World

Father lets daughter drown at Dubai beach rather than have male rescuers ‘touch’ her

Rescuers say girl's father told them he prefers his daughter dead than being touched by a strange man

Web Desk August 10, 2015

PHOTO: AFP

The father of a 20-year-old girl let his daughter drown at a beach in Dubai rather than have her saved by ‘strange' men of a rescue team, reported Emirates 24|7.

The man, said to be Asian, had taken his family to the beach when his daughter began to drown and screamed for help. However, when rescuers rushed to help, her father stopped them which led to the girl's death.

Read: Three drown in flood water

Deputy Director of Dubai Police’s Search and Rescue Department Lieutenant Colonel Ahmed Burqibah said it was an incident he would never forget. “The father took his wife and kids to the beach for picnic and fun. The kids were swimming in the beach when suddenly, the 20-year-old girl started drowning and screaming for help. Two rescue men were at the beach, and they rushed to help the girl. However, there was one obstacle which prevented them from reaching the girl and helping her. This obstacle was the belief of this man who considered that if these men touched his daughter, then this would dishonour her. It cost him the life of his daughter.”

He continued, “The father was a tall and strong man. He started pulling and preventing the rescue men and got violent with them. He told them that he prefers his daughter being dead than being touched by a strange man.”

Read: Tragedy Strikes : Father, daughter drown in Swabi

“She died unfortunately, at a time when she had a chance to live, especially that the rescue men were so close to pulling her out of the water,” he added.

Lt Col Burqibah confirmed that the girl’s father was later arrested by Dubai Police for stopping the rescue team from saving his daughter’s life and doing their job.

“He was prosecuted and sued by concerned authorities,” he added.

This article originally appeared on Emirates 24|7

COMMENTS (78)

Div | 3 years ago | Reply Welcome to Islam. Strange thing for us is very normal for them

Nouman Ahmad | 9 years ago | Reply People like you make this world a bad place! strong text@Zaida Parvez:

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amit | 9 years ago | Reply I hv seen mny families here in india who dnt send their girl child to convent schools and not let male doctor check their female family member. Even their wifes give birth at home instead of hosoital. I dnt know why these people trying to take us back.

Arjun KumarPamnani | 9 years ago | Reply Just wondering what the mad man's reaction would be if his son were drowning and the lifeguards happened to be women?

MPalmer | 9 years ago | Reply It's probably for the best in that she dies now. Better to be dead than have to spend her life married to any man this father would choose for her.

Jo | 9 years ago | Reply This article is a story that is 20 years old.

Asif | 9 years ago | Reply The father should be prosecuted for murder.

Salman Shah | 9 years ago | Reply To ET and all the other trolls in the comments section (especially the smelly Indians): This incident is 19 years old, it occurred in 1996. Some news outlets just carried it because it was a slow news day, or maybe they wanted you idiots to babble among yourselves. Its still wrong, terrible and disgusting no matter when it occurred; but please start opening your minds, looking around you and stop believing everything you hear or read. Start fact-checking what you hear (especially ET editors - this is atrocious). Source: http://www.theguardian.com/media/mediamonkeyblog/2015/aug/11/mail-online-telegraphs-dubai-drowning

Derek | 9 years ago | Reply If wonder if that dad wanted his daughter dead and is using 'dishonour' as as excuse? -_-

lix abdullah | 9 years ago | Reply The article says the father is tall and strong, then why didn't he rush to save his daughter forgetting his own safety so that those strange guys won't be able to touch her? He should have spent all his energy saving his daughter rather than blocking those rescue guys from reaching her. Such a stupid act of father who is not but a beast! He is no different from a person who encourages young minds to blow themselves up for the sake of God without showing them first how to blow himself up!

Faizan | 9 years ago | Reply If he was to drown and supposingly under some circumstances, only female rescuers were there I am sure he won't refuse any help from them. Level of hypocrisy and double standards.

Asok | 9 years ago | Reply Folks, this happened 20 years ago. Give it a rest.

Ekelz | 9 years ago | Reply @Gweynbleidd: "I wonder where this type of thinking stems from" That's easy, Islam. Where they believe that the life of women is less important that "dishonoring" the family for things like, rape, getting touched by strangers, having an opinion, talking back, walking alone without a husband. You know, the "civilized" way of thinking.

