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Hello From the Dubai Tourism Board!

TUESDAY JANUARY 29 2008 2:00 PM

Submitted by Zoetica. Edited By Zoetica.

TAGS: Dubai, middle east, tourism, travesty

Time for some Serious Business, comrades. Diz -- my friend, and partner of Coilhouse co-creator Mil Von [ Mother of London] -- is being held on false charges in Dubai.

Diz and Mil

For those not in the know, Dubai is located in the Middle East and claims to be a sort of tourist oasis, safe and free from unrest. The circumstances surrounding the arrest of Diz have proven the direct opposite. He was stopped Saturday morning on pure suspicion because of his long hair and Asian appearance -- turns out, in addition to all its supposed merits, Dubai happens to be exceptionally racist and conservative.

From Mil's journal:

They found melatonin on him, which he bought over the counter in the US. Legally, you can even buy it over the counter in Dubai. They arrested him, anyway.

He was strip searched, forced to do a urine test and thrown in jail. In their search they dug into the bottom of his bag and came up with a few fragments of dirt, which they allege is hashish, a total and utter fabrication.

They also claimed that the melatonin was actually drugs, which was clearly a lie. The sentence if convicted is a blanket four years, with a minimum of six months in prison in one of Dubai's squalid, third world facilities.

After detaining him for three days, the melatonin was determined to be just that, and his urine was clear. Now they've asked for a seven day extension to test the dirt, and we trust that he will be on his way home after that.

Did you catch that -- they dug up actual DIRT and are claiming it's hashish. Now that's what I call hospitality.

Now it's a matter of time. The waiting's been incredibly hard on everyone involved, there have been calls to embassies, tears and sleepless nights. The bottom line here is that this can happen to anyone, and this is not me being melodramatic. Dubai is misrepresenting itself entirely -- it's not safe, in fact it's pretty fucking hostile. Until things change you should stay as far away from it as you can, really, and more importantly Diz' story needs to get out there. Repost this, spread the word. And if you've any doubts, here is a little light reading on the topic of Dubai's treatment of foreigners.

-Woman hospitalized in Dubai, given painkillers, arrested at airport for it.

-Briton held in Dubai for painkillers in system.

-Canadian anti-drug agent arrested for...drugs.

-15-year-old tourist accused of homosexual acts after being gang raped.

104 Comments

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... 7

Mr_Matt_

Hollywood, FL

July 2005

JAN 29, 2008 03:03 PM

Like I mentioned in the Travel and Relocation group, one experience should not condemn an entire city. I personally loved Dubai.

FearTheReaper

NEWSWIRE

I'm lost

JAN 29, 2008 03:11 PM

That is fucking scary.

No, one shouldn't condemn an entire city. Thankfully, that is not what is being done here. What is being accomplished is a WARNING and bringing AWARENESS to another human's plight.

erin_broadley

NEWSWIRE

Los Angeles, CA

JAN 29, 2008 03:16 PM

FearTheReaper said:
That is fucking scary.

No, one shouldn't condemn an entire city. Thankfully, that is not what is being done here. What is being accomplished is a WARNING and bringing AWARENESS to another human's plight.

I second that. Keep us updated Zoetica!

DevilsReject

Cleveland, OH

February 2007

JAN 29, 2008 03:18 PM

Holy CRAP! These are things The History Channel failed to mention when discussing Dubai.

I'd still like to see the city, some of the engineering marvels are amazing there. I just know to be extremely careful now if i ever do get the chance to go there.

I hope all turns out well!!

scorp17yh

Brookings, OR

November 2004

JAN 29, 2008 03:41 PM

Is Dubai really that different from Saudi Arabia or Iran for that matter ?

Zoetica

NEWSWIRE

Los Angeles, CA

JAN 29, 2008 03:41 PM

MrMat said:
Like I mentioned in the Travel and Relocation group, one experience should not condemn an entire city. I personally loved Dubai.

This is a warning and it sheds light on their corrupt dealings, as well as my friend's case.

