Thread: Stop, stop, stop all the dancing

A couple of days ago, a letter to the editor was published in '7 Days', a free English language paper distributed here in Dubai from a mother who was reprimanded by the police at Global Village for dancing with her young son. Global Village is like a State Fair/Easter Show/Expo where various countries have pavilions selling their products and displaying their culture including dance shows by cultural groups. It seems the mother made the mistake of dancing with her young son while watching one of the dance shows which resulted in her being publicly and, by her account aggressively, reprimanded by the police and remember that all the while there were dancers performing on stage only metres away.
Clause 1.5 of the Dubai Code of Conduct states: "Dancing and music: Loud music and dancing are forbidden in public places like parks, beaches or residential areas and must be restricted to licensed venues only." So be warned, when out in public here in the UAE please refrain from any action that could be construed in any way, shape or form, as moving in a dance like manner. Some head nodding is ok, maybe a bit of subdued handclapping but other than that we'd better keep it behind locked doors.
Here's the letter :
A word of warning. I visited Global Village on Thursday evening with my elderly mother, another female friend and our three young children, all under the age of seven.
Having braved the crowds, paid exorbitant prices for our children to ride on the fairground rides (costs range from dhs10 to dhs25 each per ride!), and visited the many country pavilions, we stopped to watch a display of African music and dance outside the Africa pavilion.
It was a fabulous sight, with beautiful music. The children loved it and were dancing, and I danced briefly with my seven-year-old son.
A few minutes later, three - count them - three plain clothes police officers physically surrounded our party and aggressively informed us that dancing was not allowed anywhere.
They were extremely intimidating and forceful, and the children were openly frightened of both them and the situation we were forced into. I felt like a criminal.
We were horrified and our evening was ruined. We left immediately.
There are no signs or information leaflets at GV telling tourists and visitors that dancing is not permitted. I was not dancing suggestively or dressed provocatively, I was having fun with my children. I have lived in the UAE for many years and am well aware of the need to respect local culture and religion.
Perhaps the solution is for Global Village organisers to publicise the rules for visitors outside before they enter the park to avoid any misunderstandings in future.
(Signed) A Resident, Dubai

Sadness ..cr.:

So be warned, when out in public here in the UAE please refrain from any action that could be construed in any way, shape or form, as moving in a dance like manner. Some head nodding is ok, maybe a bit of subdued handclapping but other than that we'd better keep it behind locked doors.
Here's the letter :

Sounds like some civil disobedience by the locals is in order here.

I have been to UAE as well (its not far from me LOL), I have never heard this before, but if you ask me it's ridiculous. If the dance was not sexually suggestive (no grinding and boob grabbing, etc...) just something to have fun with the kids then why not. As a covering muslim woman, observing that, it would not bother me.

Of course customs are different everywhere, but they should put some kind of notice and not have police officers making you intimidated and feel like a criminal. Its just too much...

Hugs,
Amani

This sounds like a case of ignorance of the law is no excuse. But it also sounds as though it could have been handled with more tact.

I agree with anala. Some dancing in the streets may be in order. . .

{{{HUGS}}}

This, along with the ridiculous rape report case of the British tourist couple (woman reports she is raped by hotel worker; Dubai authorities charge her and boyfriend with indecency; she and boyfriend "find" marriage certificate; authorities drop indecency charge and say they're thinking of charging them for drinking alcohol...) strikes me as probably politically/economically motivated.

Dubai's economic situation is such that it's going cap in hand to other emirates, which tend to have a) dosh galore b) a preference for conservative values. I just *know* they're going "hmm, Dubai, you have got yourself in trouble. Well we could help out, a few billion here and there, but tsk tsk tsk, you've got to do something about all this *immorality*..."