Couple arrested in UAE for 'unlawful sex'

MilesMorales1

A South African man and his Ukrainian fiancee have been detained in the United Arab Emirates for unlawful sex, a relative says.

Emlyn Culverwell‚ 29, and Iryna Nohai, 27, were reportedly arrested after a doctor discovered Ms Nohai, who had stomach cramps, was pregnant.

They were arrested for sex outside of marriage, which is illegal in the UAE.

Mr Culverwell's mother has pleaded for their release, saying "the only thing they did wrong was fall in love".

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-39208946


I know people who've gone out there for work and the like, and they've all said how nice and progressive the UAE is. What a load of ****e, same ludicrous moral code as the rest.

davo2001

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

I know people who've gone out there for work and the like, and they've all said how nice and progressive the UAE is. What a load of ****e, same ludicrous moral code as the rest.

The UAE is alot of things, progressive is not one of them.

razorblunt

Is it the act of getting pregnant or being pregnant?
Could they not just say it happened on holiday?

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

To be fair, if you're going to live and partake in their society then their rules and customs should apply to you. Just like I believe the burqua and hijab has no place in civilised society and shouldn't be worn in public places here, the UAE have their own customs and if we don't like it we need to go somewhere we can partake in whatever it is we want.


That said it's beyond horrible to throw two people in prison for consensual sex but hey, stupid law, harsh repercussion but unfortunately that's their law

boardsuser1

Feels like 1940's Ireland reading that.

theteal

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-39208946


I know people who've gone out there for work and the like, and they've all said how nice and progressive the UAE is. What a load of ****e, same ludicrous moral code as the rest.

davo2001 wrote: »

The UAE is alot of things, progressive is not one of them.

I almost spat my sausage sambo all over my desk :eek:

whisky_galore

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

I know people who've gone out there for work and the like, and they've all said how nice and progressive the UAE is.

Even with all the shiny new buildings, it's still yet another sandpit with medieval laws.

Your Face

Just on the news there - the UAE is now an inclusive and progressive democracy.

Something about how a thread on the internet led to exhaustive national introspection resulting in radical cultural and political change.

Atlantic Dawn

Will Enda Kenny bring this up next time he visits?

Winterlong

Is that the place where a rape victim gets lashes for having sex outside marriage?

NIMAN

Funny how when Westerners go East they have to abide by their laws, yet when people from that part of the world come West, they want to bring their laws with them and ignore ours.

Crazy world. Bloody liberals.

iDave

KC161 wrote: »

Feels like 1940's Ireland reading that.

Its not though its 2017 UAE.

ScouseMouse

Was there over Christmas. We went to the Global Village and my teenage daughter was asked to cover her shoulders. Apart from that, there were no signs of repressive rules or laws.

A lot of hypocritical stuff going on, lots of muslims drinking booze in the posh hotels and working ladies sitting at the end of the bar waiting for clients, but nothing to be worried about. Pork is available in the supermarkets, but it's typically in a seperate part, discreetly accessed via a small corridor with a warning sign. Turkey and Ham for Christmas dinner, cooked by and collected from one of the luxury hotels.

keano_afc

Its ok, there's a women's march planned there at the weekend.

topper75

Also the Irish 1940s conservatism was a self-imposed thing in society's own head (yeah we don't want to hear that still in 2017 - It was the church's faultTM).

At least, this would not have been a police matter nor would there have been any arrest.

Tall shiny buildings and rampant consumerism seem to be the only crossover with the west and the Arab states.

Pinch Flat

iDave wrote: »

Its not though its 2017 UAE.

With laws from 1517

hungry hypno toad

NIMAN wrote: »

Funny how when Westerners go East they have to abide by their laws, yet when people from that part of the world come West, they want to bring their laws with them and ignore ours.

Crazy world. Bloody liberals.

Is there anything to be said for a bit of Sharia Law?

silverharp

I don't think I would even want to transit through one of their airports. How would they prove she had sex just because she was pregnant ? she could be pregnant artificially. If they have some kind of "virgin test" then western women are crazy to go there if you are just a medical exam away from being arrested.

steddyeddy

A backward, backward country. What people really mean is that it's a rich backward country.

Hard to feel much sympathy. People are happy to go over there knowing the ridiculous laws and big money to be made so it's up to them to take their chances.

pilly

There is something a little bit dodgy about the story though in that they've been in jail since January and it's only on the news now. If that was my son or daughter I'd be screaming at every news outlet to get it out there and get my child free.

