DUBAI (AP): The United Arab Emirates has relaxed its Islamic laws, allowing unmarried couples to cohabitate, loosening alcohol restrictions and criminalizing ‘honor killings’.
The development reflects the changing profile of a country that has sought to bill itself as a skyscraper-studded destination for Western tourists and businesses.
The announcement also follows a historic U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between the UAE and Israel, which is expected to bring an influx of Israeli tourists and investment.
According to the state-run agency, the reforms aim to boost the country’s economic and social standing and consolidate the UAE’s principles of tolerance. The changes also reflect the efforts of the Emirates’ rulers to keep pace with a rapidly changing society.
The amendments will also permit foreigners to avoid Islamic Shariah courts on issues like marriage, divorce and inheritance. Changes include scrapping penalties for alcohol consumption, sales and possession for those aged 21 and over.
Although liquor and beer are widely available in bars and clubs in the UAE, individuals previously needed a government-issued license to have alcohol in their homes.
The new rule would apparently allow Muslims, who have been barred from obtaining licenses, to drink alcoholic beverages freely. Another amendment allows for cohabitation of unmarried couples, which has long been a crime in the UAE.
The government further said it also decided to get rid of laws defending so-called honor crimes,” a widely criticized custom in which a male relative may evade prosecution for assaulting a woman seen as dishonoring her family.
