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Gulf News: 14 April 2009

"Sharjah: An 18-month-old baby has been declared an illegal resident by the Sharjah Naturalisation and Residency Department (SNRD) and has been given one week to leave the country after which she will get a one-year ban. Nayana Sanjay Kumar was born in October 2007 at Al Qasimi hospital in Sharjah, but her parents, both Indians from Kerala, could not sponsor their new-born baby as their salary was not enough at the time."

Wow! What a headline! Am sure the authorities feel proud of their great accomplishment!

3...2...1 before someone tries to divert the topic by saying, "UK did so and so.." or "France did something worse...."

michaeldubai wrote:Gulf News: 14 April 2009

"Sharjah: An 18-month-old baby has been declared an illegal resident by the Sharjah Naturalisation and Residency Department (SNRD) and has been given one week to leave the country after which she will get a one-year ban. Nayana Sanjay Kumar was born in October 2007 at Al Qasimi hospital in Sharjah, but her parents, both Indians from Kerala, could not sponsor their new-born baby as their salary was not enough at the time."

Wow! What a headline! Am sure the authorities feel proud of their great accomplishment!

Michael.. those people who work in Sharjah's Residency department must be thrown in the sea..

I am not surprised to see such statement...

here is a funny story happened with my aunt last week.. she is coming from Saudi Arabia to visit us.

She applied for a visit visa from UAE's embassy in KSA before she travels.

She flew on Air Arabia and arrived at Sharjah airport at 9pm with her two kids

when she arrived at the passport control in Sharjah airport the guy denied her entry until they check her visa with Abu Dhabi!!!!!!!!!!!!

so the ask her to wait... as they send a fax to AD with her details and wait confirmation from Abu Dhabi!!!!!

the reason WHY because, in Sharjah they don't have the system that is Linked with the Federal Visa control!!!?!?! huh

the best part.. the guy in passport control says to her... if you didn't apply for visa from KSA you could have entered without problems because KSA residence get a visa from the airport and they don't need to apply for visa from KSA..

so she tells him.. ok fine... ignore my original visa.. and let me in based on my KSA residency... his answer is a NO and that she should wait for Abu Dhabi to response

she waited until 1am.. with two kids in the airport!!!!.... and when she started yelling at him.. he said maybe the guys in Abu Dhabi went home and that she should wait until the morning!!!!!!!

she made a huge mess in the airport by threatening them going back to Saudi and filling a complain... finally they let her in based on her KSA residency!!!




I mean what the hell wrong with those people!!!!! why all this stupidity and complication... after making her wait over 4hours they let her in... couldn't they do so right from the beginning...

The rule stipulates that you have to be earning a minimum amount, to be able to sponser a child....were the parents not aware of this rule before they gave birth to the child?
Besides the parents plea to be able to sponser the child was denied 18months back, when the child was born.... The parents are still in the UAE.....
As per the rules the SNRD has been leniant enough. They gave the parents 18 months and unfortunately for the parents things did'nt work out!
So what are you people saying should be done?

Misery, there is a point where humanity has to take precedence over "rules".

BlackburnRovers wrote:Misery, there is a point where humanity has to take precedence over "rules".

well said

BlackburnRovers wrote:Misery, there is a point where humanity has to take precedence over "rules".

Sure, but the SNRD gave the couple 18 months( the child was illegal 18 months back)......Ultimately the rules have to prevail, thats how you run a country!

What are you suggesting Blackburn? That the SNRD just ignore the law indefinately? The next thing you know people will start taking advantage of the system....

Besides the mother is blatantly trying to win sympathy here. And how many kids are actually breastfed at 18 months? C'mon....I'm a 22 yr old guy and I can see how stupid that sounds.

michaeldubai wrote:Gulf News: 14 April 2009

"Sharjah: An 18-month-old baby has been declared an illegal resident by the Sharjah Naturalisation and Residency Department (SNRD) and has been given one week to leave the country after which she will get a one-year ban. Nayana Sanjay Kumar was born in October 2007 at Al Qasimi hospital in Sharjah, but her parents, both Indians from Kerala, could not sponsor their new-born baby as their salary was not enough at the time."