It also says that they want to get a message to them that everything will be okay? So they haven't had any contact?

I don't know, I know the laws over there are mental but something doesn't ring true.

sbsquarepants

I just don't get how this keeps making news and shocking people.

People go live in a backwards, oppressive, shíthole, for the simple reason that they have to pay you a lot of money to live in a backwards, oppressive, shíthole through choice.
They then carry on with their lives as if they were living in a normal country, run afoul of the very law that makes it a backwards, oppressive, shíthole in the first place and are somehow surprised to realise that they in fact live in a backwards oppressive shíthole, having quite bizarrely assumed the whole backwards, oppressive, shíthole thing would just not be an issue.

pilly

sbsquarepants wrote: »

I just don't get how this keeps making news and shocking people.

People go live in a backwards, oppressive, shíthole, for the simple reason that they have to pay you a lot of money to live in a backwards, oppressive, shíthole through choice.
They then carry on with their lives as if they were living in a normal country, run afoul of the very law that makes it a backwards, oppressive, shíthole in the first place and are somehow surprised to realise that they in fact live in a backwards oppressive shíthole, having quite bizarrely assumed the whole backwards, oppressive, shíthole thing would just not be an issue.

Sorry, it's not quite clear. Are you saying UAE is a backwards, oppressive, ****hole? :D

Red Kev

KC161 wrote: »

Feels like 1940's Ireland reading that.

Or like the 1990's in Ireland if you're gay. We only got round to decriminalising homosexuality in 1993.

davo2001

Red Kev wrote: »

Or like the 1990's in Ireland if you're gay. We only got round to decriminalising homosexuality in 1993.

Hardly the same, I don't rememeber people being put in prison in Ireland for being gay.

elperello

silverharp wrote: »

I don't think I would even want to transit through one of their airports. How would they prove she had sex just because she was pregnant ? she could be pregnant artificially. If they have some kind of "virgin test" then western women are crazy to go there if you are just a medical exam away from being arrested.

Medics are very well qualified apparently -

http://www.rcsi.ie/professional_exams

Dbu

keano_afc wrote: »

Its ok, there's a women's march planned there at the weekend.

About 20 paces behind the mens one

Red Kev

davo2001 wrote: »

Hardly the same, I don't rememeber people being put in prison in Ireland for being gay.

Last prosecutions with imprisonment in RoI were in the 1960's. http://www.politics.ie/forum/justice/187413-when-last-prosecution-homosexual-offense-republic-ireland.html

I remember people being abused on the street here for "Living in sin" when I was in college, so early 1990's. The attitude to unmarried mothers up until the 1990's in this country is well documented.

techdiver

Charges dropped:

http://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-africa-39046892

silverharp

techdiver wrote: »

Charges dropped:

http://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-africa-39046892

who knew a thread on boards would have such an immediate effect :pac:

osarusan

techdiver wrote: »

Charges dropped:

http://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-africa-39046892

Ah jaysus, hope I can get a refund on my new pitchfork.

jimgoose

Shitholes be shitholin'.

FTA69

Awful, awful society in a myriad of ways. For all the gleaming skyscrapers and shopping centres; the reality is that the UAE is built on the backs of people who are practically slaves - desperately poor migrants from the Indian subcontinent are brought in and in one of the richest countries in the world they are paid peanuts and housed in squalid camps patrolled by guards. There's an excellent documentary about it called "Slaves of Dubai" on Vice YouTube I'd highly recommend it. And as others have said above, behind the gaudy consumerism is a horrendously autocratic and oppressive social hierarchy up to their necks in human misery.

I couldn't think of a place I'd rather visit less.

FTA69

LexieOnRale wrote: »

To be fair, if you're going to live and partake in their society then their rules and customs should apply to you. Just like I believe the burqua and hijab has no place in civilised society and shouldn't be worn in public places here, the UAE have their own customs and if we don't like it we need to go somewhere we can partake in whatever it is we want.


That said it's beyond horrible to throw two people in prison for consensual sex but hey, stupid law, harsh repercussion but unfortunately that's their law

I see where you're coming from in a sense but I think your opinions on the hijab are a bit extreme; it's a headscarf after all - I wouldn't deem it "uncivilised" or a threat to our society after all.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

whisky_galore

FTA69 wrote: »

I see where you're coming from in a sense but I think your opinions on the hijab are a bit extreme; it's a headscarf after all - I wouldn't deem it "uncivilised" or a threat to our society after all.

