When someone invites you to their home and you know they are non-smokers, you don’t smoke in their house. What about traveling to another person’s country where they have deeply held beliefs about behavior and attire? When in Rome, right?

That is exactly the point that 23 year old Asma Al Muhairi would like to make to tourists in her country. It’s not just about religion but what she and others in the United Arab Emirates feel are basic values in their culture regarding attire and manners. They are offended by excessive displays of too much bare skin.

The UAE does not hold to the strict compulsory dress code of its neighboring Muslim countries. However, many of the men still prefer wearing thawb, an ankle-length white shirt woven from wool or cotton and a minority of women still wear abaya, a black over-garment covering most parts of the body. This attire is particularly well-suited for the UAE’s hot and dry climate. Western-style clothing is also fairly popular, especially among the young people. While in the UAE visitors are expected to show appropriate manners and reasonable dress. There have been several recent cases of expatriates not respecting the laws and being arrested, for example, for not wearing enough clothing at beaches, some even being completely nude.

But a shopping trip to a Dubai mall left Al Muhairi upset with what she encountered and she started a campaign through a hashtag on Twitter — #UAEdresscode against revealing clothing that has sparked a major debate in the United Arab Emirates.

Al Muhairi’s drive to re-educate expats and tourists to dress more modestly began after she and her friend Hanan Al Rayes saw a young woman in short-shorts that they considered left little to the imagination.

“There were women who had come straight from the beach covered with nothing more than a sarong. I also saw women with really short skirts that didn’t fully conceal their undergarments. It was disgusting,” said Al Rayes.

Al Muhairi said many people in Dubai Mall were looking at the woman, but no one did anything, so she approached security guards and threatened to call the police.

“In our days people always knew it was wrong. It is in our culture and our religion. We never saw this 10 years ago or even five years ago. I’m only 23 but when I was young it was different. I feel sad for the new generations. My nieces when they go to the mall, they think it’s fine to look at people dressed like this. It makes me sad.” said Al Muhairi.

While wearing skimpy clothing is not illegal in the United Arab Emirates, shopping malls have policies that state knees and shoulders should be covered.

When the two women returned from the mall, Al Muhairi discussed what they had seen with Al Rayes and wrote a message on Twitter, saying “till when will we keep seeing people going against our rules and showing indecent dresses?”

Initially, Al Muhairi and Al Rayes had no intention of starting a movement, just sharing their views with friends. However, the discussion grew as the issue touched a sensitive spot with many.

“I never thought that in 10 days I would become a social activist,” said Al Muhairi.

The campaign has started a debate on how closely foreigners should follow local customs while in the United Arab Emirates, and just what standards of dress are acceptable. Some have suggested that tourists arriving at airports should be given a brochure explaining local customs and standards of dress.

“We need to create awareness and let people know about this campaign and that people here are upset about this issue.” said Al Muhairi

The issue goes to the heart of what can at times be a clash of cultures. More than 80% of the United Arab Emirates population is expatriate, according to Visit Abu Dhabi, and much of the country’s wealth is built on its foreign workers. The country prides itself on its welcoming attitude to foreigners. While most of the focus has been on women, Al Mulhairi also also includes men who wear shorts, go bare-chested or wear clothes that are too tight fitting.

“We should give a deadline — from a certain date, everyone will know that if they wear certain kind of dress, the mall won’t let them in, or maybe give them a fine. Someone suggested giving them something to cover themselves.” said Al Muhairi

Many foreigners, as well as Emiratis, agree that more needs to be done to educate visitors on what is acceptable.

In Costa Rica, being respectful of another countries culture can, at times, be difficult when the norms are widely diverse depending on what part of the country you’re in. What is considered proper in a small pueblo is a far cry from what is seen on the streets of Jaco, or even San Jose. Rather than offending people in destination countries, a little advance planning about local customs and tradition might be advisable to ensure a warm welcome back.

Source: CNN