"This allows for a more permissive and less hypocritical society," she says, adding that "contrary to Dubai, it is not just a form of freedom aimed at creating the right atmosphere for business and tourism".Obviously if I say I most certainly agree, I'll be called an unpatriotic local.
Across the globe and especially in America, hundreds of other gay Muslims have started to pursue marriages of convenience--or MOC, as they are known-- in which gay Muslims seek out lesbian Muslims, and vice versa, for appearances' sake.
. . .
Jack Fertig, a co-coordinator for al-Fatiha, a national advocacy group for gay Muslims, says he comes across at least one such e-mail request every month. "It's obvious that this is becoming a viable option," he said. "People are seeking, looking and trying to make connections that could develop into such marriages."
. . .
Muslim authorities around the world have repeatedly emphasized that homosexuality is not permissible. Muzammil Siddiqi of the Islamic Society of North America said there is no flexibility on this topic.
"Homosexuality is a moral disorder. It is a moral disease, a sin and corruption. . . . No person is born homosexual, just like no one is born a thief, a liar or murderer," he said. "People acquire these evil habits due to a lack of proper guidance and education."
It's an interesting read.
"New York has the Statue of Liberty. Paris has the Eiffel Tower. Dubai's symbol, for now, is the construction crane."
Dubai Ports has gotten a new contract to develop Puerto Callao, in Peru, creating a vibrant container terminal where none existed, so that Peru can export its natural gas reserves and anything else would like to export, and get rich doing it. After all, they’ve got a free trade pact with the U.S., they might as well use it!
This port is extremely critical for Peru’s development and will serve as a beachhead from which Peru can challenge the energy export supremacy of Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez and his little Bolivian minime, Evo Morales. From this new port, tons of new energy will flow to the U.S.’s, Mexico’s and Asia’s markets, adding to world supply, driving down the prices, and in the end doing its part to put these dictators out of business.
Thank you, Dubai Ports International.
Super-sized Dubai-style poor taste may, in fact, be the biggest threat to U.S. ports. Would Dubai Ports World go beyond dinosaurs and develop a theme park in which tourists fend off lifelike terrorists?If all this reads like the author's day job isn't breezy journalism, you are right. She's an academic.
Honesty compels me to admit that from a national security perspective, Dubai Ports World's motto — "The force that's breaking the industry mold" — is not particularly reassuring.
But leave that aside. Here's the real question: Is Dubai Ports World truly up to the challenge of turning ramshackle American ports into luxury theme parks?
My initial investigation was discouraging. The company's international website tends toward the pedantic, offering tedious detail concerning quay lengths, intermodal container traffic and gross crane moves per hour, but few hints of luxurious excess.
The company's United Arab Emirates website (www.dpworld.ae) offers more hope, however. The home page features "Captain Hamad," a winking cartoon lad in a sailor suit who beckons visitors to the "Kids Zone" for "an unusual tour" and "fun in the game zone." Need I say that winking sailor boys — with the words "unusual" and "fun" in close proximity — are all promising signs of Neverland-style theme parks to come?
A Nigerian man was stopped at Dubai Airport with 121 plastic bags full of more than three kilos of heroin, a court heard. The man, in his 20s, was travelling from Pakistan to Nigeria when customs officials became suspicious, the Dubai Court of First Instance heard. The man claimed he was delivering the bags for someone else and had no idea what was in them. The case continues.
ABU DHABI - The UAE has announced a ban on issuing employment visas to expatriate male/female secretaries. The ban also applies to more than 20,000 expatriates working at present in secretarial jobs.
On the request of tenants, Al Habtoor Group's real estate division, which manages the Emirates Oasis community compound, issued a notice on June 15, restricting housemaids from using the swimming pool and gym.
Martin Seward-Case of the Interim Steering Committee for Emaar's Springs and Meadows communities in the Emirates Hills said he was "glad" to hear that residents' concerns were being addressed at Emirates Oasis. "We believe that residents should have a greater right to use the facilities than those that are using them through employment," said the British national.
...
Julia Atherton-Dandy, a British national residing in the Gardens said she did not mind sharing the recreational facilities with maids but did not express the same enthusiasm for male employees at the compound.
Revered R&B and Hip-Hop producer Dallas Austin has been detained in a Dubai prison for allegedly transporting illegal drugs into the Arab country.
According to the New York Daily News, the producer was traveling to model Naomi Campbell's birthday party last month when he was incarcerated.
1 Dhs per hour. That is what the companies in UAE, which are making windfall profits compared to the rest of the world pay a labourer for working overtime, according to Gulf News Property Weekly article. Not that it is surprising. Every day we come across press releases saying "XXX Billion Dollar Project Launched". Don't they have a few more dirhams to spare for these struggling labourers who are giving Dubai the competitive advantage over the rest of the world?
