Someone finally said it!
Worrying reports of sexual assaults
National Editorial
In early 2010, a poll by YouGov found that an overwhelming 97 per cent of residents in the UAE said they felt safe in the country. The data was a ringing endorsement for the type of open, diverse and tolerant society the country had built over the past four decades.
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Two years later, most would agree that the UAE is very safe in most circumstances. Yet there are crimes of a particular sort - sexual harassment and assault - that seems to be occurring with alarming frequency. The evidence is anecdotal, but the steady stream of reports about assaults should be cause for collective concern. We fear that there are more unreported incidents.
It seems every day brings a new series of disturbing headlines. Yesterday's edition of The National, for instance, detailed two separate sexual assaults: in one case, men attacked a masseuse at her business after hours; in another, a man posed as a police officer and groped women. A few days before, there was the case of a bus driver in Dubai jailed for attacking a female passenger. The list of recent reported cases is unfortunately much longer than we can recount here.
These reports are, of course, anecdotal. The truth is we don't know precisely how prevalent sexual-assault crimes are. Detailed crime statistics are rarely reelased and not always comprehensive.
A related concern is establishing a safe public space for women, especially given the gender imbalance in the country. Not all sexual assaults are directed against women, of course, and these crimes are a problem for all of us. But the respect of women's rights has implications for the type of society that we choose to be.
In such a diverse society, there must be basic rules of respect. Boys in school must learn from any early age that sexual violence is a serious offence; immigrants from every country must understand that transgressions will not be tolerated. And the judicial system must impose judgments that send a firm message. Finally, women must fully understand their rights, be unafraid to report assaults and have full recourse to a fair judicial process.
One story of sexual violence is too many - a string of reports about similar crimes should focus our attention.
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And if anyone thinks Qatar is any better, you're fooling yourself!
please someone explain the below ?
monkey aka baburao aka rauf lala aka Uday shetty is back !
how does it relate to the post
in this part of the world respect of other nationalities only occurs between expats..
citizens of the local environment do no have respect for others that are 1) not citizens, 2) not arab.
the rest of us are beneath them and deserve no respect..
we all experience this on a daily basis..
there is an "attitude" adjustment that needs to occur to the citizens, then possibly effective learning can begin..
monkey aka baburao aka rauf lala aka Uday shetty is back !
LOL why does not one create dubailiving.com and spare us
LOL LP. you're so philosophical. I'd ask what you're smoking, but I know I won't get a decent answer. ;p
Breaking News : UAE
but saying anyone delusional for not believing what's happening there is not happening here is what I contest.
So many threads were already written regarding the "lagging behind" of Qatar as compare to UAE and when it comes to sexual harassment, you accused Qatar as same as UAE? My goly!
MM just a reminder that you are on Qatarliving and though its good to know of all the eventful stories happening where you live and from around the world...your constant comparing to Qatar makes you sound like a woman who really has no work in life but to go hunting for news just to post here to compare and bash Qatar. Really says a lot about you rather than my capabilities of posting and discussing.
You must really love Qatar more to be so concerned about its crime, growth, culture and future prospects...why not try for Qatari passport?
Human Trafficking is so common nowadays that We don't even give a darn to it and just feel happy that we are not one of them.
Just for A minute Imagine yourself in her shoes .
Of course, they can stop, MM, but they can also continue.
... but implemented Sharia law consequently reduces the number of people over time, so, in the end there will be no more crimes because there are no more people.
If I have no right to define the place I "we" live LP, than no one else has that right, and therefore, people can stop bi***ing about what I post.
I think MM has no right to define the place where "we" live. It is her personal view to say that "she lives in the GCC" and that therefore she can report about things happening in the GCC. But with the same argument I can say "I live on planet Earth", and then everything that happens on planet Earth will also have an effect on Qatar and should be discussed here.
Capital punishment has been proven to not work as a deterrent time and again. That's why the vast majority of the world doesn't practice it.
yes Saj, we can go around and have the state murder thousands of people and that has never worked in history. Eventually the people revolt and overthrow that sort of dictatorship.
Mimi, just leave them to it, not worth the effort, as simple as that.
We live in the GCC? We also live on the planet, in the Solar System, in the universe. Do you know what happened in the Sombrero Galaxy lately?
Ah Smokey, you really are struggling to discuss the topic aren't you.
Here are some threads that might be more up to your intellectual level:
http://www.qatarliving.com/node/3159472
http://www.qatarliving.com/node/3158739
http://www.qatarliving.com/node/3155558
I'm sure you can flirt and talk about briyani in there all day and not bother anyone.
When have I ever mentioned the crime rate in Canada sajmarhab? We live in the GCC, hence I post GCC related news.
try... then you wil see what will happen if you break a law...
Here we go! Original one just came out!!
btw Rizks, In Dubai just 36 degree, here 41/42 :(
and i'm sorry you didnt find a forum in the UAE to discuss matters happening in UAE with UAE residents that you have to still come here to lick Qatars arse!
