News From Around The World

[kumu]

United Arab Emirates has banned speedos from beaches there, Outtraveler reports. It seems locals complained about having to share beaches with scantily clad foreigners. UAE was never on my list anyway. Oh horrors! The human body!!

[shaulis]

The UAE is a closed culture. The Koran rules every facet of life including clothing.

[PSDave]

for what it's worth, when I was there I wore a simple black 3" suit and nothing was said about me or to me. However, there were some guys that thought it was a gay pride parade and were in skimpy bikinis, thong (there were told NO to those) and lots of see thru overly revealing suits. Fabulous beaches, warm water and cloudless skies are great for sunning and play and swim.
Again, those that are more interested in exposing themselves in public in an ultra conservative religion oriented society have ruined it for everyone else. Basically, a group that is self centered, and self serving guys with no respect for the customs or beliefs of the residents have ruined it for the regular guys that prefer briefer cut suits. Don't blame the rule -- blame the cause.

[SwimTeamSpeedo]

Well said PS. Exactly right.

[shaulis]

I was under the impression the UAE had banned brief swimwear from the start because too much skin is revealed. Leave it to a fringe minority to ruin wearing briefer swimwear for everyone. What a shame.

[Torchwatch]

Freedom of speech and expression so taken for granted in the West but always endangered, rely on everyone being allowed to say and do things that others find repugnant and not be punished for it. In countries with no democracy or freedom those in power decide what is proper without public discussion.
In a democracy the limits of decency are decided by juries, are dependent on public opinion, so they change and evolve. A protest is a way of changing the law or the way it is policed. Those that want briefer swimwear can push the envelope to see what is accepted, then push a little further.
In a dictatorship you have to do what you are told, or riot and overthrow the system.
The dictatorship that encourages tourists from democracies risks bringing in free thoughts and lifestyles with the money they earn. The tourist police then have to decide where to draw the line and who to stop from setting different examples to the locals.

[Byron]

To get it in perspective Outtravel has only reported on Ras al-Kalmah, not the UAE - and the appropriate "modesty" of dress required to cover the human body can produce a minefield of issues in Middle East resorts.
RAK has a burgeoning tourist industry and its international
Half Marathon event has been going for five years .
Here we have many bare arms and legs and (not surprisingly perhaps)
fully-garbed race officials: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6d/RAK_Half_Marathon_2011.jpg

Btw, there is also a report of three men being kicked out of Saudi Arabia this week for being "too handsome" - one being a photographer from Dubai (but
no opportunity to see him in speedos - unless anyone knows otherwise )

[Byron]

PS on above to Torchwatch: thanks for note on other thread

(I was going to quote Goebbels also here on the big lie but I don't think he included speedos in his propaganda)