This article is syndicated from @TheOpenMajlis
You have all been there. You have probably witnessed the sight countless times that caused you to stop dead on your tracks, your jaw falls and your eyes widen as you watch in utter disbelief. What is that you say? Read on…
Living in a multi-cultural community, people of different religions, traditions and beliefs often mingle and come into contact with one another. Without multiculturalism or ethnic diversity, we would be constrained to a monotonous life; as people would share similar beliefs, attitudes and views and live similar experiences. Thus, the appreciation and acceptance of multiple cultures is a blessing we can all share if our differences are respected. Without mutual respect and understanding of the diverse cultures within a society, this valuable opportunity to explore and learn about other cultures may result in tension and may be a possible source of conflict.
It is important for individuals to respect the environment in which they are in and try their best not to offend anybody (to avoid multiple bruises, fractures and a black eye). For this reason, as a responsible citizen, one must be aware of what is deemed acceptable in a particular society, bearing in mind that it may differ from place to place. They should be able to follow behavioral guidelines in line with what is adequate. By gaining knowledge about normative behavior, one could avoid publicly dressing or acting in a manner that is viewed as being culturally inappropriate or offensive to the protocol.
Thankfully, rules pertaining to a specific dress code have been established. In fact, most of the malls in the UAE have certain rules and codes for behavior and dress sometimes referred to as the ‘Courtesy Policy’. That is one crucial step in the right direction. The issue we are aiming to bring to light is that these rules are not being enforced by the security personnel and other staff therefore, the majority of foreigners, whether expats or tourists, can be seen walking around in public without any sense of awareness or concern for the rules that they do not follow. What WE can do is (politely) pressure the malls to enforce this ‘Courtesy Policy’ in order for it to be effective and fully functional.
What YOU can do is, next time you visit a mall, grab several leaflets from the security personnel found at the front entrance of the mall or at the information desks and hand it to anybody you see is violating the dress code. This way you would be letting them know about the dress code if they had been unaware of it and at the same time ensure that they understand that it is unacceptable.
-To UAE and GCC Nationals: Speak up; it is your right and duty.
The Holy Quran says: “You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah.” [Quran 3:110]
Let us pressure these malls to take action, it will only take one tweet. Just tweet the following message:
Enforce your ‘Courtesy Policy’ to stop violations of the dress code. @TheDubaiMall @DFCDubai @itsBurJuman @MirdifCityCtr @MallofEmirates
-To malls: Enforce the rules you have placed. Even if it means setting up a couple of security members in mall entrances or around the mall to make sure the rules are abided by. Make sure the ‘Courtesy Policy’ leaflets are available and distributed. It will not hurt to make the posters just a bit bigger and positioned in more than a few places so that people can take notice.
-To tourists/expats: Please take the time to read the posters and code of behavior in respect of our culture. And last but not least, welcome to the UAE!
-A.S
This article was published on The Open Majlis on 18th Sep, 2011.
Sail eMagazine’s 19th Issue – October 2011
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Scenes from Life – Syndication – The First Years Last Forever
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I like what you've written, in fact, it was a topic I was thinking for quite some time now… Let me add a few notes if you don't mind. I think before enforcing the rules, there should be an educational prospect first. The indecency law should go beyond the malls; it should start when a tourist first steps into the country, or even before that.
We all have the tendency to tell an individual who’s dressed inappropriately to cover up, but you also have to keep in mind that not all will listen to you respectfully, regardless of how politely you communicate with them.
I googled for some info on anti-indecency stuff and found a couple of stuff dating to a while back…
Testimonial – “Asked whether she will adhere to the mall's dress code, she said: "I really don't find it necessary, besides I don't have long or covered outfits, and the most importantly I didn't do something bad to Dubai or its people,” or with this, "I love Dubai and I like its style. But the way I dress is completely a personal matter and I don't allow anybody to educate me on what to wear and what not to wear,"
How would you approach an individual who had made such a comment? She’ll literally tell you it’s none of your business. Don’t get me wrong, for I am not judging. I blame ignorance at most point because there is no enforcement and details on exactly what is indecent, but just a poster. A security man at the mall will only go up to someone who violates mall rules if he/she receives a complaint about that individual, and let’s not forget about the famous mall scene where, “A British woman stripped down to her bikini and strutted defiantly through a swanky Dubai mall after an Emirati woman covered head-to-toe in black confronted her for wearing a low-cut shirt,” – Gulf News
As you said, ‘We live in a multicultural environment that has a lot of social values, for our social values, and decency to be taken seriously, we must enforce them’. We can’t pretend that non-locals know about them.
