UAE says Dubai princess being cared for at home as UN expresses concern

[rooster59]

UAE says Dubai princess being cared for at home as UN expresses concern

 

The U.N. has called on the UAE to present proof of life that one of the ruler of Dubai's daughters is still alive. A video published earlier this week apparently shows Sheikha Latifa saying she's being held prisoner. Adam Reed reports.

 

ZURICH/DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates said on Friday that Sheikha Latifa, one of the ruler of Dubai's daughters, was being cared for at home as the U.N. human rights watchdog asked the UAE for proof that she is alive amid growing international concern about her fate.

 

The BBC's investigative news programme Panorama on Tuesday published a video it said was of Latifa, in which she says that she is being held against her will in a barricaded villa.

 

"Her family has confirmed that Her Highness is being cared for at home, supported by her family and medical professionals," the embassy of the UAE in London said in a statement.

 

"She continues to improve and we are hopeful she will return to public life at the appropriate time," said the statement, which was passed to Reuters by the UAE foreign ministry.

 

It also said that the media coverage was "not reflective of the actual position" of Latifa.

 

The fate of Latifa, 35, and her tempestuous relationship with her father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, has cast a new spotlight on his family affairs and on an international campaign to free his daughter.

 

UN RAISES CONCERNS

 

Earlier on Friday in Geneva, Liz Throssell, spokeswoman for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the U.N. agency had raised its concerns "about the situation in light of the disturbing video evidence that emerged this week".

 

"We requested more information and clarification about Sheikha Latifa's current situation," she told an online briefing.

 

"Given the serious concerns about Sheikha Latifa, we have requested that the government's response comes as a matter of priority.... We did ask for proof of life," she said, adding the agency would continue to monitor the situation closely.

 

Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed al-Maktoum drew international attention in 2018 when a human rights group released a video made by her in which she described an attempt to escape Dubai.

 

Last March, a London High Court judge said he accepted as proved a series of allegations made by the Dubai ruler's former wife, Princess Haya, in a legal battle, including that the sheikh had ordered the abduction of his daughter Latifa.

 

The sheikh's lawyers rejected the allegations.

 

"I am a hostage and this villa has been converted into a jail," Latifa, 35, said in the video published by the BBC on Tuesday.

 

"All the windows are barred shut, I can't open any window." She said she was making the video in the bathroom of the villa, the only room she could lock herself into.

 

Reuters could not independently verify when or where the video was recorded.

 

(Reporting by Michael Shields; Additional reporting by Lisa Barrington and Ghaida Ghantous in Dubai; Editing by Frances Kerry and Gareth Jones)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-20

 

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[nobodysfriend]

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

one of the ruler of Dubai's daughters, was being cared for at home

Her family says that she is ' mentally disturbed " .

I think she is not , only wants to have a life for herself ...

" being cared for " can mean anything , even pure horror .

What a difference of being a princess in , let's say , England , or in the arab world .

Let her go , her stepmother escaped already ...

[polpott]

1 minute ago, nobodysfriend said:

Her family says that she is ' mentally disturbed " .

I think she is not , only wants to have a life for herself ...

" being cared for " can mean anything , even pure horror .

What a difference of being a princess in , let's say , England , or in the arab world .

Let her go , her stepmother escaped already ...

According to Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, during a BBC Radio 4 interview after having visited her, she's a "very troubled lady". Diagnosed as bi-polar. Her step mother didn't "escape" she left.

[mlmcleod]

1 hour ago, nobodysfriend said:

Her family says that she is ' mentally disturbed " .

I think she is not , only wants to have a life for herself ...

" being cared for " can mean anything , even pure horror .

What a difference of being a princess in , let's say , England , or in the arab world .

Let her go , her stepmother escaped already ...

In the muslim world, women are expected to be obedient!  Any dissent is considered to be mentally disturbed deviant behavior.  Her role is merely to be a mother and breed male babies.  The livestock has more value than a female !

[bradiston]

2 hours ago, polpott said:

According to Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, during a BBC Radio 4 interview after having visited her, she's a "very troubled lady". Diagnosed as bi-polar. Her step mother didn't "escape" she left.

