its course.

All That Glitters Is Not Gold

'You must come with us'

Syed Ali was in Dubai interviewing expatriate workers for a book. The day before he was due to leave, six strangers arrived at his flat and took him to the police compound. A 13-hour interrogation lay ahead ...

Monday November 12, 2007
Original article found here.


What happens in Dubai when six strangers come to the door with a search warrant? I hadn't expected to find out first-hand. I'd gone to the emirate to carry out what would count in most countries as routine academic research.
When the knock on the door came on the last day of Ramadan a year ago, I'd been in Dubai for four months. My project: to do interviews for a book on white-collar expatriate workers. Lots has been written about the exploitation of construction workers in the Gulf region, but I didn't imagine professionals living the good life would be a touchy topic - especially with Dubai so busy promoting itself as a hub of internationalism, a modern state with modern lifestyles. Come here and buy into the property-and-shopping bonanza, say the big advertising campaigns.

Over the weeks, I met and interviewed dozens of Dubai-born and raised foreign professional workers about their experiences growing up and working there. (About 90% of Dubai's population, and about 98% of its private-sector workforce, is made up of people categorised as expats.) I recorded our interviews in their homes, their workplaces, in cafes and restaurants and shopping malls. I was struck by the fact that being born in Dubai conferred no rights of permanent residence, let alone citizenship, meaning that people who had spent most or all of their lives in the emirate have the same legal status as a worker who has just arrived. I made no secret of what I was doing. I kept an ongoing blog and told everyone I spoke with that I was a Fulbright scholar (the US state department's best-known scholarship programme) doing book research.
Then, just the day before I was scheduled to leave Dubai, five men arrived unannounced with a court order. With them was one woman, the only person in police uniform; the men were wearing ordinary white robes. It was about noon, on October 22. That they showed up at my friend's place, where I'd been staying for only three days, and timed their arrival right before I was to fly onward to India for a family holiday, meant - as a duty officer at the US consulate said when my wife rang to ask for help - that they'd been keeping tabs on me.

For about an hour, they searched the flat, and then made to go: "You must come with us." My wife, who had arrived from New York just 12 hours earlier, said she and our 14-month-old son would come too. "No. We will bring him back soon."

"Can I leave my mobile phone with my wife?" I asked. "It is not allowed." "Can I write down some phone numbers, as she doesn't know anyone here?" "Yes." I wrote two numbers, then one of the men huffed, "No more numbers!"

I was put into a Toyota Landcruiser, its windows tinted so dark the driver could barely see out, and driven to the immense police headquarters compound, an oasis of bougainvillea and other hanging vines and plants on the north-east side of Dubai Creek. There, we wound up a ramp until we arrived at a one-storey building evidently assigned to the secret police, my escorts. For the next 13 hours or so my interrogators were two Dubai nationals - only nationals work in the State Security Division. One, who looked to be in his late 20s, was thin with jaundiced skin and no top front teeth, the other was in his mid 30s, short and chubby with jowls. The latter played good cop, while the thin one was bad cop. Watching their technique, I wondered if part of their interrogation training had consisted of watching American cop movies.

The questioning was mostly about my family's migration history, my education from nursery school to doctorate, my work history, and so forth. Every now and then they would interject with the real questions: Why did you come to Dubai? Who is funding you? Why are you asking so many questions about locals and non-locals? They never raised their voices.

My wife, meanwhile, had immediately gone to a nearby hotel to call the US consulate in Dubai. She told them I had been taken away by the men in white, who had showed no identification. Startled at the detention of a Fulbright researcher, consular staff spent more than nine hours phoning Dubai officials before they located me and arranged for my release. Once I left the country, I also called the British embassy in Dubai, hoping it too would make some sort of protest, as I'm a dual UK-US citizen. The duty officer was unimpressed: "You've left Dubai, what do you expect us to do?" That was that, for Foreign Office assistance.

By the end of the night, a more senior officer came to wrap things up. Called "chief", he was all business and in bad-cop mode. He came right to the point: "The research you have been doing is creating divisions in our society and we will not allow it. We will keep your files. Your laptop and iPod [which I used for interviews] we will give you back tomorrow. We will contact you. You will leave on the next available flight. Do not return to Dubai; you are banned and will be arrested if you return."