Afridi | 9 years ago | Reply The rescuers do not need anyone's approval to save a drowning person or even an animal. This is extremely pathetic.

Anisrehman | 9 years ago | Reply Fathers mistake took her daughter,s life.father is guilty.

sridhar | 9 years ago | Reply The father is a sick person. That is all I can say. I would also blame the rescue team. IN a situation like this, father has no say in the matter. Saving a life is paramount. Also, since this is a conservative muslim country, they should anticipate such problems and have some female "rescue workers". Learning CPR is a common thing in US where it is taught everywhere and one can enroll on a course. One needs to spread awareness. "The man, said to be Asian, had taken his family to the beach when his daughter began to drown and screamed for help. However, when rescuers rushed to help, her father stopped them which led to the girl’s death." In the above statement, I am not sure how the girl ended up getting drowned. Did she venture out too far into the waters? Was she swimming? The second seems less likely as you would need a swim suit or something which girl's father would obviously not allow. It gets more bizarre when you read the following: (“She died unfortunately, at a time when she had a chance to live, especially that the rescue men were so close to pulling her out of the water,” he added) Wow! It seems to me that the girl was drowning and the rescue team was pulling her out when the dad said: don't touch her. Let her die rather than be contaminated by a man's touch! The logical question would be: why would the rescue team, in the process of pulling the victim out, pay any heed to dad's calls. Both the rescue team and dad need to be booked for murder by negligence.

Mushfique | 9 years ago | Reply Father's role was absolutely not Islamic. Islam is the religion of wisdom and common sense. It never allows or appreciates such stupidity.

Aqi | 9 years ago | Reply What a fool. Extremely sad

Dr Priyanka | 9 years ago | Reply This is the trend which I noticed in Asians, Egyptians etc who live in the middle-east. They become oh so religious. Everything they talk is about religion. Believe you me, this does not get them browny points from the Arabs for whom all non-arabs whatever their religion, are 'ghareeb ul watan'. This man is not sane and hope the arabs deal with him in a strict manner.

Timorlane | 9 years ago | Reply This creature should be tried for intentional murder

Kamran Azim | 9 years ago | Reply A question to the father: If you were in that situation and female lifeguards approached you, what would have been your response? not to touch, drown and die?

Hassan | 9 years ago | Reply I am truly speechless. This is certainly not an isolated incident. Every heinous crime imaginable has been carried out in the name of 'religion'.

Daryl Raymond D'Souza | 9 years ago | Reply Sounds like a murder rather than an accident ... If the father doesn't want outsiders helping his daughter while he was right there stopping the rescuers... Why didn't he go to save her himself ?is he a random man that would bring dishonor on her ? #retardedviews

Yasir | 9 years ago | Reply The rescuers should have ignored the father and proceeded to rescue the lady.

abbas | 9 years ago | Reply Why he took his daughter to beach and let her swim in front of men. Where was his honor then? Stupidity at extreme...

Dija | 9 years ago | Reply He should spend the rest of his life in prison - in the name of the religion he has committed a sin indeed.....

Aschraful Makhlooq | 9 years ago | Reply Talibanised father and if her father's this stance is considered true then why Sahabiyat in Ghazwat nursed injured Sahaba-e-Karam?This is the most worst ever live example of talibanised thoughts......

Farhan Khan Afridi | 9 years ago | Reply This is clear and straight case of murder the police should investigate the whole family and I thing this kind of father is dangerous for the rest of the family's life

Amna Rizvi | 9 years ago | Reply This is truly sad. Saving a life, that too of a woman is like saving humanity! When will these idiots understand??

sumaira | 9 years ago | Reply simply barbaric, the dominance of culture over religion. i wonder if he was a muslim, islam shuns such inhumanity, one innocent person's killing equals the killing of whole of humanity. such shame. he must be hanged till death.

Saqib | 9 years ago | Reply Very unfortunate! nonsense has no limits. However, I wish rescue workers would not listen to him and would safe a life!

Mohsin Habib | 9 years ago | Reply More or less rescue team memmbers are equally responsible for this murder.

