The Government of Dubai has detained 79 beachgoers for offenses ranging from topless sunbathing, full on nudity, and alleged sexy-time over the past two weeks. Newly planted undercover officers have been strolling the Emirate’s beaches while new guard towers survey the sands to enforce local indecency laws in the Islamic City-State. The government says they began the campaign after a British couple were caught allegedly having sex on a Dubai beach earlier this month.

Since then a total of 79 people have been detained by the government for activities “disturbing families enjoying the beach” according to a spokesman for Dubai’s Criminal Investigation Department. First time offenders may be issued a warning, but if there is a repeat offense the person could be sent to a public prosecutor for possible criminal charges.

This is really where the rubber meets the road in Dubai’s quest to become an international tourist destination. The government of the Persian Gulf Emirate is stuck between the hedonistic world of Western tourism - where sun & sand are expected to be accompanied by sex, or at least sex appeal - and the traditional laws of the Islamic world which Dubai is a part of. Beaches within the emirate are often frequented by both European tourists, to whom going topless is the norm for women, and tourists from Islamic nations whose women might cover up entirely at the beach for religious reasons. The current reaction of the government doesn’t seem over the top, particularly given the strict nature of Islamic law which Dubai is already being very lenient about. Also when considering that most of the activities in question would be deemed offensive on the majority American beaches as well, it’s difficult to criticize the Emirate. Still European tourists who make up a larger contingent of Dubai’s clientele than Americans might be put off by such a move, making the tightrope all the more difficult for Dubai to walk.

You can takepart in helping promote better understanding of Muslims here in the United States by checking out the website of the Arab American Institute.

LINKS:

AP: Dubai detains 79 for indecent behavior on beaches

Australian Daily Telegraph: I’m sorry for the sex on the beach

Daily Telegraph (UK): Britons party on in Dubai despite arrest of woman for alleged sex on beach