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Sharjah, an emirate of the United Arab Emirates, has slapped a strict dress code on its population, specifying that a sari should be worn in a way that it does not reveal a woman's stomach or back.
There had been some confusion in the minds of many, especially Indians, whether the sari too comes under the new dress code that took effect on Wednesday.
But newspapers have quoted senior Sharjah police officers as saying that the garment must be worn in such a way as to cover the entire body.
They say the new decency law will make no exception for women of any nationality "wearing dresses that expose the stomach and back, short clothing above the knees and tight, transparent clothing".
A senior police officer told Gulf News that the "traditional sari can be worn in a way to cover the whole body, stomach and back. It is an Indian traditional dress, but can be worn properly so that it is considered decent. It should cover the stomach and back."
"Traditional dresses of all countries must be worn in this decent way," he added.
Saleh Ali Al-Mutawa, acting commander-in-chief of the Sharjah police, said offenders would be given verbal warnings and booklets to create awareness.
"Those who fail to respond positively will be penalised," he warned, adding that the rules aimed at protecting public values and decency and providing a peaceful atmosphere for residents and tourists.
The rules will target tourists throughout the emirate, including swimmers on public beaches. While hotels and private swimming pools will be excluded, hotels will be instructed to ensure that swimsuits are worn only at beaches and pools inside their premises.
The Sharjah government will be publishing details of the new code in the seven languages used in the emirate -- Arabic, English, French, German, Russian, Urdu and Malayalam.
According to the new rules, men too should not wear very short shorts in public or commercial places like malls and public offices, or go about bare-chested.
Indo-Asian News Service
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