Wow! What a headline! Am sure the authorities feel proud of their great accomplishment!

first of all everyone knows the law I'm sure of that but it is a diff story when you ignore it !! they sat those rules after a careful study of which minimum salary required for a for the family in order to for the hall family live with the minimum living requirements. there are standers.

you will not be able to take care of a family if your salary is as low as 1000-2000 not here in the UAE we all know that with the rent, bills and MID care so it's like avoiding problems before they happen.

to fix this issue there should be a couple of things fixed in order to make it possible for a family to live here ! one is setting a minimum wage one that would at least support a family of 3 then force the companies to provide a decent housing for a family living and MiD care converge and so on.

not setting such rules create a chain reactions of social , economical and safety problems for you ,me and the country . look at the big pictures like those authorities does.



wear a condom.

quatroporte wrote:

michaeldubai wrote:Gulf News: 14 April 2009

"Sharjah: An 18-month-old baby has been declared an illegal resident by the Sharjah Naturalisation and Residency Department (SNRD) and has been given one week to leave the country after which she will get a one-year ban. Nayana Sanjay Kumar was born in October 2007 at Al Qasimi hospital in Sharjah, but her parents, both Indians from Kerala, could not sponsor their new-born baby as their salary was not enough at the time."

Wow! What a headline! Am sure the authorities feel proud of their great accomplishment!

Michael.. those people who work in Sharjah's Residency department must be thrown in the sea..

I am not surprised to see such statement...

here is a funny story happened with my aunt last week.. she is coming from Saudi Arabia to visit us.

She applied for a visit visa from UAE's embassy in KSA before she travels.

She flew on Air Arabia and arrived at Sharjah airport at 9pm with her two kids

when she arrived at the passport control in Sharjah airport the guy denied her entry until they check her visa with Abu Dhabi!!!!!!!!!!!!

so the ask her to wait... as they send a fax to AD with her details and wait confirmation from Abu Dhabi!!!!!

the reason WHY because, in Sharjah they don't have the system that is Linked with the Federal Visa control!!!?!?! huh

the best part.. the guy in passport control says to her... if you didn't apply for visa from KSA you could have entered without problems because KSA residence get a visa from the airport and they don't need to apply for visa from KSA..

so she tells him.. ok fine... ignore my original visa.. and let me in based on my KSA residency... his answer is a NO and that she should wait for Abu Dhabi to response

she waited until 1am.. with two kids in the airport!!!!.... and when she started yelling at him.. he said maybe the guys in Abu Dhabi went home and that she should wait until the morning!!!!!!!

she made a huge mess in the airport by threatening them going back to Saudi and filling a complain... finally they let her in based on her KSA residency!!!




I mean what the hell wrong with those people!!!!! why all this stupidity and complication... after making her wait over 4hours they let her in... couldn't they do so right from the beginning...

yes this sucks and stupid

Misery Called Life wrote:The rule stipulates that you have to be earning a minimum amount, to be able to sponser a child....were the parents not aware of this rule before they gave birth to the child?
Besides the parents plea to be able to sponser the child was denied 18months back, when the child was born.... The parents are still in the UAE.....
As per the rules the SNRD has been leniant enough. They gave the parents 18 months and unfortunately for the parents things did'nt work out!
So what are you people saying should be done?

100% correct ..

what the GOV is doing now is enforcing the rules and laws, so why are you complaining .didnt you guys says that the GOV should enforce the laws..plus its not the GOV mistake, its the parents mistake and they should be blamed for what is happing and what will happned in the future ..if the GOV allowed the parents sponsership , then they should do for all other ppl out there , in other word they should cancle this code of law.

BlackburnRovers wrote:3...2...1 before someone tries to divert the topic by saying, "UK did so and so.." or "France did something worse...."

LOO OOL

well I just can't hold my self.

IN THE UK they have up to 10 new born babies every year who spend their fist moths in JAIL form pregnant jails women. we can not top this

the authorities over there should be proud of their accomplishments

Does anyone know what their living conditions are??? Unless you know how the parents are handling it, then there is noway to tell if what Sharjah did is right or wrong...In Sharjah, many babies are thrown in garbage cans or next to mosques by the parents because they can't afford to raise them. I don't think you want such a future for this baby.

in my opinion... This rule is extremely stupid...

I know about the rule if you want to sponsor your family, there is a minimum wage limit which is fare... but another minimum income limit to sponsor a new baby?!?!?!?

so if I got married and my wife got pregnant and delivered a baby... what on earth is this rule says that I can't have my new born baby with me because the government set income limit?!?!?!?!? not everyone can get proper income in this country... huh...

