More Protests - This Time It's The Women

After a series of protests by building workers and taxi drivers over work issues it's now the turn of Emirati women to make their voices heard. Popular democracy?

23 Emirati women staged a protest yesterday at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, according to Gulf News, to complain about the curtailment of their rights after marrying non-nationals. Their main complaint was the fact that their social security payments of 1000 Dirhams had been cut because they were married to working expatriates, despite the fact that some of the husbands were unemployed and some earned as little as 1500 Dirhams.

National women who marry foreigners lose their right to citizenship, their children are not Emirati citizens and therefore have no rights to healthcare, schooling and free university education, as well as other benefits UAE nationals normally enjoy. Children from these marriages can apply for a five year UAE passport, but have to give up the right to their father's nationality. These passports can't be renewed, leaving these children virtually stateless. These restrictions don't apply to National men who marry foreign women.

Kuwaiti Ruler - Which One Is It?

The last few days saw a strange and subtle spectacle play out across the front pages of Gulf News. It announced a different new ruler for Kuwait 4 times in 5 days.

What happened is that the old ruler of Kuwait, Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah died last week. His successor, in a country ruled by a single family, but with recent moves towards democracy with a parliament and discussions of voting rights for women, was going to be Shaikh Sa'ad Al Abdullah Al Sabah (Shaikh Sa'ad), the crown prince. But parliament wanted to nominate Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah (Shaikh Sabah), the prime minister, saying that Shaikh Sa'ad was too ill to perform the job. As both Shaikhs belong to the same family, this is obviously an internal struggle between different branches, but the fact that parliament got itself involved is significant. In the region these parliamentary bodies are often not elected and have merely an advisory function. Kuwait has been trying to implement a more democratic system, but is constantly undermined by religious hardliners who see the end of the world as nigh if there is any democratic participation in the political process.

So all week there has been a back and forth between the prime minister's supporters and the branch of the family supporting the crown prince, as witnessed by poor Gulf News who had to reverse the news every day:

Sabah nominated as Kuwait Emir (Saturday)

Kuwait cabinet to replace Sa'ad (Sunday)

Sa'ad to be sworn in as Kuwait Emir tomorrow (Monday)

Kuwait Emir (Sa'ad -ed.) voted out (Wednesday)

Brokeback Mountain

So I bet with Stuart that despite reviews in Time Out the film would never make it to Dubai. Too contentious and too easily ignored.

As it turns out the censors are expecting to review the movie this month and according to 7 Days a source in the censor's office said that they see no roadblocks to passing the film. Considering that homosexual activity is illegal in the UAE and cross-dressers get arrested at private parties, this is a surprising statement. We'll see.