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Just a question and not intended to upset anyone but what is this constant reference to Muslims speaking fluent Arabic? You do realise there are plenty of Muslims that don't speak fluent Arabic-surely that doesn't make them less of a Muslim? Just seems a little odd to me and bigoted.

In Canada they are going to change the law to force you to know one of the official languages before becomig a citizen. The only thing Canadian I will renounce is YOU Kanelli...

As for the speaking Arabic. The UAE is an Arab country, so only logical to speak Arabic to come here.... You know, English is NOT the language of the land people

As for the Islam issue, you are in the Arabian continent, birthplace of Islam. Respect that fact when you are here and understand that Islam is the religion of this land.

Yes, I know that English is not the language of the world! But it has been said or implied a few times that Islam goes hand in hand with speaking Arabic and it plainly does not. It is not a comment that is supposed to irritate anyone, just an observation.

This whole "thing" about locals getting preferential treatment is not isolated to just one country but to many. I've lived in a place where all expats pay more for their electricty which is logical and understandable when you consider that, in this particular country, the average wage of locals is around USD$ 45 per month, hardly comparable to an expat package and it justifies the double standard.

Liban wrote:In Canada they are going to change the law to force you to know one of the official languages before becomig a citizen. The only thing Canadian I will renounce is YOU Kanelli...

As for the speaking Arabic. The UAE is an Arab country, so only logical to speak Arabic to come here.... You know, English is NOT the language of the land people

As for the Islam issue, you are in the Arabian continent, birthplace of Islam. Respect that fact when you are here and understand that Islam is the religion of this land.

Hypocritical as usual.

You just like to attack me for the sake of attacking Kanelli...

Such a shame you are not able to do anything else...

Liban

Basically the fact is you dont get anything you dont ask for, your attitude dictates you get what is fair and reasonable.

You just like the last word.

Fact is you and Kanelli are bigots and racists. You just don't see it.

And also, you and especially Kanelli take pleasure in flaming me regardless of what I say....

You may well think that, i cannot possibly comment

Oh, come on guys!! Liban-you get terse very easily! I always tend to think that some topics are best left alone until we meet and we can all understand the tone of each others posts.

Liban, where is your evidence that I am racist? Please feel free to post it.

I have friends from many different cultures with many different religions and skin colours who can attest that I am no racist.

You made a racist comment about who should get UAE citizenship and who shouldn't.

If you wouldn't continue to post the kind of crap that you do, I wouldn't "attack" you.

1) Just because slave masters spoke to their black slaves or had kids with them or befriended them back in the bad days of slavery in the USA, didn't mean that they were racist towards the blacks. That describes Kanelli and her relation with Muslims.

2) Racist comment on the UAE??? Oh, I assumed that since this is an Arab country that technically people should speak Arabic before becoming citizens. Yes that was racist... Very racist of me... Also declaring that Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and hence the need to maintain an Islamic majority is quite racist too... How dare I say Muslims should live in the land of their religion...

Kanelli, get a clue...

Liban

Your definition of what constitutes "racist" is miles away from some of ours.

For instance, in the UK it is a fact that your opinion regarding language would make "front page news" as an extreme form of "racisim". In the UK we respect those immigrants and asylum seekers that choose to keep their faiths and origins.

Indeed. it is now Law that our authorities produce all their written literature in languages accessable to all ethnic minorities. This would include for instance Arabic, Hindu, Somalian etc etc.

So in our culture, your comments are classed as racist and would be illegal and not tollerated.

If you were in a public position in the UK and said "all immigrants etc must learn to speak english etc" you would find yourself out of a job and in Court charged with Racial Discrimination.

This goes back Liban to how you react to what you deem flaming or some form of personal persecution. If you were to politely ask the right questions, you would indeed receive a very polite reply like i hopefully have here.

If you dont agree with something or dont understand just ask nicely.

A couple of facts..

The majority of Muslims don't speak or understand Arabic - they will know the prayers in Arabic but won't be able to speak arabic.

The situation for citizenship in the UK has now changed and requires knowledge of English and the British way of life. There is an exam on this - covering things like the British judicial system (I learnt a few things when I flicked through the book). The irony is that what the prospective applicants have to learn is probably knowledge that 'locals' don't themselves possess!!

