Two wrongs in this affair

Jun 7 2009 by Ken Oxley, Sunday Sun

VINCENT ANTIA, the estranged husband of a woman jailed for adultery along with her lover in Dubai, strikes me as a pathetic, lily-livered wimp of a man.

What sort of bloke squeals to the police – in the United Arab Emirates of all places – about his missus playing away?

And then, having dropped her in the sticky stuff good and proper, whines to a tabloid newspaper about how he is oh so sorry for shopping her, claiming he begged the authorities the following day to drop the case.

A bit late for that pal, don’t you think? But one suspects he knew all along that going to the cops about his wife Sally’s fling with construction manager Mark Hawkins would have serious consequences for both of them.

Which means he’s not only a pathetic wimp . . . he’s quite possibly malicious with it.

No one is arguing that adultery is not wrong. But the United Arab Emirates’ practice of jailing people for it is rightly frowned upon by those of us in the western world.

The two-month sentence given to Antia and Hawkins follows a three-month stretch served by British woman Marnie Pearce, who also lost custody of her two sons when her Egyptian husband accused her of cheating on him while living in Dubai. She fears she may never see them again. Dubai is currently promoting itself heavily as a tourist destination. But anyone thinking of going there should be aware of its antiquated legal system which combines elements of civil, criminal, social and Sharia laws.

Yes, this couple did wrong and, yes, for all he is a wimp, Mr Antia is also a victim. But I agree with the view held by Kate Allen, of the human rights pressure group Amnesty International, who said this week: “The sex lives of consenting adults shouldn’t be a criminal matter.”

So, by all means visit Dubai if soulless shopping malls are your thing. But be aware that in doing so, you’re supporting the economy of a rotten state that punishes people for being human.