NYU Abu Dhabi

Colleges and Universities A-Z New York University
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<p>AdamJones, great strawman argument. NYU folks ARE cowards for taking the money Abu Dhabi gave them and refusing to admit that they are either putting gay students in danger or else encouraging them not to go - both things that would bring them shame if anybody actually bothered to ask besides the very few that seem to care. I don’t see how calling someone’s actions cowardly has anything to do with civil rights. I see you had nothing to say about the rest of my post - you know, the actual content. Might as well have waved a white flag there. And to be fair to rainbow, you just seem to be trying to shrug off ANY criticism anybody dishes out to NYU, no matter how well-deserved it is. </p>

<p>Missamericanpie, what is the contact information for those places? Please post it here, so anybody who wishes to contact them about this issue can. Which, by the way, was kind of the point of mentioning it on this forum - to make people aware of what’s going on so that more people can make noise to NYU about it. Some people, however, take criticism of their school’s unfair decisions personally and feel the need to defend those decisions regardless of how obviously discriminatory they are. Hopefully those people will find it in their hearts to send a short email to the addresses you list as well, but most likely they will sit back and be apathetic about injustice because it doesn’t affect them.</p>

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<p>I am not talking about all campus aboard - I am talking about a US campus willing to sell off its name to a country that jails and tortures an entire group of individuals - the same group of individuals it claims to welcome on its US campus - I cannot find any sort of guidelines for students on the Abu Dhabi campus - although the language is extensive on student live on the main campus website.
I am certain that the leaders of the NYU abu dhabi must be making policies in anticipation of what might happen - why are they afraid of revealing those policies - and telling all who might participate what will happen to the LGBTQ community there? to women? to students who protest? to Jews? it seems like the Aushwitz analogy is more than apt - it would be nice to know where the train is heading before one hops on…</p>

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<p>NYUAD is a really stupid idea.</p>

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<p>going to Yankee Stadium in a full Red Sox uniform is a stupid idea - a US institution willingly embracing a nation that constantly violates civil rights is more than a stupid idea </p>

<p>it is an insult to people who value diversity and free speech</p>

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<p>@Panther: If you are referring to the same “people” I think you are addressing, those people don’t go to NYU, it’s not their school. And those people are not taking anything personally, we’re just discussing man, do you know what it means to discuss? . If rainbow’s motives were as candid as he claims they are, I wouldn’t have a problem with his posts. But the guy clearly has other motives. Just take some time and read his posts all over again, the kid has a problem (other than this issue) with NYU, and he thinks this is a way to solve it.
Oh and I stand by what I said, u should watch your words if u want people to listen to you. Considering people “things” (as you did in post 112) is something human rights activists have always been against, this is just as shameful as being homophobic.</p>

<p>@rainbow: “what will happen to the LGBTQ community there? to women? to students who protest? to Jews?” well, the LGBTQ community could face some challenges, but asking what will happen to women, Jews, and students who protest really shows that you are conpletely ignorant of the situation in the UAE. NYU AD’s president is Jew. 50% of its student body are women, and people in the Emirates are never jailed or ill-treated because of their protests. BTW, have you ever been to the UAE, Qatar, or any other Persian gulf country? If not I suggest you try, you’ll see that they’re much more liberal than what you think. (Don’t worry they won’t beat you lol)
now I’m out of this discussion, this is getting ridiculous. You guys have hijacked this thread from its main purpose, congrats.</p>

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<p>Sure! </p>

<p>NYU-Local On Campus Editor: <a href=“mailto:nicole.he@nyu.edu”>nicole.he@nyu.edu</a>
NYULocal has been critical of AD before, they are our school blog. </p>

<p>Washington Square News: Eric Platt: <a href="mailto:editor@nyunews.com">editor@nyunews.com</a></p>