(My wife was thinking of finally applying for British Citizenship, but given that it now costs over £300 and she has to take the exam etc, we have decided not to bother.)

Cheers,
Shafique

Liban wrote:Fact is you and Kanelli are bigots and racists. You just don't see it.

Liban that really is a bit rich. This coming from the person who said the following:

"As far as I am concerned, the Jews are a curse on this planet...

They are like a disease. They infest and spread like vermin.
Sure some Jews died 60+ years ago... But so did millons more other people. So why do we keep blabbering about those bastards? Why? Because they have their dirty little fingers and crooked noses congtrolling all media, money, governments, etc... Satan's little helpers.

I curse the evil Jew. And as far as I am concerned. Hitler was a BIG LOSER because he couldn't finish what he started...

I rest my case.....

The people you refer to as being bigoted and racist on this forum seem to me to put their case strongly but moderately. never in an extreme or fanatical way... in very sharp contrast to you. I've never seen them lash out with gratuitous abuse against Muslims or any other group.

The true bigot and racist on here has been exposed as such by his own extreme words on many occasions.

PS Cue locking of the thread.... if ever there was a contradiction in terms, it's you being called a "Moderator".

If only you'd adequately address my first post Liban... still waiting for that.

Why are you focusing on the language part of my comment? It is definitely NOT unreasonable to expect people to speak the language of the country they want citizenship for. That wasn't my point! I think it is UNFAIR to say that only ARABS and MUSLIMS should be allowed citizenship in the UAE.

I think an Indian (Muslim or Christian) who has raised one or two generations of family here is more suitable for citizenship than a first generation expat Arab from the region.

What about Indian, Indonesian, Philipino, or other Muslims who live here - are they to be excluded from citizenship because they aren't Arabs?

Nice one GoodBai, excellent quote and example if ever there was one

You people are dumb..... Arabs are not the sole proprietors of the Arab language, as such when I say Arabic speakers I do not just mean Arabs... God...

And arniegang, you can privide services in Swahili for all I care, in Canada and the US and Britain as well most countries, you need to speak one of the official local languages to get the passport.

Research before you speak.

nope incorrect Liban - speaking English is not a pre-requisite for UK nationallity. Shaf is quite correct, but the test he reffered too is/can be translated. For example those who seek and granted Asylum are exempt. Especially all the hoards of Lebanese seeking to live in our society and country.

Furthermore i only spoke for the situation in UK, i never referred to US or Can - my facts are therefore correct.

Arnie, is right. There's even a councillor in one place who's been there for about 8 years and in all that time speaks very little English, he has to have an interpreter, paid for of course by the tax payer - which is total rubbish.

Racial Decrimination happens everywhere but at varying levels.

The attitude of the citizens, mostly depends on their education and cultural background. As you can clearly see, almost all locals are from a culturally dry and illeterate backgroud. So, how can you expect them to treat other people compassionately?. Now a days, things are changing for the better. People are trying to educate their childern... but there is a limit for absortion. And as there is no challenge in front of them [at least at the moment - but they will and have to face the challenge in future], intelligence is not trigerred in their head.

Here we can see people who are next to illetrates handling jobs where education and expertise in the field of activity is a must. As a result, the standard of job done is drastically deteriorated. And almost in all companies, Human Resources Depts. are just for names' sake. No procedure or nothing. It seems that everything moves at mercy of GOD. May him help all to come out of their Ignorance.. May be in 1000 years... we will be able to see the spark of improvement... If human race survives till that time.

Shravan

Arniegang - up until November last year speaking English was indeed not a requisite for UK nationality. It now is a requisite - the test is in English, and for those who can't speak English well enough they can take a course on English as a second language which incorporates the elements of the test. Passing this course is an alternative to the test.

I only knew of this change because I was offered my job in November and I thought, blimey - better get round and get my wife her British citizenship (as she had been eligible for the past 6 or 7 years!). But alas the rules were changing at the end of November!

A couple of years ago, or so, they introduced the citizenship ceremonies where the new citizens swear allegiance or somthing before getting citizenship.

That said - your comments were totally correct a few months ago (I think it's a pandering to the concerns over immigration/asylum - both of which have been blown out of proportion)

Asylum is totally different - no language requisition is required, just need to show that one is in danger where they running away from.

Wasalaam,
Shafique

Blimey, they kept that quiet.

