The media is still trying to learn details about the latest arrest of a Westerner in the Middle East for the exercise of free speech. The 25-year-old woman was reportedly arrested in Abu Dhabi for insulting the United Arab Emirates. This allegedly occurred while waiting for a taxi at the Abu Dhabi International Airport.
The National, a state-owned newspaper, reports that the woman has already appeared in Federal Supreme Court and has been jailed since February 23rd. Two months in jail for saying something insulting about a country. This is one of our closest Middle Eastern allies. While we often (and rightfully) denounce countries like Iran for their denial of basic liberties and extremist religious views, we tend to ignore the actions and laws of our own allies.
The UAE is apparently so fragile that people cannot even utter criticism of the country or government as a whole. It is a problem rampant among many Muslim nations which have waged an ongoing war against free speech and the free exercise of religion.
The UAE is living on borrowed time in any event.
@stevegroen Oh, I figured I’d just post the usual inane nonsense that appears in every comment thread on this blog and save others the hassle.
“We were never allied with countries like this until Obama. And..
..gays and liberals deserve blame too….
.because.”
joshzzzz writes, ““We were never allied with countries like this until Obama. And..
..gays and liberals deserve blame too….
.because.””
From what I can understand of your post, you believe we were never allied with countries “like this” until Obama . . . I don’t know that yours is a true statement, josh:
According to Wikipedia, on January 15, 2009 [before Obama]:
“His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed a bilateral agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation that enhances international standards of nuclear non-proliferation. . . . President Barack Obama subsequently endorsed the agreement and submitted it to Congress on May 20, 2009 for the mandatory 90-day review.After a hearing on Capitol Hill in July 2009, leaders of the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations Committees issued resolutions supporting the US-UAE nuclear cooperation agreement.”
And Saudi Arabia is a country “like this” from which we launched Desert Storm.
It’s my understanding that have arrested women for much less that looking like a “hochi mama” or whatever that is. The UAE follows a sharia form of law, westerns should realize you have no rights and then women have less than nothing.
My nephew works at Laguardia as airport security. He is going to arrest some UAE diplomat to square things up. They carry drugs in all the time.
David, I noticed that as well.
Hard to tell what she was arrested for. I expect their government to lie about it.
US citizens who travel to or work in the ME -especially women- should reconsider.
They are totalitarian countries that can change their behavior toward you on a dime.
They are not America.
The linked article says the woman refused to talk to men who approached her.
Title: “American woman held in Abu Dhabi for refusing to talk to men at airport”
… two men approached her at the airport and … she “refused to engage with them and nothing happened.”
So the insult was through silence… lack of acknowledgment?
I agree.
I favor fracking and nuclear energy on US soil.
” …when we believe the basis of any good government is secularism.”
If only Obama knew.
KC, so you’re in agreement that a secular government is appropriate given the alternatives?
David Bowie: This is not America
To be fair, I have read posts elsewhere in which Americans who have worked in the UAE for many years, say that the police at the airport are generally very accommodating to foreigners, and if someone is dressed or behaving in a way that violates their laws, they will explain their restrictions and allow the person an opportunity to comply before making an arrest. Thus, if the 25-year American came off the plane dressed like a “hoochy-mama” and covered in tattoos, they would explain that under their law, she needs to cover her arms and legs. She could go into the women’s restroom and change. But if she responded “eff you and your f’ing country,” she would be arrested. So until more details come out, we may wish to delay judgement. I suspect, however, that she was one of our unfortunately self-absorbed millennials who failed to recognize that when traveling in foreign countries, you need to respect their laws and their culture.
This reminds me of when we would have sailors report for duty onboard our ship and complain that “this is not how we did “it” on our last ship.” I would need to remind them, “this is not your last ship.” Foreigners visiting these countries need to take personal responsibility and become knowledgeable of their laws, they cannot expect their home countries legal system to save them when they ignorantly violate laws and customs of the host country.
Really, Steve G? You have questions about this?
Another example of the stupidity and intolerance of Arab countries which are run by Islamic idiots. Are these semi literate morons are allies? We should leave the middle east to the camels and the scorpions
The bigger question is why we’ve been so corrupted controlling the oil fields that we’d want Muslim and Jewish states as allies when we believe the basis of any good government is secularism.
I hope this woman is valuable enough to our oligarchy that it feels the need to get her out of the UAE.
The UAE. Just the kind of sponsor our universities and museums want. No not because the UAE supports frees speach and but because they love to give money to fawning infidels who are to greedy to notice they are selling their birth right. Westerners, particularly women,should boycott these places!
I did see that they are asking for 28 pages of the 9/11 report concerning the Saudis to be declassified.