<p>The New York Magazine article: [Has</a> NYU President John Sexton Sold Out With an Abu Dhabi Expansion? – New York Magazine](<a href=“http://nymag.com/news/features/46000/]Has”>Has NYU President John Sexton Sold Out With an Abu Dhabi Expansion? -- New York Magazine - Nymag)</p>

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<p>missamericanpie - those are articles from a while back.</p>

<p>and anybody who has the little information coming out of NYU Abu Dhabi of exact policies and codes of student conduct will be ignorant - they are completely quiet on the whole aspect - what will happen if students on the program criticize the Abu Dhabi government? that is the backbone of American history - so, how can a US institution have a free-standing university in a less-tolerant nation.</p>

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<p>Abu Dhabi</p>

<p>Article 80 of the Abu Dhabi Penal Code makes sodomy punishable with imprisonment of up to 14 years. Several news reports have revealed how the law is typically enforced. Cross-dressing would likewise be illegal.
In 2005, twenty-six young men were arrested at an Abu Dhabi hotel, after police discovered the men engaging in cross-dressing and homosexual practices [1]. In discussing the raid, Mohammed bin Nukhaira Al Dhahiri, Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Auqaf stated, “There will be no room for homosexual and queer acts in the UAE. Our society does not accept queer behaviour, either in word or in action,” [2]. Initial reports suggested that some of these men were ordered to be given experimental hormone treatments, although the government subsequently backed off from these statements [3]. The men were all given a five year prison sentence [4].

[edit]</p>

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<p>Thanks missamericanpie! I will write them to see if they have any information on NYU’s approach to Abu Dhabi’s lack of certain human rights, and ask them to do some investigation if they don’t. Please others, do the same.</p>

<p>And AdamJones, how can I take anything you say about human rights seriously after your attempt at a gay bashing joke at rainbow’s expense? Glad you think violence is funny.</p>

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<p>I said I’m out of this, but I feel I should apologize to rainbow if I said anything vexing. And Panther, the funny aspect in that “joke” was not violence, it was rainbow’s obvious lack of information.</p>

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<p>Rainbow - The UAE is one of the most socially progressive of the Arab nations. To argue that women face the same social injustices as gays/lesbians is simply ignorant. In fact, female graduates outnumber male graduates in UAE by 2 to 1 according to source listed on Wikipedia.</p>

<p>[Women</a> in the United Arab Emirates - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“Women in the United Arab Emirates - Wikipedia”>Women in the United Arab Emirates - Wikipedia) </p>

<p>You must understand that intolerance of homosexuality is deeply rooted in the strict Muslim culture of all Arab nations. I’m not saying it is “ok” from my POV, but their strict intolerance of homosexuality under the law come from the fact that these nations are governed under the rule of Islamic law. So long as Muslims believe the homosexuality is a sin within their religion, it is going to be a long time coming before any Arab nations, including the UAE, become more tolerant of gays and lesbians. Does that mean we as Americans should forgo any contact or effort to bridge our two cultures together? I don’t think so. </p>

<p>And for what it’s worth, it is a bit ridiculous to criticize NYU AD in any context when the UAE has become one of the richest countries in the world because of our (yes, all Americans) insatiable appetite for Middle Eastern oil.</p>

132

<p>just because it might seem more tolerant (and I emphasize seem) than other highly intolerant places - does not mean that NYU is not despicable as an American institution to overlook gross injustices - as are measured out to LGBT people and to women and to people of other nations. </p>

<p>if we are going to say what is “ridiculous” - I would say that it would be ridiculous to welcome back graduates and staff and faculty into truly diverse institutions once they come home to the US - they clearly have rejected a culture of inclusion and no censorship for something far different.</p>

<p>And yes -we should forego the invitation of starting an entire “American” university in a culture unwilling to offer freedom to all - that doesn’t mean we should cut ties - but NYU and participants in the program should be ashamed for selling out the rights of individuals to obtain some cash -</p>

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<p>“And for what it’s worth, it is a bit ridiculous to criticize NYU AD in any context when the UAE has become one of the richest countries in the world because of our (yes, all Americans) insatiable appetite for Middle Eastern oil.”</p>

