Dubai was just written up in the Wall STJournal as an example of Jews, Christians and Muslims living and working together well becuase of their economic progress, etc.
I have a feeling there is more to this story...the guy was in a blackout.
I am not defending the radical muslims here, just pointing out that Dubai is an exception in the ME we might want to take a closer look at. Other Muslim countries also would want to NOT have peaceful co existance examples.
So do I.
Christians and Muslims living and working together well becuase of their economic progress, etc.... Dubai is an exception in the ME we might want to take a closer look at.
The number of foreigners, official and unofficial, there make all the difference. The UAE is very concerned about running out of oil, and have decided to bet their economic future ("life after oil" as they sometimes call it) on foreign tourism, spending vast amounts of their newly accumulated oil wealth on new tourist infrastructure and projects, much of it aimed at wealthier (western) clients.
To enable success, they've had to lay off some of the more extreme islamic practices, turn a blind eye to what many infidels do there, and invite hordes of westerners in as expatriates to build and run the numerous projects, as well as low paid foreign guest workers from India, Pakistabn, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Nepal etc.
Lets face it, having a new global tourist hub where women are forced to wear burkhas on the beach (they are not forced to in Dubai, tho some Arabs women still appear poolside or beach side in full islamic slave garb), where no alcohol is permitted, with anti-semitism thrown into the mix - just wont work for most of us.
My concern is this guy got in an altercation with another foreigner there, in this case, a Pakistani cab driver. Reeking of alcohol, he's off to a "bad start" with the Pakistani, and they have appeard to have taken the word of the muslim over the non-muslim, in traditional islamic sharia style.
When a non-muslim gets into a disagreement with a muslim in Pakistan, it's a common M.O. of theirs to either accuse, or threaten to accuse the non-muslim of "insulting islam" so the dhimmi backs down and the muslime gets his way. It's a serious offense over there, and the locals play this to their advantage.
This case reeks of it.
And you don't think that Dubai just might have some WSJ employees on their payroll?