There is a law in the UAE that taking photo's of government buildings and especially, local women, is strictly not allowed. This is something that most people do not know.
Article 378 of the UAE Penal Code (Federal Law 3 of 1987) makes it clear that taking a person’s picture without their consent or in legally permitted circumstances shall be an invasion of that person’s privacy or family life. Not only will the camera or device be confiscated and the recordings destroyed, but the photographer or videographer may have to pay a fine and be imprisoned. The same punishment is also applicable to anyone who publishes such pictures.
Article 43 of the UAE Copyright Law (Federal Law No. 7 of 2002) reiterates the offence under the Penal Code but also grants some exceptions. If the photographer or videographer captures a picture of another they shall not have the right to keep, show, exhibit, communicate, distribute, or publish the pictures without the prior consent of the person of whom the picture had been taken. The offence shall be punished by detention for not more than six months and payment of a fine.
Well, I feel the same way about taking pictures of my children without permission.
What does a grown man want to do with pictures of other people's children?
I cannot count the amount of times when I had to prevent someone from taking pictures of my children. I made a big scene one day when I noticed a man taking 'selfies' with my 4 year old daughter in the background. He had to delete those photos before I let him walk away. In the world we live in today, there is no more purity and innocence in a click of the finger. Us, as parents, can never be to cautious to the workings of someone else's mind.
One day, I received a 'friend request' from a man on Facebook. I did not know who he was, but then I recognized the little girl with the huge smile next to him on his profile picture. It was the daughter of my friend who was living close by at the time. I immediately informed her about this. She was furious because it was her cleaner who took a picture with her daughter without permission, and then made it his profile photo on Facebook, for the whole world to see. It bothered me, because he knew who I was, and had to know that my daughter is friends with that little girl. I did not accept his request! Did he want to get a hold of pictures from my children? I'm sure he did because he is definitely not my friend!
In a mothers' mind, everything seems dodgy.
My thinking:
- does he want to kidnap her?
- does he want to sell her?
- what does he want to do with her picture?
- how does he know my name?
- does he know where we live?
What seems normal and innocent to the rest of the world, is usually the opposite for a parent, especially a mother.
Mothers just have that 6th sense to protect our children like animals.