Dubai court: the 'finger' can get you the boot

DUBAI, Jan 09, 2011 (AP): Dubai's highest court says authorities can deport foreigners for hand gestures considered indecent under local laws.

Dubai's Court of Cassation has ruled that the United Arab Emirates' strict indecency codes cover gestures such as the widely known insult of a raised middle finger.

Local media reported Sunday that the decision comes after a Pakistani man appealed his deportation order after being convicted of making the gesture during a road incident.

Although Dubai has some of the most relaxed social rules in the Middle East, authorities tightly enforce laws prohibiting insults or offensive acts. The laws are mostly applied against foreigners accused of violating the dignity of local Emiratis