Published on ShanghaiDaily.com (http://www.shanghaidaily.com/)
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200807/20080716/article_366965.htm
Dubai on the prowl for beach 'indecency'
Created: 2008-7-16 0:28:58
UNDERCOVER police are strolling beaches and manning watchtowers to crack down on topless sunbathing, nudity and other forms of behavior deemed indecent in the Persian Gulf tourist haven of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Nearly 80 people have been detained in recent days in a campaign that reveals a clash of customs in this traditional Muslim city-state that attracts thousands of Western partygoers.
The campaign against indecency on the beach was sparked after police detained a British man and a woman who were allegedly discovered having sex on one of Dubai's sprawling shores earlier this month.
Over the past two weeks, police have detained a total of 79 people for "disturbing families enjoying the beach" with their behavior, Zuhair Haroun, a spokesman for Dubai's Criminal Investigation Department, said.
As a result, Dubai has embarked on a public awareness campaign to remind Western tourists and foreign residents that the city may have flashy hotels and glitzy skyscrapers but it also is in a Muslim country with traditionally conservative values.
The city is installing signs warning tourists in Arabic, English and several other languages not to sunbathe topless or change clothes in public, said Abdullah Mohammed Rafia, an official with Dubai Municipality whose office is overseeing the public awareness campaign.
Police have installed watchtowers and dispatched undercover officers to patrol the beaches, which also will be lit up at night to curb "inappropriate behavior." First-time offenders may be issued a warning, but if caught twice, tourists could be referred to the public prosecutor for possible criminal charges, authorities said.
Authorities are "taking action in response to numerous complaints" filed by people who visit the city's beaches, Rafia said. Complaints have ranged from families "offended by displays of nudity" to women sunbathers who say groups of men stare at them while at the beach.
The police campaign will target people who harass beachgoers with acts "deemed offensive, immoral or disrespectful," including loitering and voyeurism, said Dubai's acting police chief, Major General Khamis Mattar al-Mazeina.
Unlike elsewhere in the conservative Persian Gulf, tourists in Dubai are often seen wearing skimpy bikinis on public beaches and walk the city's streets in shorts. Alcohol is freely available in hotel bars and restaurants.
Nearly 80 people have been detained in recent days in a campaign that reveals a clash of customs in this traditional Muslim city-state that attracts thousands of Western partygoers.
The campaign against indecency on the beach was sparked after police detained a British man and a woman who were allegedly discovered having sex on one of Dubai's sprawling shores earlier this month.
Over the past two weeks, police have detained a total of 79 people for "disturbing families enjoying the beach" with their behavior, Zuhair Haroun, a spokesman for Dubai's Criminal Investigation Department, said.
As a result, Dubai has embarked on a public awareness campaign to remind Western tourists and foreign residents that the city may have flashy hotels and glitzy skyscrapers but it also is in a Muslim country with traditionally conservative values.
The city is installing signs warning tourists in Arabic, English and several other languages not to sunbathe topless or change clothes in public, said Abdullah Mohammed Rafia, an official with Dubai Municipality whose office is overseeing the public awareness campaign.
Police have installed watchtowers and dispatched undercover officers to patrol the beaches, which also will be lit up at night to curb "inappropriate behavior." First-time offenders may be issued a warning, but if caught twice, tourists could be referred to the public prosecutor for possible criminal charges, authorities said.
Authorities are "taking action in response to numerous complaints" filed by people who visit the city's beaches, Rafia said. Complaints have ranged from families "offended by displays of nudity" to women sunbathers who say groups of men stare at them while at the beach.
The police campaign will target people who harass beachgoers with acts "deemed offensive, immoral or disrespectful," including loitering and voyeurism, said Dubai's acting police chief, Major General Khamis Mattar al-Mazeina.
Unlike elsewhere in the conservative Persian Gulf, tourists in Dubai are often seen wearing skimpy bikinis on public beaches and walk the city's streets in shorts. Alcohol is freely available in hotel bars and restaurants.
Agencies
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