Raj - USA | 9 years ago | Reply This news does not say anything about the clothes the girl was wearing. If she was bearing the islamic clothing and also a burka, and if she had slipped, it would have made it difficult for her to get up. Her clothing would have entangled her feet and also would have become heavier with the absorption of water. Burka would have made her not able to see anything. It could even be that Allah relieved her from having to endure further pain of having to live with such a father. Yesterday there was a news in ET of a muslim blindfolding himself and holding a placard asking if others would trust him to give him a hug. This muslim did not trust his own fellow muslim rescuers who came to save his daughter's life.

Asok | 9 years ago | Reply "Asian", huh? Must be Chinese. @khan, @Umer, the rescue team did do their job. They were physically assaulted by the father of the girl, thus delaying their rescue efforts and leading to the death of the girl.

Zafars | 9 years ago | Reply What an idiot. And bigger idiots the rescuers,

Zaida Parvez | 9 years ago | Reply The father was a "True Muslim".

sajid | 9 years ago | Reply what's the use to arrest the father now when the guards could have used the force. What if somebody really wants to kill someone. You are showing them this easy path.

Diamond | 9 years ago | Reply @Bari,syed: It's not honesty but fake rather shallow religiosity.

Ahmed | 9 years ago | Reply Such men fantasize about taking advantage of women in such desperate situations. That is why they are so touchy about females within their own families. Anyway, lifeguards are usually strong and in good shape. It's a wonder why they didn't just knock this loon out.

Ch. Allah Daad | 9 years ago | Reply This is not an isolated case in our part of the world. Many fathers and husbands don't let male doctors to treat their daughters and wives.

Mike Kelly | 9 years ago | Reply One less breeder.

Iqbal | 9 years ago | Reply As disturbing as this news is, I wonder why he himself didn't just jump to save her. How, in the name of God, can you see your own daughter drown while you do nothing. I bet there's more to the story than meets the eye... or he's mentally extremely ill.

Breaking Bad | 9 years ago | Reply The lifeguards should have done their job without listening to anyone.

Alex | 9 years ago | Reply Hope this father get touched by strangers in jail now :p

Voice of reason | 9 years ago | Reply To the people who are saying that the rescue guards should have done more, should know that 20-60 seconds of delay can be the cause of death. So please people do a little research before posting your illogical comments.

Armghan | 9 years ago | Reply This is beyond belief and pathetic. What the heck was the rescuers doing? They should have saved the young girl regardless of what this stupid father had said. Would the rescuers have done the same if the father shot this girl and left her on the street to die.. would they have listened to his father then? Father is as responsible as the rescuers in my opinion.

globalobserver | 9 years ago | Reply @Sak: "The father of this dead young woman needs to be in a psychiatric hospital." Actually, he needs to be charged with involuntary manslaughter. In most civilized countries he would be charged with this crime.

numbersnumbers | 9 years ago | Reply All should note that "father" was too busy defending his family honor to attempt rescuing his drowning daughter himself! Deserves to be dropped into ocean miles from shore to see how well he can swim!

KulaDiamond | 9 years ago | Reply This is seriously too extreme. Islam isnt so strict as to let a woman die if another woman isnt around to save her. This is what is called extremism! And first of all, why the heck did the father allow his daughter to swim in a public area -_-

Ghaliyah | 9 years ago | Reply This is a situation of culture overriding religion. Allah does not expect us to let a minor "rule" (that is questionable at best) to give us permission for making stupid judgment calls. This father would rather his daughter be dead than have rescuers touch her? Was she not covered in a modest swim costume? If not, then why was the family in a public beach in the first place? Allah does not make Islam hard for a reason. If you are starving and there is nothing else to eat, it is makroor, but you can eat pork. There are ways out of every situation. Now a beautiful life has been snuffed out before it got a chance to be enjoyed, why? Because of archaic and false understandings of our religion. What was the worst thing that.could have happened had she been rescued? Her father would have his daughter beside him, thanking the young men who saved her. Who knows, we're they Muslim? It might have been ordained by Allah for these two to meet for matrimonial purposes. But, because of such backward thinking, we will never know. I think the father needs to be tried for his actions. Willful neglect. Manslaughter. Whatever you want to call it, he was the catalyst that brought about his daughter's demise. He did not want to live with the shame that the rescuers could put on him by allowing them to touch his daughter, but what about the shame he has now by allowing her to die?