BTW what is the minimum income to sponsor a new baby???? I remember the minimum wage to sponsor your wife is raised to 10K.. is it the same with new born????

A rule that should be changed for sure. Those parents should have every right to keep their baby with them.

Misery Called Life wrote:

BlackburnRovers wrote:Misery, there is a point where humanity has to take precedence over "rules".

Sure, but the SNRD gave the couple 18 months( the child was illegal 18 months back)......Ultimately the rules have to prevail, thats how you run a country!

What are you suggesting Blackburn? That the SNRD just ignore the law indefinately? The next thing you know people will start taking advantage of the system....

Besides the mother is blatantly trying to win sympathy here. And how many kids are actually breastfed at 18 months? C'mon....I'm a 22 yr old guy and I can see how stupid that sounds.

While I agree with you somewhat Mr. Misery on your stance regarding the parents, I don't agree on the breastfeeding. It's not uncommon to breastfeed kids until they are 2 years old (24 months). It's not stupid to breastfeed a kid 18 months or 2years. It's smart, healthy, and loving.

UAE law may not be perfect but it does not mean it should not be enforced. The parents know what they are up to and are aware of the consequences. Just imagine a scenario where there is no such law (minimum salary) and everyone would be having their families living in shanties because that is more humanitarian and more responsible than using contraceptives . Responsible parenthood does not mean feeding your family only three times a day, living in a cramp space shared with another family or two (God forbid if there will be more) and kids running around in tattered clothes. If you can't get a proper job here and not be able to give a decent life to your family, then protect yourself.

"Ignorance of the law excuses no one".

I weaned my boy at 21 months because I've got another one coming and don't want to be breastfeeding two at once. According to Islam it is actually desirable to breastfeed until 2 yrs of age, and I met many Muslim ladies who took that seriously and continued to breastfeed until that age.

^It's not just an Islamic thing but worldwide regardless of religion or class. If I have babies, I'd like to breastfeed anywhere from a year or two.

kanelli wrote:I weaned my boy at 21 months because I've got another one coming and don't want to be breastfeeding two at once. According to Islam it is actually desirable to breastfeed until 2 yrs of age, and I met many Muslim ladies who took that seriously and continued to breastfeed until that age.

Well Congrats to you Kanelli. Hope you have and easy pregnancy.

puppypup wrote:

Misery Called Life wrote:

BlackburnRovers wrote:Misery, there is a point where humanity has to take precedence over "rules".

Sure, but the SNRD gave the couple 18 months( the child was illegal 18 months back)......Ultimately the rules have to prevail, thats how you run a country!

What are you suggesting Blackburn? That the SNRD just ignore the law indefinately? The next thing you know people will start taking advantage of the system....

Besides the mother is blatantly trying to win sympathy here. And how many kids are actually breastfed at 18 months? C'mon....I'm a 22 yr old guy and I can see how stupid that sounds.

While I agree with you somewhat Mr. Misery on your stance regarding the parents, I don't agree on the breastfeeding. It's not uncommon to breastfeed kids until they are 2 years old (24 months). It's not stupid to breastfeed a kid 18 months or 2years. It's smart, healthy, and loving.

Well I thought that 12- 15 months was more than enough. Quite evidently I'm wrong...My Bad!

kanelli wrote:A rule that should be changed for sure. Those parents should have every right to keep their baby with them.

100% incorrect ..

rules are set to be obaid not to be changed ..and outsiders dont have the right to come here and change owr rules just to satisfy their needs.
the parents knew about the rules, they didnt obay them, so they have to deal with the consequences. dont blame the GOV .. and please dont change the subject ,no body said that the parents cant keep their baby , they can take the baby and rais him any time but at their country.



enforcment ..enforcment ..enforcment..

naruto wrote:

kanelli wrote:A rule that should be changed for sure. Those parents should have every right to keep their baby with them.

100% incorrect ..

rules are set to be obaid not to be changed ..and outsiders dont have the right to come here and change owr rules just to satisfy their needs.
the parents knew about the rules, they didnt obay them, so they have to deal with the consequences. dont blame the GOV .. and please dont change the subject ,no body said that the parents cant keep their baby , they can take the baby and rais him any time but at their country.



enforcment ..enforcment ..enforcment..

