男子竖中指被迪拜法院驱逐出境

一名巴基斯坦男子因在道路纠纷中对人竖中指而被迪拜最高法院判处入狱一个月并驱逐出境。阿联酋的司法制度中对公共场合的粗暴行为以及任何违反阿拉伯社会习俗的不当行为均有严格的规定。迪拜这个城市长期有众多外籍员工和游客生活，其文化氛围更接近于西方社会，这样的惩罚显示了其文化的两面性，既有大都市的全球性，又有与生俱来的保守性。今年3月，一对英国夫妇因为在餐馆拥吻而被判入狱一个月并驱逐出境；去年年初，一对未婚的印度伴侣因为互发色情短信而被判入狱3个月。

Another don't in Dubai: Keep the hand gestures clean or risk a one-way ticket home.

That's the message from Dubai's highest court in a ruling that upheld the deportation of a Pakistani man for a case of road rage that included one of the most familiar side effects - the widely known insult of a raised middle finger.

The Court of Cassation - the last stop in the appeal process - confirmed that the United Arab Emirates' strict indecency codes cover hand gestures and the deportation sentence would stand, media reports said on Sunday.

It's no surprise for those familiar with the UAE's legal system, which is infused with traditional codes against public insults and other acts considered violations of customs in the native Gulf Arab society.

But in Dubai's cultural soup - dominated by foreign workers, visitors and sun-seeking vacationers - such rules can seem far removed from the skyscrapers, Western-style malls and lifestyle options that are much closer to California than Cairo.

The court ruling is the latest reminder of Dubai's split personalities as both ambitiously cosmopolitan and instinctively conservative.

The Pakistani man sought to challenge his one-month jail sentence and deportation for giving "the finger" during a traffic altercation.

The court, headed by Judge Mohammed Nabil Riyadh, ruled that deportation was acceptable to all acts deemed indecent under UAE law.

The complication is that it's often hard to distinguish the red lines.

Malls feature signs appealing for "respectful" clothing by women, but miniskirts and skimpy tops are common among foreigners.

Public displays of affection are officially banned, but the boundaries are unclear between a friendly kiss and romantic smooch.

In March, a British couple was sentenced to a month in jail and deportation for what was described as exchanging a provocative kiss in a restaurant. The couple insisted it was just a peck on the cheek.

Earlier last year, an unmarried Indian couple was sentenced to three months in jail for exchanging steamy text messages.

In 2008, two Britons accused of having sex on the beach got three months in jail, though their sentences were later suspended.