Good cop put a cheery spin on things. "I hope you have enjoyed Dubai. Well, this is not enjoyable, but I hope the rest of your stay has been productive and enjoyable and that you represent Dubai positively." What do you say to that? Good cop also came to the nub of what I'd got myself into when he told me he liked me, but had doubts about my funding. "What do you mean?" I asked. "I think it is the Jewish," he said. "Why would 'the Jewish' be funding me, a Muslim American, to ask questions of people in Dubai?" "I do not know, but I think it is them ... and maybe the CIA."

Anyway, they released me, and put me in the back of the Toyota. On the seat were two bottles of water for me. Nice. After 13 hours of talking, I was thirsty. The driver even bought me a vitamin C drink on the way home, and let me cadge a couple of cigarettes before he dropped me at my friend's apartment building. And so my story was not one of torture or long imprisonment; rather, a glimpse into the everyday workings of an apparatus of control where the insecurities of those in power can still so easily distort the ordinary activities of an ordinary person.

The next day, a regular policeman phoned and told me to meet him that evening at a shopping mall, the start of another slightly surreal encounter when I got there and called his mobile. "Where are you?" he asked. "Standing next to the guy dressed like a chicken," I replied (some sort of mall promotion was going on). Come up the escalator, the unseen policeman told me. Halfway up I thought, Oh, this is bad. At the top I made to turn around but then saw him he summoned me to join him. And so I found myself sitting in Starbucks writing out a receipt under his supervision for equipment received in "best operating condition", after which he gave me back my laptop - without, I later discovered, the hard drive. The authorities also kept my iPod with all my interviews ... and replaced it with a new 60 GB video iPod! And if ever I came back to Dubai, the officer said hospitably, he would show me around.

After a fantastic farewell dinner of kebabs with friends, we finished packing and took ourselves to the airport. Despite the threat I supposedly posed to Dubai society, the secret police who banned me apparently felt no need to escort us.

Later, I wrote to the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, via the "royal email" section of his website asking for my hard drive back, and my files. This is the same sheikh, by the way, who launched a $10bn fund for the Middle East recently, amid much fanfare: its objective, to foster education ... and research in the region. I'm still waiting for his reply. Not that it matters in practical terms. I have backups - wouldn't the secret police have realised this? What did they possibly have to gain?

I also complained to Dubai's police chief, Lieutenant-General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, via the departmental email and was quite surprised to get a response. He stood by my arrest, but then seemed to turn the whole incident on its head by assuring me that I had not been deported, nor banned: "You are welcome at any time as a visitor to the Emirates, not as an investigator for a police agency or other authority that flies in the face of international legitimacy. Once again I wish to say to you that you are not on lists of persons expelled at all."

Welcome at any time as a visitor. I think I'll take them up on that. I wish I'd kept that policeman's mobile number

· This is Syed's weblog on his Dubai experience.

· Syed Ali is an assistant professor of sociology at Long Island University in Brooklyn. Do you have a story about your life? Email it to my.story@guardian.co.uk

How to access blocked websites - Top 10

I checked out this link on Vagabond Blogger's site.

Before you try out any of the methods listed here, I suggest you install Firefox browser. For faster and smoother internet access, Firefox is the best browser available out there. When you are accessing proxy sites or similar sites ensure that you use Firefox not Internet Explorer.

Browse the web faster. Get Firefox with Google Toolbar

Internet censoring is now everywhere. In my office Orkut is blocked since there was an Orkut virus scare. Countries such as China, Saudi Arabia etc. routinely block many websites. Interestingly entire blogger.com and similar blog sites were banned in India not long ago. So it is no wonder that many of us are looking for ways to access blocked websites.

Last week I did an investigation into the various methods available for bypassing website access restrictions. I have shortlisted them below as ” Top 10 methods to access banned websites”.

Top Ten methods to access banned websites

1. Use IP address - This is the simplest way to bypass domain name based access restrictions. Instead of the domain name such as www.webstuffscan.com use the direct IP address. To find the IP address use one of the free host to IP online conversion tools such as this.

2. Use Google cache - If you are not bothered whether the content is latest on a site, Google cache is best. Do a Google search for the site and then click on the cached link below the search results.

3. Use an Anonymizer - In this method you access a third party site which in turn routes your request to the required server. Some services provide URL encryption also. The problem is that most of these servers are no longer free. Do a google search for the latest list as this is a very dynamic area Following are some services which still works(free!),

Proxify - Hides original URL and provides an array of access of options. The is one of the best free servers.
Block Stop - New guy in the town!
Anonymouse - This works, but URL is visible and hence may be blocked by the filtering software.

