Magazine taken off shelves in Sharjah after complaints about ‘nude’ cover photo

A foreign magazine has been removed from shelves at a Sharjah mall after shoppers complained its front cover showed a famous singer in the nude.

The magazine was on display in the book section of a large retailer at the mall when it attracted negative attention, according to Al Ittihad, the Arabic-language sister paper of The National. The report did not specify the name of the magazine, the singer’s name or the outlet.

The retailer’s customer service manager was quoted as saying that the display of the magazine “was an unintentional mistake”.

The National Media Council’s media content monitoring department said no material that contradicts the values and traditions of UAE society is allowed to circulate in the country.

When a breach occurs, the standard procedure is to withdraw the questionable content from the shelves, freeze its distribution, dispose of it and penalise the offending institution by issuing a fine of up to Dh5,000, a source from the council said.