UAE to loosen restrictions on alcohol consumption, allowing living-in relationships and criminalizing honor killing
The United Arab Emirates, on Saturday announced a major overhaul of the country’s Islamic personal laws by allowing unmarried couples to cohabitate, scrapping penalties on alcohol consumption, sales and possession for those 21 and over and criminalizing so-called “honor killing.”
The legal amendments were part of efforts to improve legislation and the investment climate in the country, as well as to consolidate “tolerance principles,” the government of the country said. Abdallah Al Kaabi, an Emirati film-maker said “I could not be happier for these new laws that are progressive and proactive. 2020 has been tough and transformative year for the UAE.” His art has tackled taboo topics such as gender identity and homosexual love.
The gulf country sought broadening of personal freedoms, allowing “cohabitation of unmarried couples”, which has long been a crime in the UAE. Especially in the more unrestrained financial hub of Dubai, tend to look the other way when it comes to foreigners, but the threat of punishment still remains for such behaviour.
In a move to improve “Protect women’s rights”, a widely criticised tribal custom, “honour killing,” in which a male relative may evade prosecution for assaulting a woman seen as dishonouring family is also criminalised. The punishment will now be the same for any other kind of assault as for a crime committed to eradicate a woman’s “shame”, for promiscuity or disobeying cultural and religious strictures.
No penalties will be imposed for those who are over 21, for alcohol consumption, possession and sale. No liquor license is required for transportation of liquor, purchase or have at home. As earlier they were denied the license for alcohol consumption. According to Islamic laws alcohol consumption is not allowed but the new laws flex the same for Muslims in UAE.
The National reported, forbidden in Islamic law, attempt to suicide will also be decriminalized soon. In a country like UAE, where emigrants outnumber citizens nearly nine to one, the amendments will easily allow foreigners to avoid Islamic courts on issues such as divorce, inheritance and marriage.
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