Woman jailed for cursing Islam, insulting policemen

Dubai: A holidaymaker, who cursed Islam and insulted two policemen when they found her drunk while attending to her complaint, will have to spend two months in jail.

The 28-year-old Dutch woman, L.M., was said to have called the police around 3am to complain that someone had cut the strap of her handbag before she insulted the policemen and cursed their religion [Islam] on February 4.

The Dubai Misdemeanour Court fined the woman, who claimed she was on holiday when the incident happened, Dh2,000 for consuming liquor.

Although she denied cursing Islam or insulting the policemen, presiding judge Ezzat Mansour jailed L.M. for two months.

“She will be deported after serving her punishment,” said the judge in courtroom nine.

An Emirati policeman testified that L.M. insulted him and his colleague and cursed their religion [Islam] when they attended to her complaint outside a restaurant at Shaikh Zayed Road.

One of the policemen, M.A., claimed to prosecutors: “We received a complaint from a woman who claimed that someone had cut the strap of her handbag in front of a five star hotel. We resolved her problem and, while she was leaving, I heard her cursing our religion. She cursed twice before she turned towards us and spat. Immediately we reported the matter to the duty officer and a policewoman was sent to the scene. The defendant was taken into custody. A smell of alcohol was coming from the woman, who seemed to be drunk.”

The woman was also sent to Dubai Police’s criminal laboratory to test the level of alcohol in her system.

The woman, who is on bail, is expected to appeal the primary judgement within the 15-day legal period.