Arabs Are Shocked - A Young British Woman Walked Nude In Jumeirah

Unprecedented heat, which was settled in European countries this year, made many inhabitants of our continent reconsider their holiday plans. Pining because of the heat Europeans forgot about their careers and businesses and went to storm travel agencies, whose advertisements promise "paradise enjoying" on beaches of exotic countries. Nevertheless the heat obviously had a depressing effect not only on tourists' physical health, who was exhausted by the weather anomaly, it also made some of them forget the simplest rules of decency. If they infringe them at their motherland, they are due at least a fine.

A recent incident at the famous resort Jumeirah (UAE) turned into a real scandal, when a young British woman, melt on a beach under rays of the hot Arabic sun, felt too lazy to put on the top part of her swimsuit and went to the hotel almost nude.

The inhabitants of the city, who became unwilled witnesses of this "defile", literally bombarded with letters editorial offices of local newspapers and magazines, expressing their displeasure with "foreigners' familiarity, who wishes to respect neither customs nor religious feelings" of natives.

A woman at the age of 35, who lives in Dubai, called at the editorial office Gulf News. She was indignant at the fact that foreigners not only dress defiantly but also behave in an unseemly way at public places. "Last year during the sacred month of Ramadan, when all believers are fasting (editor's note - During the fast Muslims are ordered to abstain from eating, drinking an sexual relations at daytime) - under the office windows, where I worked, crowds of foreign women were walking, dressed in bikini, and chewing hamburgers... How can we after that respect people, who doesn't want to know anything about our customs?, - she wondered. - I think that our authorities are also guilty in the situation, which turned out in the country. They almost do not react to the happening".

Hulud - a student from Sharjah at the age of 23 is of another opinion. "I think that fines will not help. The authorities must educate people through mass-media means." She added also that most of foreigners, whom she knew, respected the Arabic and Islamic culture but nevertheless "some of them being untaught or inattentive ignore all requests and prohibitions and behave so, as if they are in the yard of their house".

An Italian professor Alessandro, coming to UAE every year, agrees with settling of signs on all beaches and public places, which would inform foreigners what they should not do. "I often see sunbathing nude women at the territory of the hotel Jumeirah Beach Park,- he said. - I think that they should remember in what country they are and pay attention to reaction of servicers of the hotel and other people, who find themselves near the hotel because of different reasons."

"If I were a member of the administration I would place signs "The nudes are forbidden to enter the territory" everywhere. Also I would put at a prison everybody who infringes this rule for half a year, as the local law claims", declared the guest from Italy.

A visitor of a blog at the site Gulf News Abdulrahman, who lives in Dubai, writes following: "Just think, in France - a "civilized" European country, a considerable part of citizens of which are Muslims, the authorities make women show at public places without a hidjab. They motivate their decision in the following way: Frenchmen ostensibly "do not want to accept customs of the minority". At the same time nobody can explain clearly till now with what covered women-muslims differ outwardly from catholic nuns, who are allowed to show in much more strange and closed clothes... Meanwhile coming for holidays in UAE "guests from Europe" not only infringe customs of the living at the territory of our country Mussulman majority, they also challenge to the whole Islamic society, declaring about "backwardness of the Islamic world", which is expressed only in the fact that we do not want to see under windows of our houses undressed, drunk people, who behaves worse than animals".

The inhabitant of foggy Albion evidently did not expect such an impetuous reaction to her walking "topless". She was very confused and told to a Gulf News correspondent, that she felt "completely embarrassed". "I knew that I should not walk in the city with such appearance, but I lost the top part of my swimsuit and decided that it would not be terrible if I reach the hotel without it, - she said. Besides in the evening there were not very many people on the beach and when I met men I covered my body with my hands".

The head of Dubai municipality Ahmad Abdulkarim considers that because of increasing flow of foreign tourists and also of Europeans and Americans, who actively purchases property in UAE, the government of the country must think seriously about teaching to new-comers rules of behavior in UAE, where absolute majority of population confesses Islam and holds on to certain traditions also to those ones of dressing.

At the moment guests from European and American countries are offered just small booklets, in which among other recommendations it is timidly suggested "not to show undressed at public places".

The executive director of Touristic Department Ali Abdulrahman affirms that "as compared with the other Emirates the inhabitants of Dubai have the most tolerant attitude to "foreigners' clothes, which is more opened than traditional one". Nevertheless he insists that coming for holiday to the Emirate guests observe decency and respect indigenous inhabitants' feelings. "On beaches and swimming pools swimsuits and opened clothes are considered permissible, but in the street guests are obliged to observe a certain dress-code", - he said.

Iuri Tarabanov writes about interesting travel experiences. His Travel Deals site is http://www.travelime.com