Don't you think you are being a bit harsh? "Rules" are not carved in stone. Many so-called rules have been revised, by the wisdom of those in power, to accommodate expats. And that is the beauty of Dubai, it has been very accommodating. It's not as if they are asking for the passport, just a visa. We really don't know the circumstances surrounding what happened, but I think that is very unIslamic of you.

Expats are not "outsiders". We are not treated as such and many make an effort to respect the law and the customs. When refer to "outsiders" it is generally meant that they are not welcome. If that is how you perceive expats shame on you.

Bora Bora wrote:

naruto wrote:

kanelli wrote:A rule that should be changed for sure. Those parents should have every right to keep their baby with them.

100% incorrect ..

rules are set to be obaid not to be changed ..and outsiders dont have the right to come here and change owr rules just to satisfy their needs.
the parents knew about the rules, they didnt obay them, so they have to deal with the consequences. dont blame the GOV .. and please dont change the subject ,no body said that the parents cant keep their baby , they can take the baby and rais him any time but at their country.



enforcment ..enforcment ..enforcment..

Don't you think you are being a bit harsh? "Rules" are not carved in stone. Many so-called rules have been revised, by the wisdom of those in power, to accommodate expats. And that is the beauty of Dubai, it has been very accommodating. It's not as if they are asking for the passport, just a visa. We really don't know the circumstances surrounding what happened, but I think that is very unIslamic of you.

Expats are not "outsiders". We are not treated as such and many make an effort to respect the law and the customs. When refer to "outsiders" it is generally meant that they are not welcome. If that is how you perceive expats shame on you.

My dear friend. This law is designed to reduce the imbalance in the population structure and as citizen of my country i fear for the identity of my country from foreigners, this law was made to protect the resident as well, if the salary of the resident does not allow to rais his children, because of the high cost of living and high rents, then he has to leave in order to gain personal benefits and interests of his family.also this law protect the community from some groups which might tend to do criminal acts or fraud and in order to obtain the requirements for living. Now assume that the government has allowed this person and his residence, there will be a lot of low-income owners who are going to bring their families and their children. which leads to imbalance in the population structure because of the entry of many foreigners therfore the locals and the owners of the country become minority and the majority are foreingers .. do you accept to be a stranger in your country .. of course not.. therefore this law was made .. and by the way this is a new law and was made in the year 2008 but if necessary needed to be change, I think that the government would do so.

so please again its not the law fault not the GOV fault ..its the stupied parets faults..

Naruto, law is law and I agree on that. But given that laws are bent and overlooked in so many cases (not in criminal cases but definitely in traffic or immigration matters), one exception wouldnt harm the authorities , would it?

We see many cases where laws are bent depending on the person's wealth/influence, so making an exception on the basis of humanitarian grounds wouldnt mean the end of the world.

You still have people with "influence", not paying fines for 10 years and driving nonchalantly, why isnt the law applied to them?

If I see a person starving and begging (in a genuine case), the "law" tells me not to encourage the beggar, but my heart will tell me otherwise

naruto wrote:

Bora Bora wrote:

naruto wrote:

kanelli wrote:A rule that should be changed for sure. Those parents should have every right to keep their baby with them.

100% incorrect ..

rules are set to be obaid not to be changed ..and outsiders dont have the right to come here and change owr rules just to satisfy their needs.
the parents knew about the rules, they didnt obay them, so they have to deal with the consequences. dont blame the GOV .. and please dont change the subject ,no body said that the parents cant keep their baby , they can take the baby and rais him any time but at their country.



enforcment ..enforcment ..enforcment..

Don't you think you are being a bit harsh? "Rules" are not carved in stone. Many so-called rules have been revised, by the wisdom of those in power, to accommodate expats. And that is the beauty of Dubai, it has been very accommodating. It's not as if they are asking for the passport, just a visa. We really don't know the circumstances surrounding what happened, but I think that is very unIslamic of you.

Expats are not "outsiders". We are not treated as such and many make an effort to respect the law and the customs. When refer to "outsiders" it is generally meant that they are not welcome. If that is how you perceive expats shame on you.

