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CupResponsible797 t1_iy3zcy6 wrote

Reply to comment by cryptic-fox in Abu Dhabi reduces number of single-use plastic bags by half a million per day by ge1o2

A long ago restaurant opening times were restricted, later they weren’t allowed to sell alcohol and had to cover their windows so nobody can see in.

That’s all gone now, alcohol flows freely and restaurants operate normally during Ramadan. Well, not entirely normally, they actually stay open longer than usual.

> Not true.

Shit, they even decriminalised weed imports and legalised medical marijuana last year.

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SafeHayven t1_iy44yzq wrote

Sounds like progress to me.

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CupResponsible797 t1_iy46lyt wrote

Indeed, the rulers of the country understand very well that liberalisation is the only way forward and have been boiling the frog for decades. The Emiratis are super well taken care of, and have little to no incentive to pick fights with the bosses even if they don't necessarily fully agree with the more liberal policy.

By taking small steps, they've turned previously unthinkable things into facts of life, and the pace only continues to accelerate. The younger generations of Emiratis will have lived their entire lives in super westernized UAE, and almost certainly have studied in the west too.

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SafeHayven t1_iy47uut wrote

When they stop using Indian slave labor and respect women’s and LGBT rights, I will accept their rule as legitimate. Not before. Until then they are just tyrants imposing their values on others at gunpoint. The fact that they’re not as bad as the Saudis or Afghanistan doesn’t mean they’re “liberal.”

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CupResponsible797 t1_iy4afof wrote

> When they stop using Indian slave labor

It is less than honest to call people who voluntarily come to work for very high wages "slaves". How many Indian labourers in the UAE have you talked to? I like their food, so have met a bunch.

From a western perspective their stories sound crazy, many haven't seen their families for decades. On the other hand, they all tell me how they now own lots of land back home and can pay for their kids to go to university.

> respect women’s rights

You are correct, UAE is still behind on this. But the rapid liberalisation is undeniable https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates#Law

It's also worth noting that non-muslims have completely different rules, https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/11/12/abu-dhabis-new-family-law-hailed-as-step-toward-gender-equality/

>The fact that they’re not as bad as the Saudis or Afghanistan doesn’t mean they’re “liberal.”

Nobody called the country "liberal" or even pleasant. What are you going on about?

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mexicandemon2 t1_iy49b4k wrote

As a UAE national, it isn’t at gunpoint, it’s more of a social contract, wherein so long as the rulers provide for things and are benevolent enough, the people are content with their rule. Many people in the country like the rulers and prefer them. Now that’s not to say everything is dandy or that there are no issues. Progress is being made but it can’t happen overnight. It needs to be deliberate and taken step by step. In due time, there will be greater rights extended to the LGBTQ community and the end of the Kafala system within the emirates is in sight.

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DAecir t1_iy53eqt wrote

There are issues in every country. The US is attempting to send women's rights back 50 years right now, for example.

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heartless-tramp t1_iy4dkrx wrote

They are progressing, but not in the way that you are probably thinking

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cryptic-fox t1_iy40o2v wrote

And? That doesn’t mean Muslims don’t find Ramadan holy or they don’t care about Islamic values, they do very much care. It’s still very much an Islamic country but there are also non-Muslims living in the UAE, we can’t ignore that. And alcohol is served in specific areas. Also, restaurants stay open longer than usual during Ramadan so the people who were fasting can dine in them after they break their fast. During Ramadan a lot of Muslims like to stay awake longer than usual and some stay awake until fajr prayer and they go to bed when they start their fast and after prayer which is around 4/5 AM.

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CupResponsible797 t1_iy43967 wrote

I think we're talking about different things :) Most Western countries could be described as Christian, and I agree that the UAE is certainly Islamic in the same way. But it's not a theocracy like Iran that tries to impose Islamic values on foreigners moving into the country.

> That doesn’t mean Muslims don’t find Ramadan holy or they don’t care about Islamic values, they do very much care

Yes, on a personal level. Among themselves. Nobody is imposing these values on outsiders like Redditors often tend to believe.

> Also, restaurants stay open longer than usual during Ramadan so the people who were fasting can dine in them after they break their fast.

I'm well aware, but in practice the impact can be a little different. The more international restaurants serving alcohol tend to have a more rowdy party vibe in those later hours during Ramadan than otherwise.

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