4. Use Online Translation Tools - In this method, we can use the translation service as a web proxy. Following are the best links I know of. Again Google is your best friend for more resources.

Altavista Babel fish - In the above replace www.webstuffscan.com with the site you want. You can also visit Babel fish site.
Google Translate - Similar to Babel fish.

5. Use Google Mobile search - Google mobile search works, but output may not be optimal. This is very similar to using a Web proxy.

6. Use a public Proxy server - There are many free proxy servers out in the Web. Note that in order to use these you have to change internet connection settings in Internet Explorer or whatever browser you use. This is one such list.


7. Get web pages via email - This is useful if you need a single Web page. Obviously accessing large files is not possible. Given below are some examples.

You can use SEND http://www.yahoo.com/ in the body of the message and send it to agora@dna.affrc.go.jp to retrieve yahoo.com home page.
You can also check out services at web2mail which includes web page subscriptions.
G.E Boyd has an extensive list of servers. Note that many in the list are no longer working.

9. Use Tor Distributed Proxy - Tor is an advanced proxy server using multiple anonymous servers for a single Web request. This requires an application to be downloaded and installed.

8. Your own proxy server - This is an advanced technique and is probably the best. This requires your own proxy server hosted either at your home or at a hosting service provider. You can enable SSL encryption and prevent any snooping on the content as well. Also put some access control, otherwise someone can find the service and misuse it (Trust me, there are many who are looking for such an opportunity!).

Use Apache Web server as proxy server - A bit complex setup.
Use Privoxy - - This is the recommended approach. Please see this page for more details.
Use PHPProxy as a Web Proxy - You can use PHPProxy to setup a Web proxy.(discontinued)

10. Use alternate content providers - When everything fails, you can use alternate service providers. For example if Gmail is blocked at your place, you can take another obscure mail address and enable email forward at Gmail.

Important!
Be careful when you are using public proxy servers. It is possible for the guy who is hosting the service to snoop on the data that is passing through. So I wouldn’t recommend putting any important information such credit card details when you are using public proxy server method.

update 1 (Nov 26) - Sharjeel has got an impressive list of 300+ web proxies.

update 2 (Dec 22) - Check out my latest how to on running your own windows Http proxy server.

update 3 (Feb 01) - Please see comments below for some good tips. Also some of the sites mentioned in the article are no longer working.


Original site link found here.

Website closed, its administrator sentenced to prison, one of its writers detained

Article found here.
(HRinfo/IFEX) - On 21 August 2007, HRinfo noted that the harsh sentence issued by Ras Kheima criminal court in U.A.E. against the head administrator of Majan website ( http://www.majan.net ) greatly threatens freedom of expression in the U.A.E.. On 8 August Muhamed Rashid Shouhi was sentenced to one year in prison, and instructed to pay a 50,000 Dirham (approx. US$13,600) fine and 30,000 Dirham (approx. US$8,100) in compensation to a government official. The ruling also called for the closure of the website.


The head of Ras Kheima medical services had filed a complaint about the website's discussion forum, alleging that the contribution of an unknown user was defamatory and libellous toward him. Although the comments on the website did not exceed legitimate political criticism against a public official, not to mention that Souhi should not be held accountable for the contributions of others, the court has responded harshly, sending Shouhi to Mamoura prison, from which he will soon be transferred to the central prison.

On 19 August, Khaled Alasley, one of Majan's writers, was arrested and questioned by members of the security services, who refused to release him on bail. The electronic department of Ras Kheima also confiscated the website's control panel and searched through the e-mails of registered users.

A group of intellectuals and writers in the U.A.E. and the neighbouring country of Oman launched a campaign to free Shouhi and to put an end to the arbitrary detention of Alasley.

"We stand hand in hand with those brave writers and intellectuals, and we believe that it behooves the U.A.E. to take pride in Majan.net members and administrators instead of incarcerating them for exercising their right to freedom of expression. It's a harsh blow to freedom of expression and the right to use the internet in a country that was famous for spreading the usage of the internet" said Gamal Eid, HRinfo executive director.

HRinfo decided to address the following authorities Sheikh Muhammed Bin Rashid al Maktoum, vice president, head of the ministers' council and Dubai governor; Sheikh Sakr alQasimy, governor of Ras Kheima; and Colonel Talib Ben Sakr Ben Muhammed Qasimy, head of Ras Kheima's police station, to urge them to rectify this mistake which damages the U.A.E.'s image and threatens freedom of speech and expression.