ShamelessPakistanis | 9 years ago | Reply Lack of Islamic Fiqh knowledge. Its halal to touch non mahram when it comes to saving life.

vicktor d'souza | 9 years ago | Reply If I were the mother of the girl and someone gave me a gun, a bullet to his head would be 'honor' restored !

kanishka | 9 years ago | Reply Is he a Muslim? Just asking an innocent question?

jesus | 9 years ago | Reply @Umer: you are an idiot

mff | 9 years ago | Reply Seems like there is some differences from the what actually had happened there. few strange concerns arises. how can a "strong" man stopped 2 lifeguards which all assume are fast and with great athletic skills why lifeguard needs his permission to save someone. did he shown his certificate that he is her father. might be some mistake (delay) by lifeguard and making father a scapegoat

kiran | 9 years ago | Reply Doesn't make sense, he let her swim at a place where there were definitely males who could watch her, but did not let her be saved from death? Doesn't quite make sense, it looks like a fake story to me.

Baqar | 9 years ago | Reply The father should be sued for his stubbornness.

Bari,syed | 9 years ago | Reply Such men who love their fake honesty must be tried and awarded exemplary punishment

Fahad | 9 years ago | Reply I personally think he might had issues other than dishonour.. like he couldnt afford so many children.. as he's asian, he might be of the same mind that daughters are burden, their marriage etc.. in any case, the act is purely barbarian.

Usman | 9 years ago | Reply Unimagineable, being a father i can't imagine such an act from any human being. Rescue team or police should have put a bullet in his foot or somehow disabled him for some time. This man deserves a life sentence.

Kalyan Deb | 9 years ago | Reply Saving a human life is paramount, everything else comes as secondary. In an open beach with so may people around why they could not stop and hold back the mad man, who happened to be the father of the victim, instead were held back by a "tall and strong single person" and watched the girl die; was it that difficult for the two rescue men, or at least one of them to get around that crazy guy and jump into the water and swim towards the drowning girl, rescue men were assigned with the job of undertaking rescue operation notwithstanding the permission or whim of any other person, related or unrelated to the victim needing imminent rescue.

kdp | 9 years ago | Reply @khan: Agree 100% It just does not make sense that rescue people will wait for fathers approval. If they did, then there must be some law that requires permission from family members when female members are involved. In USA, I personally have seen Male Muslim family members refusing and not allowing male doctor in charge to examine female family members who were brought in Hospital Emergency room in the middle of the night when female doctors may not be available and/or on duty

Umer | 9 years ago | Reply The guards didn't did their job. End of story

Namaste | 9 years ago | Reply Should be tried for murder

Diamond | 9 years ago | Reply A misguided man. He will have to answer for the death of his daughter in front of Allah when he could have saved her.Islam allows 'haram' even, in face of death. Dubai Gov did the right thing in arresting him and prosecuting him.

Aamir - Toronto | 9 years ago | Reply Very unfortunate for an innocent girl to die like this !!!!

curious2 | 9 years ago | Reply It's called manslaughter in the rest of the World.

Rao | 9 years ago | Reply How barbaric. The rescue team , I think rescue team might have been more in number. They should have knocked the father cold and should have rescued the drowning person. What use in arresting the farther now, probably he would go scot free under the. Rules of Sharia which he would claim. Or perhaps for obstructing team with a fine of few dollars.

Brar | 9 years ago | Reply He took his daughter to the beach to kill her.

Manish Rastogi | 9 years ago | Reply Very unfortunate. The bigger problem is that there still will be people who will try to defend the act of this lunatic.

Toba Alu | 9 years ago | Reply If this story is true, then the Dubai authorities did the right thing i.e. prosecute the father for manslaughter. Unfortunately this is not an isolated case. It is paramount to seriously investigate the source and cause of so-called honour crimes. Don't come up with the tribal story. We are all tribals some however a bit more than others.

Hassan | 9 years ago | Reply He is a Killer.

khan | 9 years ago | Reply It just prove the stupidity of dubai rescue team n police. They should be sued for listening this lunatic father.

KhalidS | 9 years ago | Reply This man should be charged with homocide.

Khan | 9 years ago | Reply Lunatic!!!

Abdul Rehman Ajmal | 9 years ago | Reply its very pathetic

Gweynbleidd | 9 years ago | Reply What a shitty human being. I wonder where this type of thinking stems from....

Sak | 9 years ago | Reply The father of this dead young woman needs to be in a psychiatric hospital.

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