It's true that will likely try to stop any of my friends considering a visit - these policies do not deserve my business. Diz is far from an only case, as the links I've included will show. Plenty more where that came from.

scorp17yh

Brookings, OR

November 2004

JAN 29, 2008 03:49 PM

Zoetica said:

MrMat said:
Like I mentioned in the Travel and Relocation group, one experience should not condemn an entire city. I personally loved Dubai.

Slave labor in Dubai
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1281723,00.html?f=rss

DevilsReject

Cleveland, OH

February 2007

JAN 29, 2008 03:55 PM

scorp17yh said:
Is Dubai really that different from Saudi Arabia or Iran for that matter ?

eh. They're an oil rich country at the moment, but the leader there decided to use the profit they are making from the oil to create a resort destination, which is very appealing.

They've created things like The earth, they're currently working, if not completed already, the world's tallest sky scraper.

They're still primarily an Islamic state, that opened it's borders to tourism to create another source of income. There are constant stories of human rights violations and workers rights violations non-stop.

Zoetica

NEWSWIRE

Los Angeles, CA

JAN 29, 2008 04:04 PM

Hah I replied to him before I saw that you did a fine job for me. That about sums it up, mhm.

FearTheReaper

NEWSWIRE

I'm lost

JAN 29, 2008 04:08 PM

And they manage to have a worse environmental record than the US.

edith

France

April 2006

JAN 29, 2008 04:11 PM

DevilsReject said:
[They've created things like The earth

ew, it reminds me of larvae boob.

anyway, i think this is interesting. i see ads all the time for shopping there. i didn't know they could throw you in jail for having a codeine tablet or something. you would never guess. good to know.

FearTheReaper

NEWSWIRE

I'm lost

JAN 29, 2008 04:13 PM

DevilsReject said:

They've created things like The earth

The Earth and The Palm, are very, very bad.

Dubai, one of seven semi-autonomous states of the United Arab Emirates, is the leading commercial centre in the Gulf region, and has ambitious plans to boost its thriving tourism industry to prepare for when its low oil reserves run out.

Environmentalists say dredging
work destroyed coral reefs
But environmentalists say the futuristic island developments have taken a heavy toll on the present ecosystem.

The only known coral reef off the shores of Dubai was destroyed during the dredging work, turtle nesting sites have been destroyed, natural currents rerouted and silt has muddied what were crystal-clear waters, they say.

"It has been detrimental for the natural environment of the Dubai coast, especially at the place and location of the first Palm island," said Frederic Launay, director of the World Wildlife Fund's office in the United Arab Emirates.

"That is a little bit of a shame because there were very good habitats there. There were possibilities of recovery and protection, and there were possibilities of using that natural asset to make something," he told Reuters.

Maybe the ultimate example of man thinking he knows better than nature on the planet.

DevilsReject

Cleveland, OH

February 2007

JAN 29, 2008 04:34 PM

FearTheReaper said:

DevilsReject said:

They've created things like The earth

The Earth and The Palm, are very, very bad.

Maybe the ultimate example of man thinking he knows better than nature on the planet.

Yikes!

Never read that before. I guess it's one of those things where the rich aren't concerned with little things like mother nature.

William_Mac

Buford, GA

November 2007

JAN 29, 2008 04:50 PM

Up until about 6 months ago I co-owned and operated a coin-laundromat. A guy would come in the same time every week. He was about 25, I don't remember his name.

Anyway, he had done a lot of work in construction throughout various locations such as Thailand, Iraq, Phillipines...etc. So, he would talk my ear off about lots of different things that happened to him.

He said that he really wanted to move to Dubai. Basically painted it to be a Las Vegas, Sin City type of location for that part of the world where all of the religious folks come to do the things they're not supposed to. He said the girls take off their berkas for bikinis along the shore, people eat food banned by their religion...etc.

He showed me pictures and shit. Told me about how old Sultans had a shit load of money and decided on a whim to make the location the biggest tourist destination on earth. Apparently Sultans also enjoy riding around on the desert dunes on 4WDs.

Anyway, that is interesting to know. Because I had this amazing perception of it from everything this guy told me. It does look like a helluva place, though.

If you wouldn't mind too terribly much, I would like to post this. All intact, of course.