A Russian woman and a Lebanese man were put on trial in Dubai for ... drinking orange juice!
In accordance with the Federal Penal Code of the United Arab Emirates, a public intake of food and beverages during daytime hours of the month of Ramadan is forbidden by Article 313. The article stipulates the punishment in the form of either a monetary penalty – up to 2,000 dirhems ($555) – or even a term of up to one month in prison.
The young people told the court that they were not Muslims and were thus unaware of the fact that their actions could be punishable.
The court took the mitigating circumstances into consideration, but found the defendants guilty, since ignorance did not exclude responsibility. The court ruled that the young people must pay the fine of 1,000 dirhems ($278) each.
Just like we are free to laugh at them for their backwards ignorance.
We are talking about Dubai here, people! F__ing Dubai! The most unholy exercise in waste, hubris and brainless materialism on the planet - and they dare to chide people for their consumer habits? Who's throwing stones in glass houses here? Who's being intolerant?
Casting the first stone...he without sin...etc.
(speaking of stonings - guess what's also legal in Dubai?)
sooo.. we were banned from putting up christmas decorations if they were visible to anyone outside. banned from eating outside as the article states also.
what really got me though, was going into the supermarkets around that time, the christmas displays were up in them...and santa was...
a short fillipino man in a beard. that was an amusing sight i say :)