Education is a must before they set foot on our premises. That’s where we should start, and we need to define properly what’s indecent, and not.
Thanks again for the insightful column! Loved it.
Great article! You are spot on with mentioning the enforcement of Courtesy Policies. The main problem here is the arrogance of people who think they don't have to abide by any rules (See the examples mentioned in the above post) Expats know very well what is acceptable and what isn't, they just choose to ignore it. I think there should be an action plan in place on how to approach women AND men who are dressed inappropriately. I sometimes wonder if some women dress that way on purpose; being a European (fully covered since reverted to Islam) I know women don't go out dressed in Europe the way they do here. I say who wants to sit and think of a plan that could be presented and ,proposed to the concerned authorities?
I do agree with the fact that education comes first. But I also think,these signs in malls are very clear!!!
Fatma Al Khaja: You couldn't have said it better, it's a great idea to make the tourists aware of our culture as soon as they arrive. This may actually be included in the introductory clips run while tourists are in the airplane. Leaflets and guides should be made available not only to advertise hotels, resorts and malls but should also outline our culture and way of life.
Yet the thing is, many nationals choose not to go up to them to avoid confrontation, which is understandable. For that, we have to take it a step further and expect the malls or the authorities to devise a group of people who's job is to carry out such tasks and raise awareness rather than it having to be a task nationals undertake themselves. This way, maybe those who dress inappropriately may take this more seriously. At the end of the day, it's a matter of mutual respect.
Thank you once again for your feedback Fatma! Enjoyed reading your comments on the issue.
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Marijke: MashaAllah Tbarak Allah! There are numerous stories and confrontations we have personally witnessed that we have not included in this post. True, the signs are quite clear and simple to understand, however, some use the fact that they are not more visible as a justification for their behaviour. Many, when confronted, use this as an excuse, claiming that they have not seen the signs anywhere. Therefore, we thought that if they are handed the leaflets as soon as they enter the malls, they would be more aware of the dress code. Education and enforcement, that's all we need!
Thank you very much for sharing your opinion with us, we appreciate your valuable insight!
I totally agree with this, however , i wonder what that makes me. a double standardist. I live in London were i called home the past 20yrs. I am a conservative Muslim(not sure if the term is correct) and i am always modestly dressed. I use to have total strangers calling me to GO HOME NINJA GIRL(never wore Niqab, but still called Ninja). I study, work and have a place in this society.
i do respect and adhere to the British laws, so much so that i worked as a community officer for the 3yrs when i was in university. but couple of months ago, i was subjected to a verbal abuse from some teenage boys(well the ninja girl thing and more) and that made me angry and hurt , but a friend that i grow up with and thought understood my reasons of wearing modest dresses, cornered me and told me flat out that i wasn't fitting well with the British crowd, my dress code as a Muslim made me stood out and if i wanted to blend she said "you should wear a pair of jeans and long tops like other Muslim women and you can totally wear the headgear". i politely told her that, i was what i was and i wouldn't change for the world. and it daunted on me that i actually never explained to her fully explained to her why i wear what i wear. I took a trip to the local Islamic book seller and bought some books that explained the Islamic dress sense and why women are to cover themselves. So , i agree with your view specially the part were ppl should handout the leaflets as that would make ppl understand the reasons behind it.
SORRY, I should have mentioned your name Fatma Al-khaja, the above comment was in reply to your comment…
Thumbs up.
right but whatever the dress code is for as long as that passed on our standards then we don't have to worry about it.
The dress is always suitable with the occasion and there are many people that are conscious about such things. It sure has been a good experience for me to know about latest fashion trends.