Exactly Moza. Especially if you're likely to go to jail yourself if you report. Like the two ladies who were sentenced to a year for prostitution even though they were trafficked.
do you know what mimi wants to tell everyone in the QL.
she just wants to compare the crime ratio between her homeland and GCC. but it is all in vain....
let her try dear.. so everyday you can see something similar threads..., let her be happy by this...
Proper Sharia will not stop people breaking the law.
@ Lp I haven't taught my son there are two types of people,he respects all human beings doesn't discriminate..But if all boys are taught boundaries with women there wouldn't be so much sexual harassments or sexual assaults..You can try and twist my meaning that's fine,i know i have taught my son to be an accepting human being to all..
There is your answer in the report
'Detailed crime statistics are rarely reelased and not always comprehensive.'
A lot of sexual crime in the gulf is either not reported or ignored by the authorities. Also why report it if you could be arrested yourself! Us women get a bad deal here...
oh dear....Chillax guys !
as its hot out why dont u guyz chill pill...
by the way, is it HOT in UAE too ? :)
Oh, I'm so sorry I didn't offer you a forum where you can flirt with the women on this site while talking about briyani. I'll try and keep my threads to such mind numbing topics from now on.
You won't solve any problem if you implement a law.
LOL Oh i'm sorry did i offend you....here please accept my go Eff yourself!
smoke, when MM reports that the sun is shining in the UAE, you can bet it will shine in Qatar, too. So, that's relevant news.
Implement (proper) sharia.... (this is a nightmare for most of the Qlers..)
I'm sorry Smoke, If my posts irritate you so much, do you know what you can do? You can piss off and not read them.
What you just said could be construed as sexual harrassment :O(
Great!!! So you have taken it upon yourself to report news on whats happening in Qatar sitting in UAE coz its happens in UAE so it MUST be happening in Qatar coz as you said its pretty much the same place. Brilliant idea MIMI why didnt i think of that...i'm going to go and subscribe to every UAE newspaper i can get my paws on so i know exactly whats happening in Qatar for sure! Yay!
Jus like ur name MM, but when i see ur DP pic i get goosebumps...:(
Probably true LP. If it's happening everywhere else in the world, it's probably happening in Qatar as well. Just not being reported.
all thanks to the new gadgets available in the market - LP, for keeping records/reminders of occasions like b'days, anniversaries, country warming, house warming, child birth etc. etc.
MM, that argument is not good, because then we can report from all over the world, somehow similar things will happen in Qatar, too. They just aren't reported.
Funny, where are you guys when Brit posts about stuff happening in the UK, or Marco-Nandez about stuff happening in Saudi & Yemen. Or is it just mine name you look for?
" ... the boundaries when it comes to women.."
So, there are no boundaries when it comes to men?
I don't understand why you teach your son that there are two kinds of humans.
Because they're pretty much the same place Smoke, and what happens here is undoubtedly happening in Qatar, just not being reported.
Smoke, Because she is living in UAE, and she think its emiratesliving not Qatarliving!
Btw do you remember when mimi posted something good last time?
How can they remember all these birthdays?
And we care about UAE news and happening why again? 90% of all your topics are related to UAE and comparing what happens there to Qatar.
@ Linconpirate..I did teach him to respect all people,but you have to teach your son's to respect the boundaries when it comes to women..
They are very busy people LP. There fingers must be aching.
Imagine: nine cables in one day!
I heard they're going for the biggest bowel of rice pudding. You didn't see it on the front page of the Gulf Time? Right above the article about how everything in Doha is perfect and nothing bad ever happens?
There are news in Qatar:
HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, HH the Deputy Emir and Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani have sent congratulatory cables to the presidents of Croatia, Mozambique and Slovenia on their country’s National Day.
Doha Bank is attempting another record ? Why isn't it in the papers .. Do tell ...
Because Qatar papers don't post any news!! Unless you want to read about Dohabank trying to break another world record?
Why the heck do you keep posting news about UAE?
Why didn't you teach him to respect men, too?
As a mother to a son i have taught him from a very young age to respect women..I think it is our job as parents to teach our children respect and boundaries..
Flor do you honestly think that sexual assaults don't happen in Qatar? Are you that delusional?
in between the openness of UAE and the restrictiveness of KSA. You opted to go there than here, so it is understandable your view about Qatar.
Agree Brit. Locals are just as guilty of sexual harrassment and assault. However I do like that they pointed out that boys in school need to be told that it isn't acceptable.
Add this to a new campaign to report child abuse, and I'm a bit proud of the UAE this week. :)
Governments cannot provide safety. They always come when it HAS happened!
"the respect of women's rights has implications for the type of society that we choose to be."
Well said. It defines the kind of society we live in.
"immigrants from every country must understand that transgressions will not be tolerated. "
I would rather they didn't use the word "immigrants" , but focused on everyone.