My dear friend. This law is designed to reduce the imbalance in the population structure and as citizen of my country i fear for the identity of my country from foreigners, this law was made to protect the resident as well, if the salary of the resident does not allow to rais his children, because of the high cost of living and high rents, then he has to leave in order to gain personal benefits and interests of his family.also this law protect the community from some groups which might tend to do criminal acts or fraud and in order to obtain the requirements for living. Now assume that the government has allowed this person and his residence, there will be a lot of low-income owners who are going to bring their families and their children. which leads to imbalance in the population structure because of the entry of many foreigners therfore the locals and the owners of the country become minority and the majority are foreingers .. do you accept to be a stranger in your country .. of course not.. therefore this law was made .. and by the way this is a new law and was made in the year 2008 but if necessary needed to be change, I think that the government would do so.

so please again its not the law fault not the GOV fault ..its the stupied parets faults..

I can appreciate what you are saying, but as you know, locals, unfortunately are the minority here. Dubai could never reached the level it is at without, as you say, foreigners. You avoid using the term expats I see. As you are also aware, there are many, many low income expats here, but the do provide a service, regardless of how menial. They do the jobs that locals won't do as way too many think they are above such work. I am also sure that you can agree that certain laws were instituted and worked against Dubai and were either revised, scrapped or not enforced.

As a "representative" of Dubai, you should be a bit more gracious to those who made a vision become a reality.

Bora Bora wrote:

naruto wrote:

Bora Bora wrote:

naruto wrote:

kanelli wrote:A rule that should be changed for sure. Those parents should have every right to keep their baby with them.

100% incorrect ..

rules are set to be obaid not to be changed ..and outsiders dont have the right to come here and change owr rules just to satisfy their needs.
the parents knew about the rules, they didnt obay them, so they have to deal with the consequences. dont blame the GOV .. and please dont change the subject ,no body said that the parents cant keep their baby , they can take the baby and rais him any time but at their country.



enforcment ..enforcment ..enforcment..

Don't you think you are being a bit harsh? "Rules" are not carved in stone. Many so-called rules have been revised, by the wisdom of those in power, to accommodate expats. And that is the beauty of Dubai, it has been very accommodating. It's not as if they are asking for the passport, just a visa. We really don't know the circumstances surrounding what happened, but I think that is very unIslamic of you.

Expats are not "outsiders". We are not treated as such and many make an effort to respect the law and the customs. When refer to "outsiders" it is generally meant that they are not welcome. If that is how you perceive expats shame on you.

My dear friend. This law is designed to reduce the imbalance in the population structure and as citizen of my country i fear for the identity of my country from foreigners, this law was made to protect the resident as well, if the salary of the resident does not allow to rais his children, because of the high cost of living and high rents, then he has to leave in order to gain personal benefits and interests of his family.also this law protect the community from some groups which might tend to do criminal acts or fraud and in order to obtain the requirements for living. Now assume that the government has allowed this person and his residence, there will be a lot of low-income owners who are going to bring their families and their children. which leads to imbalance in the population structure because of the entry of many foreigners therfore the locals and the owners of the country become minority and the majority are foreingers .. do you accept to be a stranger in your country .. of course not.. therefore this law was made .. and by the way this is a new law and was made in the year 2008 but if necessary needed to be change, I think that the government would do so.

so please again its not the law fault not the GOV fault ..its the stupied parets faults..

I can appreciate what you are saying, but as you know, locals, unfortunately are the minority here. Dubai could never reached the level it is at without, as you say, foreigners. You avoid using the term expats I see. As you are also aware, there are many, many low income expats here, but the do provide a service, regardless of how menial. They do the jobs that locals won't do as way too many think they are above such work. I am also sure that you can agree that certain laws were instituted and worked against Dubai and were either revised, scrapped or not enforced.

As a "representative" of Dubai, you should be a bit more gracious to those who made a vision become a reality.

im apologize for using the term foreigners. didnt mean to be arrogant here .
i do appreciate the great work of expact and the service they provid to this country and im have to admit without them the country will be zero in term of health and puplic service. i just care about the identity , it make me sad when i go to work and i dont even get the chance to see any locals in my way ..

BlackburnRovers wrote:Naruto, law is law and I agree on that. But given that laws are bent and overlooked in so many cases (not in criminal cases but definitely in traffic or immigration matters), one exception wouldnt harm the authorities , would it?

We see many cases where laws are bent depending on the person's wealth/influence, so making an exception on the basis of humanitarian grounds wouldnt mean the end of the world.

You still have people with "influence", not paying fines for 10 years and driving nonchalantly, why isnt the law applied to them?