<p>If anything is ridiculous it’s the lack of structure to that argument. First of all, there is a lack of truth to the claim that “all Americans” have an “insatiable appetite” for oil - let alone oil from the middle east -
and even if that were true, that does not mean that it would be wrong to criticize a university that gained a reputation from interests in diversity, inclusion, equality, and free expression and then whoring out its name in interest of short term profit.</p>

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<p>Great arguments from both sides, for & against the issue. This is what freedom is all about ! to be able to discuss such topics. But I am sure even a discussion such as this could NOT have taken place within the NYUAD campus without serious consequences for one side. I guess freedom to even discuss such issues , let alone freedom to practice anything discussed, will not be easy in NYUAD. But then again that should not stop NYUAD to do what its doing, imho. After all, i can bet attitudes to the LGBTQ community is just as bad as it is in Abu Dhabi in most interior regions of the US -from a practical pov ( maybe not from a legal pov) and should that stop the progressive academic lot from opening Univs there? No - I think not. I would go to the extend of even saying that by enabling NYU to open in AD, Freedom is getting a foothold in the region! Everyone should welcome that. The Abu Dhabi authorities know that NYU opening up there will bring about such issues and that probably could have been a reason for them to have allowed it in the first place !! NYU shunning such regions will only enable such prejudices to fester & ferment further ! I dont think that anyone, either for or against the issues discussed wants that ! My 2 paise worth to the discussion!</p>

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<p>well, Jassy - it doesn’t seem like women have equal rights in the UAE - here’s a story in today’s National - a woman who claimed that she was raped - was herself immediately jailed - given no defense attorney - and then found that she consented to sex - part of the proof of the consent was that she agreed to ride alone in a car with a man… oman who alleged rape jailed for a year</p>

<p>I can’t understand how an American University can think it can run a university in such a culture…</p>

<p>Hassan Hassan, Marten Youssef and Rym Ghazal
Last Updated: June 14. 2010 11:27PM UAE / June 14. 2010 7:27PM GMT
ABU DHABI // A teenager who alleged she was gang-raped by five men but later recanted her claim has been sentenced to a year in prison for consensual sex.</p>

<p>The five she had initially accused were acquitted of rape by the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court yesterday, but were found guilty of less serious charges.</p>

<p>The Emirati teenager LH, 18, was found to have consented to intercourse with YM, a 19-year-old military police officer who was also sentenced to a year in jail after the rape charge against him was changed to one of consensual sex by the judge. </p>

<p>Two other defendants, both referred to as HA, were sentenced to three months in prison each for being alone in the company of a woman.</p>

<p>The fifth and sixth defendants were fined Dh5,000 each for violations of public decency.</p>

<p>The latter verdicts represented rare court rulings in which Sharia law was directly imposed. Police rarely arrest people based on such charges alone; more often they are secondary charges typically connected to sex offences.</p>

<p>LH has been in custody since filing the complaint. She was never appointed a lawyer during the trial, and none of her family members appeared in court during the proceedings.</p>

<p>According to the forensics report submitted to the court LH reported the incident on April 23.</p>

<p>Genetic material recovered from the scene led the judge to convict YM of consensual sex, while acquitting HA. </p>

<p>The forensics report found that LH was not a virgin and that there was no genital bruising. It found 12 bruises ranging from 1cm to 7cm long on her upper lip, hands, thighs, knee and behind her left ear. </p>

<p>“Some of the bruises are new, two to three days old, and some of them are old, seven to 15 days old,” the report said. The report attributed the bruises to body pressure or being hit with something solid.</p>

<p>During the trial, prosecutors claimed that LH had gone for a drive on May 2 with her male Emirati friend, HA, in Baniyas, where they had intercourse. Prosecutors said the fact she agreed to go with him alone in the car partly showed her consent to sex.</p>