The constitution of the U.A.E., issued in 1971, stipulates in article 30 the right of its citizens to freedom of speech and expression, either in writing or verbally.

Majan.net and http://www.wa6n.net are among the most popular forums in the Emirate of Ras Kheima.
Shouhi was preparing to enter a Matser's programme in September and he is a father of three children.

They should really replace the pyramids with the Burj Al Arab

Found here.

Training for women preachers

Secret Dubai posted this recently.

By a staff reporter 13 March 2007
DUBAI — More than 200 women preachers have attended a two-day training course in preaching. Organised by the Dubai Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities, in coordination with Manahil Al Khair Islamic Organisation, the course was aimed at enhancing the performance of the women preachers to spread Islamic teachings.
Umm Jassim, Director of Manahi Al Khair Foundation, said that the women preachers were increasing religious awareness among Muslim families.

Who are we, that's the question

THE GULF NEWS
Published: 21/03/2007 12:00 AM (UAE)
Islamism and democracy
By Mohammed Al Mezel, Assistant Editor Abu Dhabi:

Dr Jamal Al Suwaidi was one of the few people who didn't like what happened in last December's landmark elections of half the members of the Federal National Council (FNC). Despite the relatively small number of voters, the process was "a setback ... it showed a clear tendency towards tribalism," said Dr Al Suwaidi, Director of the Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR). In an interview with Gulf News at his spacious office at the futuristically designed centre, Dr Al Suwaidi - who is also the political adviser to General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces - said if the election process is to be expanded, "it will perhaps become even more tribal and will take the UAE back at least 50 years." Tribalism hinders the growth of a civic society, he said, adding that "in the UAE, there are no real civic society organisations. For example, where is the Human Rights Society? It has done nothing since its creation last year. It is just a name, a banner." The media is in a similar sorry state, said Dr Al Suwaidi. "We have to ask if we really have an Emirati media or just some kind of media in the emirates. It [the media] suffers from self censorship. Everybody talks about the freedom of expression but they never exercise it." As the interview progresses, the nationally-renowned strategist sounds pessimistic. "I appreciate the step by step process, initiated by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, but we have to admit that it is very difficult to establish a Western-style democracy in the UAE." Two main principles of such democracy are not feasible in this country, he explains. "The FNC cannot apply the accountability principle or vote [the government] out of office." Old guard Also, he believes that for democracy to establish roots here, the "old guard", including himself, "must turn the responsibility over to the new generation. There are young people in their thirties who are conscious of the regional and global changes and have a clear vision about what is taking place. This kind of change will make the UAE a better place." And another thing, he quickly adds, "it is important, before we speak about democracy, to address the issue of the national identity." The question of identity seems to be Dr Al Suwaidi's main concern these days. "Who are we? That is the question. I believe that we are Arabs and Muslims before anything. I refuse to play the game of sectarian or ethnic classifications," he explains. "It seems we don't realise the extent of the problem because economic growth and the rise of oil prices [can cover up many things]. But when the oil prices dip, like what happened in the 1980s, we will be left with this big question: who are we? "Our young generation doesn't learn that in schools anymore. Our education system is a failure. There is a significant migration from public schools to private institutions. The Ministry of Education talks too much, but does nothing." Here Dr Al Suwaidi stops to tell a story to stress his point. A few weeks ago he visited the Mall of the Emirates on Dubai's Shaikh Zayed Road and it was a strange experience for him. "I felt awkward as everybody there was staring at me as if I were from another planet. It was because I wore a kandoura." He said he was the only one at the mall wearing the white Emirati traditional dress. "I was in the middle of a sea of expatriates, many of whom might not have seen something like that before." He considers that part of the fallout of the vast changes the UAE society has gone through over the past decade due to the amazingly rapid growth in the economy. "We have developed an identity crisis," he explains, referring to the UAE people. "Sometimes we feel like strangers in our own country," he says, pointing out that foreigners now constitute more almost 90 per cent of the population - a stark contrast with the officially announced census results which said last year that foreigners represented 79 per cent of the UAE's total population. Too late He acknowledges "the danger" of the country's demographic dilemma but says it is "too late" to find ways to solve it. "The best we can do is to search for ways to how best to co-exist as nationals with the expatriate majority in the UAE," he says. A similar dilemma that concerns Dr Al Suwaidi is the rising cost of living. He wonders how citizens of "one of the world's richest nations" continue to suffer from "the madness of the price increases". "Where is the government? What is the role of the FNC? In a free market state, economic laws don't seem to apply. Adam Smith [the British father of modern economics who died more than 200 years ago] died twice, the second time was here in the UAE," Dr Al Suwaidi declared with a bit of irony. Abu Dhabi Islamism is not compatible with democracy, according to Dr Al Suwaidi. "We must admit that religious currents, like the Muslim Brotherhood, carry a message that enjoys the sympathy of the majority in the Arab world. But if they grabbed power they would send everybody to the gallows. Today, we are stuck between two extremes: the authoritarian regimes on one hand and the Islamist totalitarian opposition," he said. In the UAE the Brotherhood has a following, he reveals. "But they have yet to interfere in state policies. By nature, the Brotherhood adapts to the surrounding atmosphere. The Brothers in the UAE, hence, are different from those in Egypt or Jordan for example. But they surely have a local leadership in this country, carry public activities and have their own institutions. But in general they act quietly." A multi-faceted personality Dr Jamal Al Suwaidi received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin, US, and is Professor of Political Science at the UAE University in Al Ain. He is also a Council Member at Zayed University and a member of the National Media Council. He has written numerous articles on many topics, including Gulf security, perceptions of democracy in Arab and Western societies, women and development, and is a contributing author to a number of political publications. The Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) was established in 1994 in Abu Dhabi as an independent academic institution to facilitate objective research on key political and socio-economic issues, and developments affecting the UAE and the Gulf.

