From Brussels Journal:
An Estonian soldier on his way home after having served with the coalition forces in Afghanistan, was arrested in the United Arab Emirates and will be flogged. Andrei Korol was accused of being drunk and harassing a local policewoman while he was in transit at Sharjah international airport where they “make your life easy.”
The incident happened on 23 February. There were no witnesses of the alleged harassment. Korol’s comrades say that he was so tired and drunk that most of the time at the airport he was napping. UAE law does not allow locals to drink at all while foreigners can do it only in certain designated areas.
A court sentenced the Estonian sergeant major to a one month jail sentence for drinking and had him choose between either three months in jail or 80 lashes with a whip (which could be fatal). His lawyer says Korol chose flogging. He has already spent more than a month in a local jail.
Estonia has soldiers stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq. The soldiers are there for six months on a voluntary basis. The incident involving Andrei Korol has elicited severe criticism of the Estonian government. Some say Estonia is failing to provide protection to members of its armed forces from a so-called ally. Some are indignant at sharia laws. Others, however, criticise the Estonian army leadership for the lack of discipline among soldiers who are not on duty.
From Yahoo News:
The Egyptian policewoman, who works at the airport of the emirate of Sharjah, alleged that Andrie Carol tried to rape her as she slept in the ladies staff room during a break, the English-language Khaleej Times said.
The newspaper quoted the soldier as saying from his prison cell that he had been very tired and had drunk excessively when the purported incident occurred during a recent stopover at Sharjah airport on his way home from Afghanistan.
"The only thing I can remember is that I wanted to go to the men's toilet and I asked somebody who pointed to the room and I just went in. I did not have any intention of raping or touching any woman," Carol said.
"I'm not a bad guy. It is only my bad luck that landed me in trouble. I didn't know that alcohol consumption is forbidden during the transit hours at the airport," he said.
A Sharjah police official was quoted as accusing the soldier of failing to respect the culture and religion of the UAE, a Muslim country.
The first hearing in the case was held on Saturday at a Sharjah court, during which the policewoman reportedly said she was not sure of Carol's identity as she had "just run away" when the alleged harassment occurred.
Notes:
a) if he really intended to rape this woman and it's proved, he is rapist and has to be sanctioned accordingly.
b) BUT we have to read carefully these words that are referred to the fact that he was not sober:
Sharjah police official was quoted as accusing the soldier of failing to respect the culture and religion of the UAE, a Muslim country.
Very good reason. BUT when the same Muslims come here, a great part do not respect OUR culture or religion. Is that fair? Anyone objecting the use of the principle called reciprocity? No, we just do campaign not talking about that.
Is this fair?
The Anti-Jihad Pundit 