We've got a lot of little old ladies that wear similar things going to mass or to bingo, not to mention the thousands upon thousands of statues of ladies in 'Middle Eastern dress' up and down the country.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

It's bizarre we are expected to compromise safety over someone's right to conceal their identity. In a civilised society it's not unreasonable to expect to be able to identify a person sitting next to you at an appointment, in a bank or on public transport. It's not acceptable for me to wear a balaclava to my Drs appointment or for a young lad to wear a hoodie and a motorcycle helmet into the bank. Why is it acceptable for religion? Especially with all the crying we are doing here now to have the Catholic religion with less to do with society?

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

Oh, I'm sorry. Does my posting on an Internet forum make you feel threathened or fear for your safety? Your comparison of it being a cold day isn't exactly comparable as I'm sure anyone with a scarf would have no problem identifying themselves if asked. It wasn't that long ago since people were complaining not being allowed wear their religious garb in the immigration centre in Dublin.

cython

LexieOnRale wrote: »

To be fair, if you're going to live and partake in their society then their rules and customs should apply to you. Just like I believe the burqua and hijab has no place in civilised society and shouldn't be worn in public places here, the UAE have their own customs and if we don't like it we need to go somewhere we can partake in whatever it is we want.


That said it's beyond horrible to throw two people in prison for consensual sex but hey, stupid law, harsh repercussion but unfortunately that's their law

LexieOnRale wrote: »

It's bizarre we are expected to compromise safety over someone's right to conceal their identity. In a civilised society it's not unreasonable to expect to be able to identify a person sitting next to you at an appointment, in a bank or on public transport. It's not acceptable for me to wear a balaclava to my Drs appointment or for a young lad to wear a hoodie and a motorcycle helmet into the bank. Why is it acceptable for religion? Especially with all the crying we are doing here now to have the Catholic religion with less to do with society?

Because none of these people are identifiable? I can appreciate the point that you are making about the burqa and the niqab, to an extent, but IMHO your point is completely flawed WRT the hijab. As people have already pointed out, this no more conceals a person's identity than a hat and scarf, so should we ban all clothing above the neck "in civilised society"?

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Do believe peoples religion should be private. I have the same issues with nuns wearing that ridiculous thing that makes them look like a penguin.

Lux23

NIMAN wrote: »

Funny how when Westerners go East they have to abide by their laws, yet when people from that part of the world come West, they want to bring their laws with them and ignore ours.

Crazy world. Bloody liberals.

Eh, come again? Is Sharia law a thing in the west now?

Boom_Bap

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Do believe peoples religion should be private. I have the same issues with nuns wearing that ridiculous thing that makes them look like a penguin.

It's called a Habit/Habbit. I only know that because of the title of the sequel of a Whoopi Goldberg movie called Sister Act.

earlytobed

NIMAN wrote: »

Funny how when Westerners go East they have to abide by their laws, yet when people from that part of the world come West, they want to bring their laws with them and ignore ours.

Crazy world. Bloody liberals.

Maybe they could do with a more "Bloody liberals" in UAE

jimgoose

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Do believe peoples religion should be private. I have the same issues with nuns wearing that ridiculous thing that makes them look like a penguin.

So would you say, overall, that the good Sisters should kick the habit?

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Zebra3

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Will Enda Kenny bring this up next time he visits?

I don't think Edna is in a position to lecture other countries over their religious led bollocks.

JupiterKid

Behind the very superficial and gaudy facade of glittering skyscrapers, hotels, villas, golf courses and shopping malls lies a deeply Medieval, backward and intolerant society that is at least 400 years behind the west. The construction workers of those skyscrapers are not much better than slaves are are treated worse than animals. Domestic servants in UAE are treated like slaves. It's despicable and westerners who holiday there seem to be blissfully, or wilfully ignorant of all this.

I can't think of a place I'd like to visit less (well, perhaps Saudi Arabia) Little real culture, all artificial facade. Vegas would have more genuine culture.

On another note, I have no problem at all with the hijab but IMO the niquab and the burqa are unacceptable garb in this country. They are the garb of oppression.

Pkiernan

Funny how the left wing jackasses in Ireland protest Trump for stuff he hasn't done, but turn a blind eye to Middle Eastern apartheid.

keeponhurling

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Will Enda Kenny bring this up next time he visits?

Eh, no.
Do we seek input from UAE around Irish laws or criminal procedures ?

DEFTLEFTHAND

If you want to live there you have to respect their culture and their rules.

Just as anyone living here must respect ours.