Sharjah Roads

The most dangerous thing on Sharjah roads: Siobhan in her Hyundai Coupe.

A little bit of Sharjah...

I lived in Sharjah in 1998-99, and it was my first experience living and working abroad. There was no mall to speak of. The Spinneys Grocery store sold some British goods that were unfamiliar to me at that time, and my Canadian flatmate's conversion to Canadian dollars (as opposed to USD) had my head spinning. I thought everything was really expensive, when it was quite average. We had a McDonald's, KFC, and a Pizza Hut, and I hate all three. The movie theatres there chopped foreign films to bits (Sharjah is more conservative that Dubai), and there was no Starbucks. Well...let's just say it's changed a hell of a lot in just under 10 years. I took these from my friend Diaa's flat.

More Malls, More Gold

Ibn Battuta Mall (much prettier than Mall of the Emirates, less crowded) has some gorgeous Islamic architecture, and there are plenty of interactive stations around the mall that educate as to the Islamic contribution of Science and Mathematics. It's less crowded because it's located in Jebel Ali, another former 'outskirt' of Dubai, which has gone from having one crappy Choithrams grocery store (I swear that place used to only sell canned food and other pantry items) to having a full housing development (Jebel Ali Gardens) and a luxury shopping mall w/ lots of restaurants. If you're going south on Sheikh Zayed Road, and you are fortunate enough to miss the exit to Mall of the Emirates, keep driving a few more miles until you hit Ibn Battuta. I'm not a fan of shopping malls, but this one isn't bad. Restaurant "Fiesta" inside the mall was also a nice stop for the right price. Images seen here are taken from outside the mall (sorry-didn't capture the gorgeous mosaic dome inside), in the "Gardens", and the Jebel Ali Mosque. The shopkeeper image came from Uptown Mirdif.

Girls Drive from Dubai to Um Al Quwain

We visited the Imar Spa in Um Al Quwain which is a women-only spa. The spa only has 4 overnight rooms, so the six of us had the place to ourselves for the evening. Some of these photos are on the drive to UAQ. It rained most of the trip there, and we were welcomed by thunderstorms for the rest of the afternoon. So much for sunbathing.

The Burj Dubai

This building is apparently about 1/2 way built. They won't release the intended height, so as not to be bypassed by other architects. It's meant to be the tallest building in the world when it's done.

Some Photos from the UAE

Images 1 and 2: Pardon the power lines, but we were in the car when I took this. Was hoping to capture the suggested elegance of the sleek high rises, coupled w/ the true reality of Dubai construction.