Mary Robinson was duped, as she has now acknowledged.

[Tug]

Imagine the women of more modest means without the connections how they are treated thease Muslim country’s suck I’m sorry usually I try hard to respect and even enjoy the differences across cultures but not here ugly ugly ugly 

[cleopatra2]

4 hours ago, polpott said:

According to Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, during a BBC Radio 4 interview after having visited her, she's a "very troubled lady". Diagnosed as bi-polar. Her step mother didn't "escape" she left.

Who diagnosed her as bi polar ?.

I find it strange that the father would allow a mentally disturbed daughter to go sky diving.

In fact Lafifa is an accomplished sky diver with numerous jumps completed prior to her abduction in  2018.

[Proboscis]

6 hours ago, polpott said:

According to Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, during a BBC Radio 4 interview after having visited her, she's a "very troubled lady". Diagnosed as bi-polar. Her step mother didn't "escape" she left.

And if you read, more recently, former President Robinson said she had been horribly tricked by the Dubai authorities.

[Pilotman]

and yet people still go there on holiday, even though it's a medieval regime, as so many are in that part of the world.  

[Proboscis]

5 hours ago, mlmcleod said:

In the muslim world, women are expected to be obedient!  Any dissent is considered to be mentally disturbed deviant behavior.  Her role is merely to be a mother and breed male babies.  The livestock has more value than a female !

I would love to know where you get your knowledge of what you call "the Muslim World." There are plenty of countries where muslim women are NOT expected to act in this way or are not treated in this way. Iran, Iraq (before it was messed up), Jordan, Malaysia, Indonesia etc. In these countries, education is open to women and they do not have to be subservient to their fathers once they reach adulthood.

[Sujo]

6 hours ago, polpott said:

According to Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, during a BBC Radio 4 interview after having visited her, she's a "very troubled lady". Diagnosed as bi-polar. Her step mother didn't "escape" she left.

No thats wrong. Mary Robinson did say that but later said she was horribly tricked.

 

There is no evidence she is bi polar. But you know that as i linked to it in another thread.

 

As was asked, where are you from?

[Sujo]

5 hours ago, mlmcleod said:

In the muslim world, women are expected to be obedient!  Any dissent is considered to be mentally disturbed deviant behavior.  Her role is merely to be a mother and breed male babies.  The livestock has more value than a female !

In the arab world yes. In other muslim countries no.

[Sujo]

4 minutes ago, Proboscis said:

I would love to know where you get your knowledge of what you call "the Muslim World." There are plenty of countries where muslim women are NOT expected to act in this way or are not treated in this way. Iran, Iraq (before it was messed up), Jordan, Malaysia, Indonesia etc. In these countries, education is open to women and they do not have to be subservient to their fathers once they reach adulthood.

True, my gf is a malay muslim and we have lived together for 5 years.

[polpott]

5 hours ago, Proboscis said:

I would love to know where you get your knowledge of what you call "the Muslim World." There are plenty of countries where muslim women are NOT expected to act in this way or are not treated in this way. Iran, Iraq (before it was messed up), Jordan, Malaysia, Indonesia etc. In these countries, education is open to women and they do not have to be subservient to their fathers once they reach adulthood.

I didn't mention the Moslem world, I quoted Arab culture. I agree with other posters on this thread that its specifically Arab culture, not necessarily Moslem culture.

[polpott]

5 hours ago, Sujo said:

As was asked, where are you from?

Lancashire.

[saperlipopette]

this is a job for Meghan

 

[bradiston]

17 hours ago, polpott said:

I didn't mention the Moslem world, I quoted Arab culture. I agree with other posters on this thread that its specifically Arab culture, not necessarily Moslem culture.

Pakistan? The UK? Afghanistan? In "problematic" Islamic countries/societies, most notably arch patriarchal, it's Muslim men who are the problem, not the women. Let's not forget that either. 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 2/20/2021 at 10:19 PM, Proboscis said:

I would love to know where you get your knowledge of what you call "the Muslim World." There are plenty of countries where muslim women are NOT expected to act in this way or are not treated in this way. Iran, Iraq (before it was messed up), Jordan, Malaysia, Indonesia etc. In these countries, education is open to women and they do not have to be subservient to their fathers once they reach adulthood.