<p>They said that, HA, 19, then called five of his friends – four Emiratis and one Iraqi – and invited them to join him in raping her in the backseat of his Nissan Altima. Charges against one defendant were later dropped.</p>

<p>On May 25, LH retracted her accusation of rape. </p>

<p>Despite this, only the Public Prosecution had the authority to drop the rape charges – which they did not. </p>

<p>Within two days of the incident, LH had been tested by the forensics unit at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. Evidence of assault was cited by the public prosecution in charging the men with rape. LH told the court that bruises on her body came from a beating administered by her brother because he suspected she had relationships with men.</p>

<p>Each of the six has 15 days to appeal the verdict.</p>

136

<p>Just curious…does the LGBTQ community feel safe in all US cities?
How open is rural America to LGBTQ issues?</p>

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<p>we aren’t talking about “feeling safe” - in Abu Dhabi homosexuality is considered a crime - it is not a crime in the US - I agree the US is not perfect, but there are certainly far more protections in the US. And - certainly, NYU is located in the heart of the start of the gay rights movement - it is shocking for NYU to claim that it could replicate its experience in a nation that criminalizes homosexuality.</p>

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<p>NYUAD has some pros and cons. It’s def not billed as a replication of a Washington Sq. NYU education. Students know what they’re getting into. Gay sex was illegal in Texas up until 2003. </p>

<p>Don’t you think that an American university in the UAE would help gay rights? I think it will. Globalization, communication, and all that jazz should help more than ignoring it (good stuff nrousep). </p>

<p>NYUAD is emphasizing an academic free zone or something like that. Discussion is definitely okay by teh Ab Dhabs.</p>

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<p>funk, an American University in Abu Dhabi certainly would help gay rights there, if that University advocated for them. However, NYU’s silence on the issue of the illegality of homosexuality in the UAE implies that they are not trying to change anything. And rather than explaining the situation to possible gay students, they seem to be taking the easy route and ignoring it. If anything, this condoning of an absurd law hurts gay rights. The discussion you suggest will help the UAE advance in human rights will not be able to take place - the UAE and NYU have made sure of that.</p>

<p>The truth is, for NYU to discuss this matter with Abu Dhabi, they unfortunately need pressure from lobbyists to actually take action. There are too few gays to put the amount of pressure needed on NYU, and most straights are content to think that merely the presence of liberal minds in Abu Dhabi will make up for the human rights violations going on there, even though these liberal minds are completely censored on this issue under discriminatory laws. Those who are not affected have convinced themselves - out of convenience - that things are more than alright, and those who are make up too small a population to get anyone to listen. I’ll try to make it not so, but most likely NYU is going to have their cake and eat it too.</p>

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<ol>
<li>What is the vision of NYU Abu Dhabi?
Both parties are committed to building a U.S.-style, research-focused educational institution. NYU Abu Dhabi will be a residential research university and a branch of NYU New York, operated consistent with NYU New York’s academic quality and practices.</li>
</ol>

<p>NYU Abu Dhabi will consist of a highly selective liberal arts and sciences college, distinctive graduate programs, and a world center for advanced research and scholarship – all integrated with each other and connected through technology to NYU New York. Together, NYU New York and NYU Abu Dhabi will form the backbone of a unique Global Network University, with faculty and students from New York or Abu Dhabi spending “semesters away” at one or more of the numerous study abroad sites NYU maintains on five continents. It will draw students from around the world, and prepare them for the challenges and opportunities of our interconnected world.</p>

<p>how can NYU Abu Dhabi claim to run an institution consistent with the practices of NYU?<br>
Will there be an Office of Lesbian, Gender, Bisexual, and Transgender Student Services at NYU Abu Dhabi as there is in New York? If not, why not? </p>

<p>This is as much an indictment of the failure of the people in the New York campus to stand up for what they claim to believe. I am so disappointed. Queer students who would like to study in New York City have only Columbia Univ. it seems as a real option.</p>