December 2, 2007
Another reason to be careful of local laws when you travel
A Britsh woman in Sudan was recently arrested for allowing her students to name a teddy bear. Naming the bear Muhammed was seen as an insult to Islam in Sudan (the verdict and penalty have been condemned by Muslim groups in London).
I guess she got off easy with only 15 days in prison and not the 40 lashes...
And if you want to leave some inflammatory comment, do it on the article I'm linking to. I will delete all comments that are not directly related to knowing local laws when you travel. Now if you have heard of a similar story or know someone who had a close call thanks to not knowing the local laws then your comment is welcome.
Posted by James Trotta at December 2, 2007 12:55 PM | TrackBack
It is illeagal to chew gum in Singapore and you will be arrested if caught doing so.
Posted by: Stephanie at December 3, 2007 10:01 AMThe U.S. State Department lists traveler advisories on their website. They contain a lot of useful information on local laws and customs for each country to assist the traveler. It also has information about crime and political instability. It was very helpful when I went to the Philippines recently.
Posted by: Russell Shoebotham at December 3, 2007 11:55 AMI've glanced at the article in question. And the sad nature of making mistakes against other country's customs can be severe. I realize most people are conservative when travel involves a higher risk to them. You may like to try the site below if you are Canadian.Welcome to the Consular Affairs Bureau Web Site
Posted by: Michael Taylor at December 3, 2007 11:53 PMI remember reading an article about Saudi Arabia where the laws are very strict.
Couple of students (male and female) went to Saudi Arabia and had a party there that included alcohol that both the males and the females drank.
In Saudi Arabia, it is illegal and against their religion for women to be a part of these type of parties and to consume alcohol.
They received many lashes and were jailed.
If you are planning to visit Saudi Arabia, PLEASE research more about their VERY conservative culture and norms before stepping foot on their land.
Posted by: Beno at December 7, 2007 3:00 PMre: singapore: The laws have been relaxed so that you're now allowed to bring chewing gum into the country from overseas for your own personal use, and can chew your own supply. It's still illegal to sell or commercially import it though!
Posted by: Julie at December 7, 2007 9:28 PMIt is illegal to import "marital aids" (i.e. vibrators, etc.) to Great Britain, If you get caught with them at customs, they will confiscate them.
Posted by: Sara at December 8, 2007 5:00 PMLots of people are afraid of the 'great unknown' of foreign countries. In April I went to Turkey for 10 days, loved every second of it. I did not see one upset while there. Everyone was very nervous about going - I admit, I was a bit myself. After landing you realise, if you behave yourself - respect the locals and customs, nothing bad will happen to you. A lot of the hype surrounding 'dangerous' countries is just that. Hype.
Posted by: Sarah Lomas at December 14, 2007 7:50 AM