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Old Dec 24, 2017, 4:23 pm
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EK temporary banned in Tunisia

Several news sites in France and Tunisia are reporting tonight that the Tunisian government is temporarily banning EK to serve Tunisia. The reason is that, apparently, female Tunisians passengers have been all denied boarding on EK since Dec 22 for "security reasons" but without clear explanations given.

Some links (in French, sorry)
La Tunisie suspend les vols entrants d'Emirates après des restrictions visant les Tunisiennes - France 24
https://www.tunisienumerique.com/emi...on-tunisienne/

Does anyone know what's happening. This looks really weird.
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Old Dec 24, 2017, 4:26 pm
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Some links in English :
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-t...KBN1EI0JA?il=0
Tunisia bans UAE Emirates airline from landing in Tunis - BBC News
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Old Dec 24, 2017, 7:02 pm
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The BBC are also reporting the ban. According to the BBC report the move comes after Emirates refused to allow a number of Tunisian women to enter, or transit, through Dubai for what Emirates says are security reasons.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-42474716
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Old Dec 25, 2017, 4:32 am
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Must be more to this. And why are they calling it 'racist'?
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Old Dec 25, 2017, 6:38 am
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Originally Posted by DanielW
Must be more to this. And why are they calling it 'racist'?
It will be interesting to find out the real reason.

S
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Old Dec 25, 2017, 7:04 am
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Originally Posted by Saltire74


It will be interesting to find out the real reason.

S
I think that's being over optimistic.
However I'm sure we'll in due course read more of the "story" .
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Old Dec 25, 2017, 10:00 am
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Good on Tunisia for kicking Emirates out, first time I ever hear a ban on a specific gender from a given country. I'm no Trump fan but I think he did better on his bans at least he's inclusive.

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Old Dec 25, 2017, 11:22 am
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While I totally oppose sexual discrimination or discrimination based on race or religion, if a national security agency were to receive a perceived credible threat which emanates from a specific gender at a specific station would the logical conclusion not be to ban that gender from flying to that country from that station?

All I'm saying is that it seems like a lot of fuss over nothing unless there was a genuine issue.
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Old Dec 25, 2017, 11:56 am
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Originally Posted by skywardhunter
While I totally oppose sexual discrimination or discrimination based on race or religion, if a national security agency were to receive a perceived credible threat which emanates from a specific gender at a specific station would the logical conclusion not be to ban that gender from flying to that country from that station?

All I'm saying is that it seems like a lot of fuss over nothing unless there was a genuine issue.
It's not a specific station, this ban applies to Tunisian females traveling/transiting through UAE.

It'd have been wiser to ban all Tunisians because it is unprecedented to ban a gender and not the other. Tbh if I were Tunisian I'd cease flying with Emirates right away.
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Old Dec 25, 2017, 12:58 pm
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Originally Posted by redadeco
It's not a specific station, this ban applies to Tunisian females traveling/transiting through UAE.

It'd have been wiser to ban all Tunisians because it is unprecedented to ban a gender and not the other. Tbh if I were Tunisian I'd cease flying with Emirates right away.
Are you familiar with the exact security threat assessed by the UAE security services, who use this far been pretty on the money?
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Old Dec 25, 2017, 3:01 pm
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Both the decision to issue a travel ban for a specific gender and nationality and to ban Emirates seem odd to me. The former seems absurd without the information that led to the ban whereas the latter is odd since Emirates can't be blamed for its government's decision : It's not like they willingly refuse paying customers.
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Old Dec 25, 2017, 7:35 pm
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This also effects Etihad as well as any airline carrying Tunisian females, so it’s quite a widespread ban not just EK. It feels though that EK have been made the scapegoat for the government policy.
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Old Dec 25, 2017, 7:51 pm
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Originally Posted by redadeco
It's not a specific station, this ban applies to Tunisian females traveling/transiting through UAE.

It'd have been wiser to ban all Tunisians because it is unprecedented to ban a gender and not the other. Tbh if I were Tunisian I'd cease flying with Emirates right away.
If there is specific information that a Tunisian female is going to carry out an act of terrorism then it makes 100% sense to ban Tunisian females. 0% sense to ban the males.
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Old Dec 25, 2017, 10:08 pm
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Here is one of the few articles I can currently find online that mentions a security threat as the reason for EK’s action and subsequent decision of the Tunisian government.

Tunisia tries to defuse tension with UAE amid airline spat - ABC News

‘After the Emirates' decision caused an outcry in Tunisia, the presidential spokeswoman had to speak publicly on a radio station to explain that the ban targeting Tunisian women followed alleged serious threats of attacks.’ (Quote from ABC News)

To be honest, I initially thought it may have been to do with human trafficking & the sex trade given it was only females targeted and the UAE clamping down on the prospect of such activities but unfortunately these groups against humanity are ever evolving in using new ways to inflict suffering and terror on civilisation.

S
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Old Dec 25, 2017, 10:23 pm
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Update from BBC World news (25/12/2017) http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42479368

Since Friday, Tunisian women have reported being banned from Emirates flights to the UAE.

In response, Tunisia suspended Emirates airlines flights from landing in Tunis.

A Tunisian official said UAE authorities had received "serious security information about the possibility of a terrorist attack" by female Tunisian passport holders.

A spokeswoman for the Tunisian presidency, Saida Garrach, said that UAE carrier Emirates had received "clear instructions" to deny Tunisian women access to its planes.

She said that the information indicated that, with jihadists returning from Syria and Iraq, there was "a possibility of a terrorist attack involving either Tunisian women or women carrying a Tunisian passport".

She added that while Tunisia understood the concerns of the UAE, it could not "accept the way Tunisian women have been treated".

President Beji Caid Essebsi also said that the rights of Tunisian women could not to be violated "whatever the justification".

The UAE had said on Sunday that "security information necessitated taking specific procedures" without mentioning a possible terrorist attack.But female travellers from Tunisia said they had been given no reason for not being allowed to board Emirates Airline flights to the UAE.

The Tunisian government said their officials had to intervene on a number of occasions to help female passengers stranded in its capital Tunis and in Abu Dhabi.

Amid growing anger, Tunisia suspended Emirates airlines flights to Tunis.

Tunisia's transport ministry said the ban would remain in force until an "appropriate solution" had been found.
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