If I see a person starving and begging (in a genuine case), the "law" tells me not to encourage the beggar, but my heart will tell me otherwise

you are correct
exceptions are made for ppl who have problem which may not effict the puplic safty ,no exception for ppl who disobay the rules , never heard of any.
and for ppl who are not paying fines for 10 years and still driving their cars i can tell this is going to be history because of the new law which will allow any police officer to confiscat any car which its fines has not been paid for the last three years.
yes there are exceptions, but the Qustion how many time you will give exception in these sitiwations, 1 time 2 times 100,000 times , then cancle the law, better for every1.

dont get me wrong i really feel sorry for the parents and their child , and i wish if there anything i can do to help , but when you think about it , i think the GOV did the write decision

naruto wrote:

Bora Bora wrote:

naruto wrote:

Bora Bora wrote:

naruto wrote:

kanelli wrote:A rule that should be changed for sure. Those parents should have every right to keep their baby with them.

100% incorrect ..

rules are set to be obaid not to be changed ..and outsiders dont have the right to come here and change owr rules just to satisfy their needs.
the parents knew about the rules, they didnt obay them, so they have to deal with the consequences. dont blame the GOV .. and please dont change the subject ,no body said that the parents cant keep their baby , they can take the baby and rais him any time but at their country.



enforcment ..enforcment ..enforcment..

Don't you think you are being a bit harsh? "Rules" are not carved in stone. Many so-called rules have been revised, by the wisdom of those in power, to accommodate expats. And that is the beauty of Dubai, it has been very accommodating. It's not as if they are asking for the passport, just a visa. We really don't know the circumstances surrounding what happened, but I think that is very unIslamic of you.

Expats are not "outsiders". We are not treated as such and many make an effort to respect the law and the customs. When refer to "outsiders" it is generally meant that they are not welcome. If that is how you perceive expats shame on you.

My dear friend. This law is designed to reduce the imbalance in the population structure and as citizen of my country i fear for the identity of my country from foreigners, this law was made to protect the resident as well, if the salary of the resident does not allow to rais his children, because of the high cost of living and high rents, then he has to leave in order to gain personal benefits and interests of his family.also this law protect the community from some groups which might tend to do criminal acts or fraud and in order to obtain the requirements for living. Now assume that the government has allowed this person and his residence, there will be a lot of low-income owners who are going to bring their families and their children. which leads to imbalance in the population structure because of the entry of many foreigners therfore the locals and the owners of the country become minority and the majority are foreingers .. do you accept to be a stranger in your country .. of course not.. therefore this law was made .. and by the way this is a new law and was made in the year 2008 but if necessary needed to be change, I think that the government would do so.

so please again its not the law fault not the GOV fault ..its the stupied parets faults..

I can appreciate what you are saying, but as you know, locals, unfortunately are the minority here. Dubai could never reached the level it is at without, as you say, foreigners. You avoid using the term expats I see. As you are also aware, there are many, many low income expats here, but the do provide a service, regardless of how menial. They do the jobs that locals won't do as way too many think they are above such work. I am also sure that you can agree that certain laws were instituted and worked against Dubai and were either revised, scrapped or not enforced.

As a "representative" of Dubai, you should be a bit more gracious to those who made a vision become a reality.

im apologize for using the term foreigners. didnt mean to be arrogant here .
i do appreciate the great work of expact and the service they provid to this country and im have to admit without them the country will be zero in term of health and puplic service. i just care about the identity , it make me sad when i go to work and i dont even get the chance to see any locals in my way ..

Apology accepted. You also need to acknowledge that what expats have contributed goes beyond the health and public service sectors. It is business that drives the Emirate.

I can recall many years ago when Emiratis wanted to have it declared that nationals should be the only ones to wear "national dress". At that time I was able to understand that because many non-nationals were wearing local dress, especially men. What I came to realize is that these non-locals were wearing the national dress because it brought them up a level or two by dressing as a "local" and they were given respect by expats that they normally would not receive.

I am a convert Muslim and my husband is an Arab national but neither of us wear national dress. He does wear it during Ramadan (as it is closely related to how they dress in his birthland) and I also wear an abaya and cover for special occasions. I do it out of respect for the people and the occasion, not to garner respect or make a fashion statement. I earn the respect of others by being respectful and by being the person I am.

I would also like to mention that it saddens me to see how local/Arab culture in Dubai has been diluted. So many locals of this generation will only know of their history by what they are told about "how it use to be", and it is a very rich history but there is very little left to relate to it.

