Doha • A man and a woman are facing trial on charges of kissing each other in a car near the Corniche. The woman, a 37-year-old Filipina nurse, was produced in the Upper Criminal Court yesterday, while the man was absent
yes you are exactly right mj. Only in Europe or the Western World we would not see men kissing each other not holding hands but this is part of the culture here and I still find people take much more care of friendsand others here.
all this talk about kissing is getting me a little frisky MUAHAHAHAHA.
I think you have to be sensitive to the fact that alot of guys here havent as much as talked to a woman for years. The sight of a couple with lips locked in passion may trigger off a riot. Im sure that the guy will get as much attention as the woman. Any port in a storm and all that... OUCH.
I saw many couples holding hands and bla bla bla .. but no one knows whether they are married or not. I have seen Qatari men that I know holding thier wives hand or girls holding thier men's arems. So its normal eh?
I saw boys kissing other boys for greetings (we do like italians but with one cheek) and I saw the same thing with girls kissing and greeting each other.
Yeah MJ I guess I have to agree with you - if I didn't like it here I would have been home already. But that's what the forum is for - talk about things we like and don't like, right? :p
So if I understand you correctly, holding a hand is "friendly", and so is kissing. Why prosecute a man for holding a woman's hand or kissing her? Maybe they are friends?
Men holding each other doesn't mean that they are gays, but friends and unfortunately your culture consider them as gays.
Kissing each other means respect. They kiss by cheeks or nose as a repect.
And sorry to say this, but if you chaps don't like this culture then you can go back to your homes and countries and feel free there ... and stop complaining :)
Absolutely we don't have to agree - you are right here but information is always helpful Super7. What irritates me the most the men nearly always manage to abscond and leave the girls behind with their small packages and troubles.
Canarybird I don't think we are here saying what we do I think we are saying what we think about it. Most here are sensible and considerate but we don't have to agree with it and that is what these forums are for
Men are more affectionate to each other here and it is not looked upon as something bad - I know if I would see this in Europe I would think about the connection.
The Customs are different - however, the news in America this morning had to do with Gays di you happen to see it. The President of the US has started a campaign to forbid same sex marriages.
You forget you are British, and (whites as we are considered)be sure I am not scaremongering (anything such as kissing etc. is out of marriage and according to the law is considered illicit) basically it does not matter which word you use "if the shoe fits".
The truth is that there are also many people living together in Qatar who are not married and in the case of (us whites) they turn a blind eye.
However, as this girl in the ,is a Philippino she will be deported with no chance to return and the BOY/MAN has luckily enough disappeared. Any information I give here is not to scare people but one should take into consideration the Country's set of values.
If you read the newspapers you will read people who are caught are lashed and deported.
For me it's "When in Rome do as the Romans do".
My opinion is based on things I know and have experienced having worked as and operations Manager with 85 female workers Philippinos and Sri Lankens. The police can and will be ask for their ID's on the street, where you and I never will be unless there is an accident or something similar.
It's legal to be married but not allowed to kiss your spouse in public. Illegal to be gay, but if you are a guy you can kiss another guy and hold his hand all you want. Makes tons of sense.
Yes the same sex kissing here is so strange. I'm the least homophobic person in the world, but I still find it a little odd to see men kissing and holding hands who say they aren't gay, and it's illegal to be gay! I really don't get it.
LOL yeah MJ, you know, men hold each other's hands and kiss in public and it's perfectly normal in Qatar, nobody bothers to find out whether they are married or whether they are just being friendly like that :p
I think they do respect the culture MJ, that's not the problem. I think its just hard for couples who are from a more liberal country to adjust. Especially when they are used to sharing their affection.
My parents have been married 30 years and are very scared about holding hands in public here, which is something they did in Canada all the time. Sometimes they forget where they are.
I think you chaps have to respect the culture as other people respect your cultures. So you have to accept it.
Kissing is allowed at home but not infront of people.
Yesterday I saw two 15 year old teenagers kissing each other in health center at Ritz-Carlton in which other young kids watching them and I felt so sorry of things going here ...
Well I think you are scaremongering a bit. There are plenty of "illicit" (I don't like using the word because I don't consider them illicit) affairs going on all the time and no one cares. I have k1ssed and held hands in Doha without so much as a look in my direction. I was never much of a fan of PDAs even at home so am not OTT
They were most probably not married and I think I have mentioned several times that any kind of illicit affairs will be seriusly punished. Thie lifestyle here is still very conservative and public displays of affection of any kind between a man and a woman are forbidden.
A friend to me to Sharjah with my car to have it repaired and as the repair would take some time we went on to Ajman.
We were quietly sitting on the waterfront watching the fishing boats slide into the water when the police came and arrested us for over an hour.
We were not kissing nor anything else and we ere not boyfriend and girlfriend even. My friend who is a local of UAE was extremely irrtated and would not cooperate with the police which led to further discussions. Finally after one and a half an hours interrogation they let us go.
I dont think this couple mentioned were married. if so they wouldnt be in court. No law can stop u from kissing your spouse. But for those who are not married i think thats a different story here. But i feel its stupid what happened to freedom of expression!! Whats the harm in kissing in open? Unless your kissing someone else's wife/husband!
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Yes we know thank you.
yes. what mj told is correct.
the cultures are different in different countries.
so when we come to place, we are obliged to respect laws in that country.
yes you are exactly right mj. Only in Europe or the Western World we would not see men kissing each other not holding hands but this is part of the culture here and I still find people take much more care of friendsand others here.
all this talk about kissing is getting me a little frisky MUAHAHAHAHA.
