TresSugar

Dubai: Pumping Sewage, Jailing Lovebirds, and Growing

CitizenSugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Dubai is everywhere. Well, not everywhere, it's specifically on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf and one of the seven emirates in the United Arab Emirates and the most populous city of the UAE. On the plane to the RNC I read Ben Mezrich's new book, Rigged: The True Story of an Ivy League Kid Who Changed the World of Oil From Wall Street to Dubai. It's excellent and piqued my interest for this rapidly expanding city blending western ideas deep in the heart of the Middle East. Then my dad forwarded a photo taken from the top of the construction of the world's tallest skyscraper being built there. Seems like Dubai is a glittering paradise?

Sort of. To see what I mean, read more.

The mix of a Vegas-y feel of Western excess within a Middle Eastern climate of expectation has led one British couple to be imprisoned for three months for allegedly having sex on the beach. Literally. They're appealing their sentence. In the meantime, discussion has been sparked as to what is, or is not, acceptable behavior in the Muslim state of Dubai. Oh, and that huge skyscraper? It turns out giant buildings like that require giant infrastructure. That hasn't quite kept pace with Dubai's growth - they're having a little bit of a raw sewage problem on the beaches. As soon as they get that straightened out, I could be down for a visit.

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Dubai: Land of $1.5 Billion Hotel, More Modern Muslims

LibertySugar — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 03:00:27 -0700

A $1.5 billion Atlantis hotel will open tomorrow on Dubai's palm tree-shaped island. The lavish digs include: dolphins flown 30 hours from the South Pacific, a $25,000 a night suite, an open-air tank with 65,000 fish, stingrays, and other sea creatures, and 16 restaurants.

Compared to the rest of the Arab world, where Islamic faith is gaining significance in the lives of youth, residents of Dubai can choose to worship more modern wonders like nightclubs and casual girlfriends. Religion has become a personal choice, rather than a collective identity, according to a recent New York Times profile.

Young workers explain that Dubai, an Islamic state, allows Muslims to embrace a religious life if they choose, while also achieving career advancement and lifestyle comforts. Still others are confused, saying that the contradicting culture - "you can have prostitutes, but don't get caught with a woman" - takes time to get used to.

Perhaps economic growth could mean a new way of life in the Middle East.

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When in Dubai . . . Don't Have Sex on the Beach

LibertySugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:00:25 -0700

A British woman working in Dubai faces six years in jail, after Dubai officials caught her allegedly having sex on beach. Dubai may be the Las Vegas of the Middle East, but it's no sin city. The thirty-year-old businesswoman has been charged with sex outside marriage, indecent behavior in public, being drunk in public, and assaulting a police officer. Her male counterpart also faces a maximum of six years.

The woman involved, who apparently made the mistake of traveling to the Middle East to have sex in public, fears that Dubai will make an example of her by issuing the toughest sentence. The minimum is three months.

While this woman should have known that having sex on a beach, in Dubai nonetheless, would be against the law, I think a six-year sentence offends a universal understanding of fairness and human rights. Do you feel sorry for the woman, or should she rightly suffer the local consequences for her misbehavior? Would this make you reconsider a trip to Dubai?

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Father of Slumdog Star Denies Putting Daughter Up For Sale

TresSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:00:00 -0700

The father of Slumdog Millionaire star Rubina Ali has denied putting his daughter up for adoption (or, as the rest of the world says, "sale") to the BBC.

Over the weekend, UK paper News of the World reported he was asking £200,000 (nearly $300,000) for his 9-year-old daughter. I'd like to say it wasn't as sinister as it sounds, but, basically, it was.

Allegedly, it started innocently enough. A Middle Eastern family moved by Rubina's story offered to adopt her, you know, like Madonna does (their words). While this was pretty presumptuous, at least it was well-intentioned: they wanted her to escape the Mumbai ghetto. But the offer sowed an idea into her father's head, and now he's looking to reap bigger rewards.

News of the World reporters contacted Rubina's uncle, telling him they worked for a wealthy sheik in Dubai. (He speaks English on her father's behalf and agreed to meet them.) While her uncle said they were concerned - or "interested" - in the girl's future, he did not ask for the sheik's name, intentions, or background.

"We can discuss everything about this deal when we meet," he said. "There's a lot of interest in Rubina, she's become very famous."

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First Interview: Obama Tells Arab World US Wants to Be Friends

LibertySugar — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:00:14 -0800

Granting his first official interview as president to Al-Arabiya, a major Dubai-based Arab network, Barack Obama reached out to the Muslim world telling them "the Americans are not your enemy."

