Culture should be respected, say UAE residents

Dubai: Public displays of physical intimacy between couples is considered to be in poor taste by Gulf News readers.

A cross-section of readers interviewed were of the view that the country's laws should be respected.

"You cannot disrespect the country, its morals and the values it upholds," said Paul Sherlock, a British expatriate.

Public intimacy in the UAE is known to be against the law. But, with an influx of people from different cultures arriving in the country an awareness of the country's laws may sometimes be lacking.

According to Gulf News readers, it is the moral responsibility of people who enter the country to gain an awareness of the rules and respect the values of the country they are visiting or living in.

"People should really be more aware. When they step off the plane they should know - or at least be warned, about the standards and rules that the country expects of them," Sherlock said.

Aisha Al Beloushi, an Emirati marine biologist agreed, saying that people should respect the society they live in.

She said: "I'm the kind of person who would say 'do what you want', but it should be respectful and within the cultural limits.

"It would be silly of people to do such a thing, in public, in a Muslim country."

Readers said that when media reports on people caught violating the laws are published they help to serve as a public reminder of the rules and code of conduct of the country.

Reg Cucal, a Filipino resident agreed. He said: "We are in a Muslim country and the culture here should be respected. We are living and surviving in this country, so we have to abide by its rules."

Cucal said he might not mind if he saw some displays of public intimacy but if the police arrest people for such behaviour, then they would have to pay the price - just like everyone else.

Irina Gulerez, a Romanian student in the UAE, said that if the law does not allow public intimacy, then it's not correct to flout it.

"We should respect the culture and the religion wherever we are. If the law tells you something, then you should not go against it, because it's disrespectful."

Irina also said that she wouldn't like people coming to her country and doing things against the rules.

Are you offended by this public display of affection? Do you think such incidents occur due to lack of awareness or insensitivity toward the culture of the country? What can be done to ensure such incidents are not repeated? Tell us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com