Image 3: A street in Mirdif, which was once the 'outskirts' of Dubai. In the last couple years, they have acquired a grocery store, an open air shopping centre (come on! It's Dubai-of course there's a mall!), and multiple schools. No longer the outskirts, Mirdif has moved into official suburb status. It's quiet (except for the fact that it's in the flight path of DXB airport), you hear birds, a Starbucks and Caribou Coffee are both found in central Mirfif at the Uptown Mirdif shopping centre.

More than 2,000 workers housed in cargo containers
By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter
Dubai: More than 2,000 workers are living in containers in Al Aweer, Gulf News has learnt. There are more than 100 containers, each measuring 40 feet in length, 7.6 feet wide and 8 feet high. These rows of containers are kept on the premises of camp 8 and camp 9. Each container is divided into two sections, with eight workers in each half. The inside of the containers have a plywood finish. Bunk-beds occupy most of the space, leaving little room for the occupants to move around. The room also has a small table, pots and pans and a television set. The workers said they did raise the issue, but to no avail. The workers said they were shifted to Al Aweer eight months ago from Sonapur where they all lived in a proper company accommodation. “Our company does have a proper accommodation for workers but now company staff lives there. We got shifted here. “Currently we are building villas after which we will be shifted. All that the company needs to do is to shift the containers along with us,” said a worker. Each room has an exhaust fan and an air-conditioner, and a fire-extinguisher for every three containers. There are toilet and bathroom facilities in different containers. There are additional taps out in the open for washing and bathing. The kitchen area, however, is made of plywood. A separate container is exclusively kept for those workers who fall sick. Electricity is provided by a generator that runs 24 hours, and drinking water is brought in by tankers. The entire premises is fenced and visitors are only allowed in if they submit their labour card to the security guard at the main gate. Additional security guards are placed on the premises to ensure harmony among the different nationalities. The majority of the workers living there are Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. The security guards are all Nepalese. Gulf News tried to get in touch with the company, but no one was available for comment.

From The Gulf News

Better yet, get a load of the 'ass-whoopin' this commenter had to share:

Containers are designed to transport and store goods and as such are not
suitable for human occupancy. I request the company to kindly provide them with
proper living facilities.

ClaytonChennai,India

Bush Senior in the "Seat of Heat"

From the Gulf News:

Bush's policies in the region draw wide criticism
By Ahmed A. Elewa, Staff Reporter
Abu Dhabi: "Here in the UAE we do honour Americans, and I believe that they are highly respected in our country. However, we do not respect your son, and we do not respect what you are doing all over the world."
That was the comment addressed to George Bush Sr by Nevine Al Rumeisi, a student at the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) during his presentation at the World Leadership Summit yesterday.
Nevine's remarks provoked strong applause and further criticism for US policies in the region. Bush, who emphasised in his presentation the importance of family values in creating a strong leader, seemed astonished by the remarks that reflect the declining popularity of the US among the public.
"I respect your right to get up and say what's on your mind, in other places you are not allowed to do that, yet it takes a lot of guts to tell a father what you said about his son when I just told you that the thing that matters to my heart is my family... but I disagree with you, my son is an honest man, he is working hard for peace, and how come everybody wants to go to the US if the US is so bad?"
He inquired yet to provoke an American citizen residing in the UAE to criticise his response on the grounds that the remark made by Nevine was not against Americans, but only a free expression of her opinion towards the policies of George Bush junior.
"I think the remarks that you made about why people need to go to America to be very hostile and make the country look even worse," he said.
These remarks provoked even stronger applause and were followed by yet another remark from an HCT male student who objected to the US policy of going to war against the world for the collapse of two buildings in New York, while ignoring the tens of buildings collapsing in Palestine.
Bush went on explaining that the president of the US cannot be changing his views as a result of opinion polls or some hard talk, and that he understands the anxiety resulting from the situation in Iraq. "But people one day might look back and feel grateful that they got rid of Saddam," he said.
During his presentation, Bush was keen to emphasize how his family affected his life, especially his mother and his sons, and provided him with the core values, or what he termed the universal values that shape any leader.
He stressed the importance of taking the blame not only the credit and keeping the word of honour.
"Schwarzkopf could have been able to march to Baghdad and overthrow Saddam, but I kept my word of honour, and we only kicked him out of Kuwait," he commented.
He also highlighted the importance of changes whenever the circumstances allowed, and respecting the different opinion, even if it comes from an opponent.
He concluded by saying that "regardless of the oil prices, all other nations should follow the UAE's steps, especially by investing in the human capital and education to build an economy based on science and technology."