I think you have to be sensitive to the fact that alot of guys here havent as much as talked to a woman for years. The sight of a couple with lips locked in passion may trigger off a riot. Im sure that the guy will get as much attention as the woman. Any port in a storm and all that... OUCH.
Well, that's what I said.
I saw many couples holding hands and bla bla bla .. but no one knows whether they are married or not. I have seen Qatari men that I know holding thier wives hand or girls holding thier men's arems. So its normal eh?
I saw boys kissing other boys for greetings (we do like italians but with one cheek) and I saw the same thing with girls kissing and greeting each other.
So it's not a big thing ...
:)
Yeah MJ I guess I have to agree with you - if I didn't like it here I would have been home already. But that's what the forum is for - talk about things we like and don't like, right? :p
So if I understand you correctly, holding a hand is "friendly", and so is kissing. Why prosecute a man for holding a woman's hand or kissing her? Maybe they are friends?
Maybe Super7 .. maybe ..
or MJ we can just stay and complain as much as we like here
Well Qatar cat,
Men holding each other doesn't mean that they are gays, but friends and unfortunately your culture consider them as gays.
Kissing each other means respect. They kiss by cheeks or nose as a repect.
And sorry to say this, but if you chaps don't like this culture then you can go back to your homes and countries and feel free there ... and stop complaining :)
I walk around holding my husband's hand and I dare any policeman to come and tell me that I shouldn't.
Absolutely we don't have to agree - you are right here but information is always helpful Super7. What irritates me the most the men nearly always manage to abscond and leave the girls behind with their small packages and troubles.
Canarybird I don't think we are here saying what we do I think we are saying what we think about it. Most here are sensible and considerate but we don't have to agree with it and that is what these forums are for
Men are more affectionate to each other here and it is not looked upon as something bad - I know if I would see this in Europe I would think about the connection.
Yes you are right but should we not respect their culture even if we come from a more liberal country
I know. It's horrible. All gay people should move to Canada, or Holland.
The Customs are different - however, the news in America this morning had to do with Gays di you happen to see it. The President of the US has started a campaign to forbid same sex marriages.
You forget you are British, and (whites as we are considered)be sure I am not scaremongering (anything such as kissing etc. is out of marriage and according to the law is considered illicit) basically it does not matter which word you use "if the shoe fits".
The truth is that there are also many people living together in Qatar who are not married and in the case of (us whites) they turn a blind eye.
However, as this girl in the ,is a Philippino she will be deported with no chance to return and the BOY/MAN has luckily enough disappeared. Any information I give here is not to scare people but one should take into consideration the Country's set of values.
If you read the newspapers you will read people who are caught are lashed and deported.
For me it's "When in Rome do as the Romans do".
My opinion is based on things I know and have experienced having worked as and operations Manager with 85 female workers Philippinos and Sri Lankens. The police can and will be ask for their ID's on the street, where you and I never will be unless there is an accident or something similar.
It's legal to be married but not allowed to kiss your spouse in public. Illegal to be gay, but if you are a guy you can kiss another guy and hold his hand all you want. Makes tons of sense.
Say they aren't gay.
Yes the same sex kissing here is so strange. I'm the least homophobic person in the world, but I still find it a little odd to see men kissing and holding hands who say they aren't gay, and it's illegal to be gay! I really don't get it.
LOL yeah MJ, you know, men hold each other's hands and kiss in public and it's perfectly normal in Qatar, nobody bothers to find out whether they are married or whether they are just being friendly like that :p
Hiya DohaGirl,
No, holding hands is not a problem. I saw Qatari couples holding hands or shoulders togather.
:)
I think they do respect the culture MJ, that's not the problem. I think its just hard for couples who are from a more liberal country to adjust. Especially when they are used to sharing their affection.
My parents have been married 30 years and are very scared about holding hands in public here, which is something they did in Canada all the time. Sometimes they forget where they are.
I think you chaps have to respect the culture as other people respect your cultures. So you have to accept it.
Kissing is allowed at home but not infront of people.
Yesterday I saw two 15 year old teenagers kissing each other in health center at Ritz-Carlton in which other young kids watching them and I felt so sorry of things going here ...
Cheers ...
The rebel in me wants to go start making out with someone in front of cops and see what happens.
Well I think you are scaremongering a bit. There are plenty of "illicit" (I don't like using the word because I don't consider them illicit) affairs going on all the time and no one cares. I have k1ssed and held hands in Doha without so much as a look in my direction. I was never much of a fan of PDAs even at home so am not OTT
They were most probably not married and I think I have mentioned several times that any kind of illicit affairs will be seriusly punished. Thie lifestyle here is still very conservative and public displays of affection of any kind between a man and a woman are forbidden.
A friend to me to Sharjah with my car to have it repaired and as the repair would take some time we went on to Ajman.
We were quietly sitting on the waterfront watching the fishing boats slide into the water when the police came and arrested us for over an hour.
We were not kissing nor anything else and we ere not boyfriend and girlfriend even. My friend who is a local of UAE was extremely irrtated and would not cooperate with the police which led to further discussions. Finally after one and a half an hours interrogation they let us go.
They had threatened us with Jail
I'm serious butterfly, he tried to drive away when he saw them and they shot out his tires. It was his fiancee, now wife.
I dont think this couple mentioned were married. if so they wouldnt be in court. No law can stop u from kissing your spouse. But for those who are not married i think thats a different story here. But i feel its stupid what happened to freedom of expression!! Whats the harm in kissing in open? Unless your kissing someone else's wife/husband!
Is that for real? You have to be kidding
Did you hear about the guy in Dubai who got in a shoot out with the cops for kissing his girlfriend?
Now, that´s stupid... If a woman can´t kiss her man.
My husband refused to kiss me goodbye in the airport becouse of these silly rules