Now in spotlight, Dubai Jews struggle for public synagogue

By ISABEL DEBRE
Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The fast-growing population of Jewish immigrants to the United Arab Emirates  may feel freer than ever to express their identity in the autocratic Arab sheikhdom, which has sought to brand itself as an oasis of religious tolerance. But plans to build a permanent Jewish sanctuary for Dubai’s fast-expanding congregation have sputtered to a standstill, religious leaders say. The new community is running up against hurdles that religious groups long have grappled with in this federation. The UAE’s official religion of Islam is closely monitored, non-Muslim practice is tightly controlled and religious buildings are limited. Meanwhile, Jews in Dubai still pray at some of the world’s best-hidden synagogues and fear a life in perpetual limbo.