Khaleej Times Stories - 10 October

Because I'm ensconced in a business suite I wake up every day to a copy of the Khaleej Times hanging from my door. I try to read a little bit of it every day, but then catch up over leisurely breakfasts on Friday and Saturday mornings. The other Remnants scoff at the Khaleej Times, and, I suppose, if you're used to papers in London or Auckland, that is a valid criticism. However, if you're used to reading the utterly wretched Burlington Free Press then the Khaleej Times would be a good paper. Occasionally I plan to pull out a summary of a couple of the stories which seem to be representative of life in the Emirates.

Death for 2 in double murder linked to bootlegging rivalry

Two were buried alive; thirteen defendants involved in conflict

"Dubai - The Court of Appeals on Sunday upheld the dealth sentence of a bootlegger and escalated the life term of another to death for kidnapping and killing two rival bootleggers.
And Indian blacksmith, 26, had his death sentence upheld for his main role in the planning and execution of kidnapping and burying two rival bootleggers alive. . .
All the defendants, including 12 Indians and one Pakistani, were embroiled in a rivalry between two bootlegging gangs that resulted in the premeditated murder of two men.
According to the court records, the gangsters had planned the murder in advance and had procured sticks, swords, knives and iron rods to that end. After beating up the duo, who belonged to another gang, they buried the victims alive. The victims died of suffocation."

GS - Bootlegging is quite the problem here, which is especially interesting in that, as an Islamic country, you are technically not supposed to be drinking alcohol anyway. This is why all the bars are attached to western hotels. That said, there are liquor stores where you can go buy alcohol, although you're supposed to have a license to buy it. Anyway, there is quite the bootlegging war going on, and I just wish we had Sergio Leone to film Once Upon a Time in Dubai.

Beliefs hinder treatment of mental illness in UAE

Most patients refer to spiritual healers since families associate condition with religious faults

"Dubai - Age-old beliefs hinder peoper treatment of some mental cases in the UAE, opined experts in mental health.
A conference of specialists in the field revealed during a discussion on Saturday that most patients suffering from mental illnesses refer to spiritual healers because their families diagnose and associate their conditions with religious faults.
"This is a sensitive issue, but in our (Emirati) culture, many tend to turn to healers for mental cases because they think it may have something to do with being possessed by bad devils, having weak faith in God or being affected by black magic.
The healers are usually their first option but when they 'fail' to treat the patient, they come to us for treatment, but by that time, the condition of the patient becomes more unstable," said Dr. Khawla Ahmed, Senior Specialist Psychiatrist at Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority.
She added that most families choose to keep the topic under wrap out of conservativeness and family members do not address mental illness as an actual medical condition.
"We want to raise awareness and we want people to know that mental illness is a serious issue here in the UAE. No one is immune to mental illness. It can affect anybody. We want people to realise that there is no shame in talking about these kinds of illnesses and to be open about it," she said."

GS - Another one of those articles that shows the amazing balancing act between the traditional and the modern that goes on every day in the UAE. Obviously, it's not that different than the view that was the norm not that long ago in the U.S. - or, for that matter, the view that is held in some circles in the U.S. today. The very fact that the issue is being addressed so publicly, and receiving major media coverage, also shows that the perceptions that the "west" have of the Arabic world are way too simplistic.