American Woman Detained And Charged In Dubai For Screaming In Public, Faces Jail Time
Screaming in public may be common in the U.S., but it’s a much different story in Dubai. Unfortunately, Tierra Young Allen learned that the hard way. After attempting to retrieve personal items left in a rental car, the San Diego native was detained and charged with “screaming in public.” She’s been stuck in the United Arab Emirates for two months, and her family is terrified about her future.
According to Fox 26, Allen was in a friend’s rental car when they got into an accident in Dubai. Allen’s mother, Tina Baxter, said her daughter went to the rental car company to get her ID, credit card and other items left in the rental after the accident. That’s when things escalated.
“She found out she could only receive those items if she paid an undisclosed amount of money. She dealt with a very aggressive individual a young man there who was screaming at her,” she told Fox 26, adding that led her 29-year-old daughter to raise her voice.
Authorities in Dubai have taken Allen’s passport and placed her under a travel ban while investigating the incident.
Baxter said the situation is “frightening,” and as time goes on, Allen is beginning to realize the severity of her situation.
“The longer she’s been there the more reality has started to kick in,” she told Fox 26.
She also told Fox26 the ordeal has been “very emotional.”
“There are some days I stay up all night crying,” Baxter shared while holding back tears.
Community activist Quanell X explained to Fox26 that Dubai has “a strict law system that is really based on theocracy,” and “Laws and customs are very different.”
“She is in jail for one reason and one reason alone, she raised her voice. In that country, a female is not even allowed to raise her voice. If she raises her voice it’s punishable by jail time,” he said.
Quanell believes Allen doesn’t deserve to be persecuted for yelling at the car company’s employee.
“In our opinion, she did not commit a crime. Don’t punish women for doing the same thing a man can do in Dubai. It’s not fair and it’s not right. I’ve reached out to Dubai Consulate. I’ve reached out to the American Consulate there in Dubai,” he told Fox26.
Allen has an attorney in Dubai, who has notified her she may be sentenced to jail time thanks to a video of the incident.
