“Boys will be boys" is the kind of sentiment that is applied to the boisterousness that boys in the playground can exhibit among themselves. The notion can sometimes, rightly, allow young children to work out their issues on their own and mature in the process. But all too often, the same kind of permissiveness is used in another way entirely – and it is important that adults and parents ensure that boys learn the right message.
This past week, Egyptian singer Amr Diab was virtually pilloried for not recognising the scale of an issue that could not be dismissed as simply boys being boys.
The male character in the ad feels perfectly entitled
In an advertisement for French car manufacturer Citroen, Diab’s fictional character is seen driving and car and hitting the brakes suddenly in front of a woman crossing the street. His character in the ad does not know the woman nor does he seek her permission before proceeding to take a picture of her nonetheless, using a discreet camera installed in the car.
Clearly, Diab’s character feels entitled to take the picture. There are no negative consequences for his behaviour. On the contrary, in the next scene, the two seem to have developed a romantic relationship.
If one transposes this fictional story to any real life encounter, many people would view this as rather sleazy. But as noted, the male character in the ad feels perfectly entitled, and seems to be rewarded by the woman having taken notice of him.
The ad received more than 8.4 million views in seven days, meaning that the video’s normalisation of this behaviour – the invasion of women’s privacy by men using technology – was tremendous.
An earlier real life example of women’s privacy being violated by men comes to mind – and this was a far more grotesque violation of privacy. Some years ago, there was a fad to take "upskirt" photos on American public transport, where men would slyly angle their phones to take pictures under women’s skirts.
More disgracefully, a Texan court later struck down a law that sought to ban that kind of activity, claiming that even if the pictures were surreptitious, the right to take them was part of Americans’ freedom of expression. The story gets worse, as the law stemmed from the arrest of a man in Texas who had been found taking pictures of children in swimsuits.
Of course, Diab’s character did not justify the likes of such behaviour as in the Texas case. But there is a principle here; Diab’s character clearly found the female character attractive, and wanted to record her appearance, without her consent. It is a type of conduct some might be tempted to consider "boyish" – dangerously implying harmlessness – but Diab’s fictional character is not a child. He is a grown man who ought to know the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.
Over the past two years, we have all become accustomed to online meeting platforms like Zoom. Even there, in the online space, if anyone took a screenshot of another participant without their consent and the person got to know, it would be disturbing.
There is a further aspect to this, which relates to gender. Diab’s character isn’t a man being photographed by a woman. The power relationship is very clearly one-sided. She’s the pedestrian. He’s the driver of a sleek new car. She’s the one crossing the road without realising she’s being photographed without her knowledge. He’s the one taking the picture.
In a world where women are still subjected to sexual harassment in numerous ways, one is surprised to see Citroen putting forward such an advertisement. The ad has now been withdrawn. But Citroen seemed to realise its error too late and only due to the negative attention the ad drew. The company issued a statement saying it "deeply regrets and understands the negative interpretation". As for Diab himself and the rest of the crew involved in the production of the video, there have been no statements. A famous Arab figure might have missed an important opportunity to take a stand.
In the US, it took till 2015 for a Texan governor to pass a statute to ensure that "up-skirting" was illegal, so that the courts could not find a way to justify it under the dubious interpretation of "freedom of expression".
Closer home for this video, in Diab’s own native Egypt, a UN study in 2013 found that nearly all women in Egypt reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment in their lifetime. Within the Egyptian media industry, as within the film industry more generally internationally, there have been complaints for years that harassment of women is normalised in entertainment and in their portrayals on the big screen.
Yes, boys will be boys. But boys shouldn’t be boys forever. They need to grow into men. And manhood always includes respect for the boundaries of others. But we should all be forewarned: maturity isn’t something that simply takes place due to the passage of time. It requires training and guidance; and part of that training includes knowing that there should be consequences for actions that invade the privacy of others. Citroen’s car advertisement is the latest in a long line of public expressions that make it clear how much that training is needed.
Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier
ICC Academy, November 22-28
UAE fixtures
Nov 22, v Malaysia
Nov 23, v Hong Kong
Nov 25, v Bhutan
Nov 26, v Kuwait
Nov 28, v Nepal
ICC T20I rankings
14. Nepal
17. UAE
25. Hong Kong
34. Kuwait
35. Malaysia
44. Bhutan
UAE squad
Chaya Mughal (captain), Natasha Cherriath, Samaira Dharnidharka, Kavisha Egodage, Mahika Gaur, Priyanjali Jain, Suraksha Kotte, Vaishnave Mahesh, Judit Peter, Esha Rohit, Theertha Satish, Chamani Seneviratne, Khushi Sharma, Subha Venkataraman
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci
Pushkin Press
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Recycle Reuse Repurpose
New central waste facility on site at expo Dubai South area to handle estimated 173 tonne of waste generated daily by millions of visitors
Recyclables such as plastic, paper, glass will be collected from bins on the expo site and taken to the new expo Central Waste Facility on site
Organic waste will be processed at the new onsite Central Waste Facility, treated and converted into compost to be re-used to green the expo area
Of 173 tonnes of waste daily, an estimated 39 per cent will be recyclables, 48 per cent organic waste and 13 per cent general waste.
About 147 tonnes will be recycled and converted to new products at another existing facility in Ras Al Khor
Recycling at Ras Al Khor unit:
Plastic items to be converted to plastic bags and recycled
Paper pulp moulded products such as cup carriers, egg trays, seed pots, and food packaging trays
Glass waste into bowls, lights, candle holders, serving trays and coasters
Aim is for 85 per cent of waste from the site to be diverted from landfill
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
RESULTS
Main card
Bantamweight 56.4kg: Mehdi Eljamari (MAR) beat Abrorbek Madiminbekov (UZB), Split points decision
Super heavyweight 94 kg: Adnan Mohammad (IRN) beat Mohammed Ajaraam (MAR), Split points decision
Lightweight 60kg: Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) beat Faridoon Alik Zai (AFG), RSC round 3
Light heavyweight 81.4kg: Taha Marrouni (MAR) beat Mahmood Amin (EGY), Unanimous points decision
Light welterweight 64.5kg: Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) beat Nouredine Samir (UAE), Unanimous points decision
Light heavyweight 81.4kg: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Haroun Baka (ALG), KO second round
Profile of RentSher
Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE
Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi
Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE
Sector: Online rental marketplace
Size: 40 employees
Investment: $2 million
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