Shaf - Mrs Shaf speaks English, for the sake of £300 dont you feel its worth it??

I didnt know about the new rule into 3 monthhs ago, they are keeping that quiet then. I'm surprised the "PC" brigade hasn't cottoned on to that one

Arnie,

It wasn't the cost - it used to be only £150.

What kept us from applying was that I would have to send in my passport as well and then it would take 2 to 3 months to process. Each time we thought about it - there was either a holiday coming up or I had to travel on business, so it wasn't convenient to send the application in.

In November we decided to finally bite the bullet and only then discovered the new requirements! The exam needs to be taken first, and I could not answer some of the questions (and I'm not exactly ignorant of british history etc!). There is a book that needs to be studied about the British way of life, judicial and government systems.

There was a little bit about it in the press at the time - they published some of the questions and noted, as above, how difficult they were. I remember that one of the example questions asked what people from Newcastle were often called - the answer was 'Geordies', and another question was about which court did what , the answer was 'Magistrate court' (you see, I still don't know the question..!)

As it stands, my wife is studying the book but as there is still a 3 month waiting list after the application goes in, she won't be able to apply before we go to Dubai. And the perverse laws are that as she won't then be resident in the UK, she can't apply! (That said, she has a permanent visa in her passport so that the only time a British passport is of any use is when we are travelling to another country - eg UAE!)


Cheers,
Shafique

ps..another rant against the red-tape of the UK (although it's nothing compared to the stories I'm hearing of the UAE) - is the ridiculous charges they now have.

For example, my wife has permanent residence. Her passport expired and a new one was issued. Just to transfer the visa from the old passport to the new passport - practically it means printing a sticker and sticking it on the passport - they charge £150!!

Compare this against getting a Schengen visa for the continent - we send the passport to the German embassy, they send it back within 24 hrs, for free!

Grrrh

Shafique

Shaf

You aint seen nothing yet re red tape and paperwork.

Our systems compared to UAE is a breeze.

Yer and i agree with you re what a rip off. The passport agency now serioulsy into making money.

Shravan wrote:Racial Decrimination happens everywhere but at varying levels.

The attitude of the citizens, mostly depends on their education and cultural background. As you can clearly see, almost all locals are from a culturally dry and illeterate backgroud. So, how can you expect them to treat other people compassionately?. Now a days, things are changing for the better. People are trying to educate their childern... but there is a limit for absortion. And as there is no challenge in front of them [at least at the moment - but they will and have to face the challenge in future], intelligence is not trigerred in their head.

Here we can see people who are next to illetrates handling jobs where education and expertise in the field of activity is a must. As a result, the standard of job done is drastically deteriorated. And almost in all companies, Human Resources Depts. are just for names' sake. No procedure or nothing. It seems that everything moves at mercy of GOD. May him help all to come out of their Ignorance.. May be in 1000 years... we will be able to see the spark of improvement... If human race survives till that time.

Shravan

HAHAHA agree with u. I was in RAK briefly in summer. Nice beach and could have been improved. Do u work there?

By strange coincidence, the BBC are running a story today on the backlog of citizenship applications caused by a surge of applications before last November's changes.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4706862.stm

There is also a link here to a version of the 'British' test - see how well you score

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4099770.stm

An example question (imagine my wife's expression when she saw this):

Life in the UK explains what to do if you spill someone's pint in the pub (we're not making this up). What, according to the book, usually happens next?

A: You would offer to buy the person another pint

B: You would offer to dry their wet shirt with your own

C: You may need to prepare for a fight in the car park


I like answer C myself!!:)

Oh, but seriously I only got 5 answers right:

You got 5 right!

0-5: Seat in Heathrow arrivals.... 6-10: Seat on the district council......11-13: Seat in Parliament.....14: Seat on the throne


Cheers,
Shafique

I got 8.....

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/ ... 2&x=26&y=7

Just came across this forum......................Im not a local................but................ever heard the saying

IF U DONT LIKE IT HERE GO BACK TO WHERE U CAME FROM.NOONE IS FORCING YOU TO STAY HERE!!!!"



Ah.............feels good I got that off my chest.......

Oh very clever - alright then, all the expats and cheap labour bugger off and watch the country grind to a halt!

Yeah well done, what a silly thing to say! Plus how do you ever expect the country to get better if no-one ever complains about the bad stuff?