Bar Raid in Dubai
 

Only been here for two weeks (Dubai) and witnessed the police raiding a bar at the weekend and arresting the bands singer and several other guys who were in the bar. (I would say gay community).

Found it a bit alarming. Does this type of thing happen often? I thought Dubai was an open minded place.

It wasnt a nice thing to watch.

Luckily I am heading back to the Uk in four months but this really put me off.

Which bar was it?

That's the thing.

Dubai is as open minded as any country, until you cross the line in the sand.

The trouble is you usually don't know where that line is until you have crossed it.

Just ask the guys who have had their cars confiscated recently

dmf

Remember this.

You may think things are free and easy out here, but be careful.

:mad: is just below the surface of the sand. It could turn ugly quicker than many people think. Iran (with French help) comes to mind.

If you refuse to believe that then maybe you should try pulling you head out of the sand.

DA
How do all those East European and Chinese ladies get by then? :cool:

Well they are tolerant to a point. I mean its not the only place in the world that would ban Gay bars... Afterall it is an Islamic country and they forbid such things. They don't want an uprising of the gay community saying they want equal rights and want to get married just like they did in Toronto, San Francisco and other North American cities.

Jules Bar near the airport.

You dont get many girls in there do you?

"How do all those East European and Chinese ladies get by then?"

I don't know, but getting by they are, and very nicely to.

Guess they will cover up as quick as everybody else, if the fanatics get a foot hold.

I hope to God the place remains stable as it's about the best place going in this part of world.

You will probably find, that this was an isolated incident due to someone not being discreet about something, or someone annoying a CID guy.

I have to laugh when there is an isolated incident and all these people run around screaming how the sky is falling. I mean come on, they are just about to build the biggest shopping mall in the world and the tallest building in the world. They are not about to become the next Iran, you can be damn sure of that. Whether the locals like it or not (and generally they like it), Dubai is an international, cosmopolitan city, where you just have to be a bit discreet when it comes to drinking and debauchery, and that is not going to change.

So everyone take a chill pill and relax. I remember about 5 years ago when a gay bar was raided in Melbourne and a whole lot of poofs were strip searched. There were no calls then of Melbourne being the next Fundamentalist state. Just because Dubai is smack bang in the middle of the Gulf doesn't mean it will be overrun by fundamentalists. I mean, where will they come for a sly shag and drink if Dubai went on the straight and narrow!! (I heard a rumour Osama was at Cyclones last weekend :E )

What's wrong with the occassional bar raid? Happens all the time in Europe with raids for drugs. They do this because drugs are illegal. Likewise here, homosexuality is illegal so they raid the gay bar.

Been a while since the last one I remember which was at the nightclub (now shut down) above what was Fibbers (now shut down) for a gay night, when the infamous Mr Miles the DJ was arrested and sent packing pretty quickly.

You can get away with pretty much anything in this country so long as it is done discreetly. Most people know where the line is and it is up to you as an expat to research the laws of the society you are living in. I would think most people with their cars conviscated deserved it. They need to clamp down harder in this area.

Whats this about? What had they done wrong?


Mutt.

They parked too close to the beach, not knowing that there had been a rule change (or enforcing of an old rule).

A few days after said indescretion, they were invited by phone to attend the local police station for an informal discussion about parking policy.

After the discussion had ended they were invited to leave without their cars.

I don't know how long they were able to get free parking at the police station for.

dmf

AirNoServicesAustralia

That bar in Mel that got rumbled. Were you there at the time?

l'm not gay but l think l saw him there;)

halas

No wasn't there originally but heard on the grape vine that their were free strip searches on offer from some hunky boys in blue, and I was down there like a flash.

Look you're only gay if you take it.:ok:

But seriously half of Abu Dhabi's women can vouch for my sexuality boys , and I am as straight as a desert road in the UAE:E

That's what I've heard about you, ANSA. Straight as the Jebel Hafeet Rd.

Half the women! Tickets, please..........Oh you meant the 'stans.

So what do the other half reckon Airey?

Straight as a wadi in full trickle :E !!!!

halas

Just heard that all the boys including the singer arrested the other day are being deported (certainly those who are expats). Pretty grim, I would say.

The same happened here in AUH.
The Rock Bottom Cafe is closed for 2 weeks. They found that pork was sharing the same space as other food stuff.:yuk:

At least it will be quite for at least 2 weeks. We can now sleep at the Capital Hotel.

Later :ok: