After HH Sheikh Khalifa declares 2019 as the ‘Year of Tolerance,’ along with the earlier passing of the anti-discrimination law in the country, there has been marked changes in attitude towards dealing with other people [nationalities] in the UAE, in person or through social media.
This only goes to show how serious the government is in dealing with discrimination and promoting tolerance among the people as this has been one of the key factors which made the UAE the great country that it is today.
Expat Lands in Court after Sending Derogative Message thru WhatsApp
In a recent court hearing in Sharjah, an Asian expat was summoned for charges of sending an offensive voice message through WhatsApp to the victim last October 27, as shared in a report by Emarat Al Youm.
As per the defendant’s testimony, he claimed that he did not threaten the victim to be deported, but admitted to sending him the offensive (rhetorical) question “You have no brain?” as a voice note on WhatsApp.
To the defendant’s defence, he argued that the statement was a common expression used among people of his nationality.
Whether or not he meant the expression to offend, the defendant claimed that he had no idea that using this kind of language would get him into trouble in the UAE.
The court deferred the verdict on January 20 to hear the side of the victim on the case first.
With the government fully endorsing the New Year’s theme, it’s quite unacceptable for people to claim that they had no idea of what is considered inappropriate, (especially offensive) in a country such as the UAE, where a number of different nationalities converge and live together. This is the exact reason why people should gain insight and deeper understanding of the culture, customs, and traditions of a foreign country they’re visiting, especially for the first time.