DUBAI • A United Arab Emirates (UAE) appeal court has commuted to imprisonment a sentence of death by stoning handed down by a lower court against a Bangladeshi convicted of adultery, reports said yesterday.-- more here
The court ordered Shaheen Abdel Rahman jailed for a year and then deported to his home country, the Khaleej Times newspaper said. An Islamic court in the emirate of Fujairah, one of seven that make up the federation, earlier this month handed down the death penalty against Abdel Rahman and a one-year jail sentence and 100 lashes against his unnamed co-defendant who was working as a live-in maid. Her sentence was upheld by the appeal court on Monday.
It has been a while since I posted anything here or in my blog, but I have been busy with school and summer. I wanted to invite everyone to take a look at my experiment in AJAX and content aggregation.
This is somewhere near the airport. Read 'Dubai'
The World islands.
The Palm Jumeirah.
The Emirates Towers.
DUCAMZ and Dubai Used Car Complex (Top left). Zoom in to find your car. :/
The over-pictured building in Dubai.
Burj Dubai under construction.
Dubai International Airport's extension under construction.
Dragon Mart.
With each passing game, my frustration on not being able to watch the FIFA World Cup 2006 is growing. Here is a wallpaper for disgruntled football fans who are not able to watch the game in the comfort of their homes.Dubai tower developers hit flight path turbulence
Developers may face restrictions in areas of Dubai previously unaffected by limitations on building heights.
The race to build super-tall skyscrapers in Dubai is beginning to interfere with the flight paths of planes landing at the airport.
And developers are being forced to slash the height of proposed buildings — costing them millions of dollars in lost sales and rental income.
We need to get rid of this guy who represents and advocates everything that a cultured civilisation is not. And I do not mean the 7 foot bulk-heads (with exceptions, ofcourse) who just do what their masters ask them to do. It is the corporations, the companies and the authorities whose deep-rooted ignorance and prejudice that is undermining the very existence of a multi-cultural society.Internet blogs are giving rise to a new breed of Arab activist as ordinary residents increasingly use them to press for more political rights and civil liberties in conservative Gulf states.
...
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has the region's second biggest weblog community, an Emirati male blogger writing in Arabic was censored one week after launching "The Land of Sands" in 2004.
But he has found a way to circumvent the Internet servers of Etisalat, the state telecommunications monopoly, and continues posting his writings in which he attacks clerics and charges their influence is rising in the UAE.
"They follow a systematic plan to penetrate the government, media, schools and the laws. They are 'Islamising' our world, mind and life," he told AFP in an email interview.
"Civil liberties and freedoms are definitely restricted... some emirates turn a blind eye on personal freedom in places like Dubai for business reasons only," he said, referring to the thriving commercial center and most tolerant member of the UAE federation.
Gulf News, published: 06/11/2006 12:00 AM (UAE)
Construction worker dies of heatstroke
By Bassma Al Jandaly, Staff Reporter
Dubai: A worker died of heatstroke after collapsing at a construction site at around midday on Saturday, police said.
Police said the Indian worker, identified as Harinath, died in Rashid Hospital after collapsing at his worksite near Dubai's Knowledge Village.
Hospital sources said he died following complications after suffering heatstroke while working in the summer heat.
"The temperature was very high and the workers cannot tolerate such heat," a hospital source said.
"I have told you a hundred times.. ", the Dubai Municipality official said to my puzzled Egyptian friend, ".. no touching, no mingling, no kissing..this is UAE..not America. You being an Arab should know. Not approved".
'Emirates Evening Post' a seemingly obscure newspaper, with a not-so-remarkable editorial content, has again raised some uncomfortable questions, albeit unintentionally through their 'Ask your Lawyer' column.
The word culture, from the Latin colo, -ere, with its root meaning "to cultivate", generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. Different definitions of "culture" reflect different theoretical bases for understanding, or criteria for evaluating, human activity. Egyptian Culture has 5000 years history of flourishing art, architecture, religion, literature and language. Indian culture is one of the oldest and has retained much of its illustrious art, architectural and musical heritage till date. Almost 1200 years of Roman culture and heritage is considered instrumental in shaping the social structure and civilization we see today.
So when a UAE government-funded property developer gives another-drop-your-jaws- here-is-another-press-release which says that“
So what do you think? Is this the real culture and heritage of Dubai?
I had someone ask for an aisle seat so that his or her hair wouldn't get messed up by being near the window.
A client called in inquiring about a package to Hawaii. After going over all the cost info, she asked, "Would it be cheaper to fly to California and then take the train to Hawaii?"
Why Americans Should Never Be Allowed To Travel
actual stories provided by travel agents
funny.
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