Here is a news article that illustrates the other end of the tolerance specturm.

Suspicious behaviour exposes hashish user
By Mohammad Shamseddine, Staff Reporter
04/01/2006
Gulfnews.com

Abu Dhabi: A man who had smoked hashish outside the UAE four days before his arrival in the country faces four years in jail.

Police spotted the man, a UAE national identified as S.Z., acting suspiciously at the Abu Dhabi airport and detained him for interrogation. Medical tests revealed traces of hashish in his blood.

S.Z. initially told the court of first appeal that his brother-in-law gave him a cigarette. Later, he told the public prosecution that a stranger had given him the cigarette at Hyderabad airport in India. He claimed he smoked it without knowing it contained hashish.

The Abu Dhabi court of first instance sentenced him to four years in jail. S.Z., in his appeal, said he cannot be sued for crime he committed outside the country.

According to UAE federal law, any UAE citizen who commits a crime outside the country and the crime is punishable in the UAE, will be punished for it once he gets back to the country. The Federal Supreme court rejected his appeal.

A British Woman was jailed and deported for a month for possesion of CoCodomol which she bought in the UK over the pharmacy counter legally. Headache pills!

Another man recently got four months for kissing a woman in a taxi.

You as awesterner wont be hassled for what you do outside the UAE, but if they find any traces in your baggae, then you are in deep poo poo.

What makes it really tough and intolerant in some ways, makes it really safe and really good in others...you just have to follow the rules then it all becomes clear.

But surely at some point one must become intolerant of intolerance...

Afganistan under the Taliban?
Germany under Hitler?

At some point relativism becomes immorality...

(Sorry, but this kind of stuff drives me a little nuts).

Hi neurosynth
I have very similar feelings. Such an attitude shift will not occur until there is an Islamic Reformation. I fear that this is a long way off into the future. Until then, we will have this middle/dark ages clash with the 21st century.
Best
Tarzan

Yes, but I like Dubai at the moment.

there are double standards and hypocracies that make the place tolerant.

There are rules. sometimes they favour locals and sometimes they favour visitors (like the local with Hash in his blood).

Everyone knows the rules and the game, play it right and you are OK. Pick a hooker up, fine, share a taxi, overlooked although against sharia law. Kiss her in the cab and have it reported by a local and you are FUCKED!

Easy really.

I like the place. Delightfully bent.

Well...you know...there's getting stoned, and then there's getting stoned...