Bora Bora wrote:

naruto wrote:

Bora Bora wrote:

naruto wrote:

Bora Bora wrote:

naruto wrote:

kanelli wrote:A rule that should be changed for sure. Those parents should have every right to keep their baby with them.

100% incorrect ..

rules are set to be obaid not to be changed ..and outsiders dont have the right to come here and change owr rules just to satisfy their needs.
the parents knew about the rules, they didnt obay them, so they have to deal with the consequences. dont blame the GOV .. and please dont change the subject ,no body said that the parents cant keep their baby , they can take the baby and rais him any time but at their country.



enforcment ..enforcment ..enforcment..

Don't you think you are being a bit harsh? "Rules" are not carved in stone. Many so-called rules have been revised, by the wisdom of those in power, to accommodate expats. And that is the beauty of Dubai, it has been very accommodating. It's not as if they are asking for the passport, just a visa. We really don't know the circumstances surrounding what happened, but I think that is very unIslamic of you.

Expats are not "outsiders". We are not treated as such and many make an effort to respect the law and the customs. When refer to "outsiders" it is generally meant that they are not welcome. If that is how you perceive expats shame on you.

My dear friend. This law is designed to reduce the imbalance in the population structure and as citizen of my country i fear for the identity of my country from foreigners, this law was made to protect the resident as well, if the salary of the resident does not allow to rais his children, because of the high cost of living and high rents, then he has to leave in order to gain personal benefits and interests of his family.also this law protect the community from some groups which might tend to do criminal acts or fraud and in order to obtain the requirements for living. Now assume that the government has allowed this person and his residence, there will be a lot of low-income owners who are going to bring their families and their children. which leads to imbalance in the population structure because of the entry of many foreigners therfore the locals and the owners of the country become minority and the majority are foreingers .. do you accept to be a stranger in your country .. of course not.. therefore this law was made .. and by the way this is a new law and was made in the year 2008 but if necessary needed to be change, I think that the government would do so.

so please again its not the law fault not the GOV fault ..its the stupied parets faults..

I can appreciate what you are saying, but as you know, locals, unfortunately are the minority here. Dubai could never reached the level it is at without, as you say, foreigners. You avoid using the term expats I see. As you are also aware, there are many, many low income expats here, but the do provide a service, regardless of how menial. They do the jobs that locals won't do as way too many think they are above such work. I am also sure that you can agree that certain laws were instituted and worked against Dubai and were either revised, scrapped or not enforced.

As a "representative" of Dubai, you should be a bit more gracious to those who made a vision become a reality.

im apologize for using the term foreigners. didnt mean to be arrogant here .
i do appreciate the great work of expact and the service they provid to this country and im have to admit without them the country will be zero in term of health and puplic service. i just care about the identity , it make me sad when i go to work and i dont even get the chance to see any locals in my way ..

Apology accepted. You also need to acknowledge that what expats have contributed goes beyond the health and public service sectors. It is business that drives the Emirate.

I can recall many years ago when Emiratis wanted to have it declared that nationals should be the only ones to wear "national dress". At that time I was able to understand that because many non-nationals were wearing local dress, especially men. What I came to realize is that these non-locals were wearing the national dress because it brought them up a level or two by dressing as a "local" and they were given respect by expats that they normally would not receive.

I am a convert Muslim and my husband is an Arab national but neither of us wear national dress. He does wear it during Ramadan (as it is closely related to how they dress in his birthland) and I also wear an abaya and cover for special occasions. I do it out of respect for the people and the occasion, not to garner respect or make a fashion statement. I earn the respect of others by being respectful and by being the person I am.

I would also like to mention that it saddens me to see how local/Arab culture in Dubai has been diluted. So many locals of this generation will only know of their history by what they are told about "how it use to be", and it is a very rich history but there is very little left to relate to it.

thanks for your nice words ..

im local and to be honest i dont ware the local dress, when i ware it i feel like im stranger ..looool..
just kidding

I never really understood the "respect for national dress" thing.

Firstly, why on earth should people respect others based on their clothing? I respect elders, women, children, but based on clothes??

Secondly, even if expats gain an unfair respect advantage through clothing, why would that be an issue?

I speak Arabic with a Khaleeji accent, so will I be told not to do so, in case people mistake me for a Saudi (which they sometimes do, specially over phone) ?

One plausible thoery I heard is that some expat Arabs used to don the local thobe and impersonate CID, which is why the rule came to place...