Some highlights from yesterday's interview include:

On the US role in negotiating peace between Palestine and Israel: And so what I told him [Mideast envoy George Mitchell] is start by listening, because all too often the United States starts by dictating. . . . Ultimately, we cannot tell either the Israelis or the Palestinians what's best for them. They're going to have to make some decisions. But I do believe that the moment is ripe for both sides to realize that the path that they are on is one that is not going to result in prosperity and security for their people.
On the notion of a Palestinian state: I think it is possible for us to see a Palestinian state - I'm not going to put a time frame on it - that is contiguous, that allows freedom of movement for its people, that allows for trade with other countries, that allows the creation of businesses and commerce so that people have a better life.
On al-Qaeda: They seem nervous . . . what that tells me is that their ideas are bankrupt. There's no actions that they've taken that say a child in the Muslim world is getting a better education because of them, or has better healthcare because of them.
On US relations with the Muslim world: My job is to communicate to the American people that the Muslim world is filled with extraordinary people who simply want to live their lives and see their children live better lives. My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy.

Are you surprised that Obama chose an Arab network for his first TV interview?

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Briefing Book! Bailout Tops $8 Trillion in Taxpayer Money

LibertySugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:00:12 -0800

Bailout: How much? Bailout payout tops $8 trillion. - Politico
Russia: Has Cold War II started? Russia sending warships to Cuba again. - 23/6
Bush: Sad you didn't get to see Jon Stewart's reaction to the shoe incident? Watch other late-night comedians react. - Huffington Post
The Future: Dubai is the new Venice? The 21st-century looks more like the 14th century than it does the 20th. - Good

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Too Much Democracy For Some Kuwaitis

LibertySugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Is there such a thing as too much democracy? Kuwaitis looking to some of their prospering and autocratic neighbors -like Dubai, Abu Dubai, and Qatar - are beginning to think so.

In many ways, Kuwait is a shining example of democracy in the region. Today's New York Times explains that in Kuwait, Sunnis and Shiites get along, and there is a thriving civil society. Women were given the right to vote and run for office two years ago.

But, with the world's fifth largest oil reserves, many Kuwaitis feel they should be attracting more investment and economic progress. So who gets blamed? Democracy. According to the article, Parliament is seen as a body that bogs down new projects and Kuwait's potential. Kuwait has had trouble reforming its state-controlled economy, and legislation regarding foreign investment perpetually stalled.

Despite discontent, some admit that it is not democracy that it is the problem, but rather the way it is being used.

Is frustration with the government an inevitable by-product of democracy? If the majority of citizens want something other than representative democracy, is that a type of democracy itself? Can democracy in other regions take on a form that differs from the Western tradition?

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British Behavior Abroad: Just Like Americans on Spring Break!

LibertySugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:45:05 -0700

Forget about ugly Americans, Britons are proving themselves too wild for the rest of Europe. Locals of Greek vacation destinations told the New York Times that young Brits make their presence known by brawling, getting violently sick, crowding clinics for the morning-after pill, screaming and singing in public, taking their clothes off, and falling over in the middle of the street.

Many British travel companies offer packages popular for the cheap alcohol. It sounds like these young Brits treat their Summer holidays like American spring break.

If a bad hangover and a couple of bruises sound bad to you, the actions of these party animals have more serious consequences, too. Between 2006 and 2007, 602 Britons were hospitalized and 28 raped in Greece, while 1,581 died in Spain where another 2,032 were arrested. And the Brits have taken their trouble out of Europe, too. Remember the woman sitting in a Middle Eastern prison for having sex on a public beach in Dubai?

To find out what the British government plans to do about its unruly citizens, read more.

Taking a diplomatic approach, the British consulate in Athens began a marketing campaign to urge travelers to drink responsibly. Local officials want to go after the companies that sell bad behavior vacation packages. What do you think could get Brits to change their ways?

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Briefing Book! Knowing Is Half the Battle . . .

LibertySugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:00:54 -0700

Election: Are three American flags better than one? Day one of John McCain's get-to-know-me tour. - First Read

The Middle East: How do you turn a desert into a luxurious oasis? Amazing before-and-after pictures of Dubai. - Gridskipper
Voting: Could the Republicans pick the Democratic Nominee? How the GOP rigged Florida and Michigan. - The Huffington Post
Love: Could you date a liberal? Thoughts on partisan dating. - Michelle Malkin

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