You need to be more specific about Malaysia. Some areas are ( or were ) just as fundamentalist as Saudi, IMO.

 

I get my knowledge of Saudi from living there.

 

As for the woman in question the phrase "her tempestuous relationship with her father" may have more to do with the situation than life in general in Dubai. Dubai is/ was one of the more liberal emirates, and quite unlike the more fundamentalist ones. Expats liked it as it had a more western life style, though western liberal excess would not be looked on favourably. I have visited the emirates more than once.

[Sujo]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You need to be more specific about Malaysia. Some areas are ( or were ) just as fundamentalist as Saudi, IMO.

 

I get my knowledge of Saudi from living there.

 

As for the woman in question the phrase "her tempestuous relationship with her father" may have more to do with the situation than life in general in Dubai. Dubai is/ was one of the more liberal emirates, and quite unlike the more fundamentalist ones. Expats liked it as it had a more western life style, though western liberal excess would not be looked on favourably. I have visited the emirates more than once.

Dont know any region that is as bad as saudi. Unlike you, i havent been to saudi.

 

Im in malaysia and my gf is from kelantan and thats considered extreme conservative.  I have only been to her home town once and hated it, but can still have beers, its super boring.

 

I think Terrenganu would be the next most conservative but i havent stayed there.

 

There are many boring states in malaysia but at least women can drive and you can still have a few beers. But not for me, will stick to KL, penang, langkawi.

Edited February 22, 2021 by Sujo

[GroveHillWanderer]

On 2/20/2021 at 9:35 PM, polpott said:

I didn't mention the Moslem world, I quoted Arab culture. I agree with other posters on this thread that its specifically Arab culture, not necessarily Moslem culture.

That post from @Proboscis that you're "replying" to, was not aimed at you, it was a response to @mlmcleod, who did reference "the muslim world" as follows:

Quote

"In the muslim world, women are expected to be obedient! Any dissent is considered to be mentally disturbed deviant behavior."

 

[polpott]

1 hour ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

That post from @Proboscis that you're "replying" to, was not aimed at you, it was a response to @mlmcleod, who did reference "the muslim world" as follows:

 

Wrong. I replied to his post referencing the OP. check the timeline.

[mlmcleod]

On 2/20/2021 at 4:24 PM, Sujo said:

True, my gf is a malay muslim and we have lived together for 5 years.

The countries that are mentioned are aberrations.  Militant conservative muslims are slowly but surely moving to have Sharia laws enforced.  Just a quick look at the Taliban should demonstrate the issue.  Turkey was once a beacon of muslim tolerance, but no more!

[Proboscis]

On 2/22/2021 at 8:26 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

You need to be more specific about Malaysia. Some areas are ( or were ) just as fundamentalist as Saudi, IMO.

 

I get my knowledge of Saudi from living there.

 

As for the woman in question the phrase "her tempestuous relationship with her father" may have more to do with the situation than life in general in Dubai. Dubai is/ was one of the more liberal emirates, and quite unlike the more fundamentalist ones. Expats liked it as it had a more western life style, though western liberal excess would not be looked on favourably. I have visited the emirates more than once.

The concern I have is that the tempestuous relationship that a woman of 35 years old has with her father results in her being put in a private prison and because her father is head of a dictatorial state (meaning that he alone says what goes in that state), no one can question his actions.

 

I too have visited the Emirates often enough to see past the so-called "liberal" fascade. I know of people who ended up in jail in Dubai because of a business deal that went West and the opposite side was connected. I also know that the cultural attitude to women is terrible, yes not as barbaric as in Saudi but terrible nontheless. Yes, I have signed relatively small deals in Dubai where everything was done on a handshake and there were absolutely no problems. But it is a place where it is easy to be hoodwinked, just as former President Robinson was.