DUBAI // A man spotted smoking in public during the holy month of Ramadan gave a fasting Muslim man who told him to stub it out the middle finger and insulted him.
Georgian D K, 30, gave Emirati R A the finger and used strong language including the word “f***” during Ramadan, when it is forbidden to eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight hours.
The accused was not present at Dubai Court of Misdemeanours on Thursday to enter a plea.
Records show that on the 30th day of Ramadan last year, the Emirati man was near Al Mulla Plaza, in Al Nadha, when he noticed the Georgian smoking in his car.
“I walked over to him and greeted him politely and told him he couldn’t smoke publicly,” said R A in records.
“He didn’t care, he was so dismissive and told me that he was not a f***** Muslim and ordered me to f*** off.”
The Emirati walked away, took a picture of the man’s car and called police.
The defendant had earlier said: “I was inside my car when a Nissan Patrol came alongside me and the driver lowered his window then asked me why I was smoking.
“I told him I was not a Muslim then saw him as he took a picture of my car and drove off — nothing more happened between us.”
The court convicted him in absentia of all three charges, sentencing him to six months in jail for flashing his middle finger, fining him Dh5,000 for insulting R A and sentencing him to additional 15 days in jail for smoking publicly during Ramadan.
He would also be deported after serving his jail term.
salamir@thenational.ae
