Per The National, a British couple lost their appeal against conviction today and will be spending a month behind bars after being accused of public indecency at a restaurant in Dubai.

The couple was convicted in January after an Emirati woman filed a complaint against them on Nov. 28, 2009 for kissing in front of her children at a diner in the Jumeirah Beach Residence. In addition to one month in jail, the couple was fined AED 1,000 for consuming alcohol and will be deported after their sentence is complete.

Last year, Islamic conservatives in Egypt were opposed to Beyoncé’s first performance in North Africa, as reported by Haaretz on charges of being a nudity concert. However, the concert faced no opposition in Abu Dhabi; Dubai’s neighbor city, where Beyoncé, barely clad performed last October in front of masses of women, men and children.

Twitterverse from London to Dubai is buzzing, as people from both corners of the world chime in their opinion.

1. 
   MervDM (London, U.K.) Pathetic country. Bring on the sand storm asap! RT @SkyNews: ‘Kissing Couple’ To Appeal Against Sentence http://bit.ly/d4MxQu 04 Apr 2010 from Echofon
2. 
   wesstreeting (London, U.K.) Can’t believe a couple have been setenced to a month in prison in Dubai for KISSING on the lips. Shall cross off my holiday list. 04 Apr 2010 from mobile web
3. 
   mumphalee (London, U.K.) yeah .. quite the paradise out there RT @newsworldtoday: Dubai kissing couple lose appeal #news http://bit.ly/dtX9r5 04 Apr 2010 from TweetDeck
4. 
   neopeo (London, U.K.) Know your holiday destinations do’s and don’ts. tourist couple jailed for kissing publicly in Dubai http://goo.gl/h4KW 04 Apr 2010 from Seesmic
5. 
   tangarg (London, U.K.) british couple imprisoned for public kissing in dxb! hypocritical given that dxb has the most Russian hookers outside of Putin’s Empire 04 Apr 2010 from web
6. 
   FifiProfyleMag (London, U.K.) RT @CyZulu: WoooooooooooooW! This couple got arrested for kissing in a Restaurant in Dubahi – #Dickheadting! « Sharia Law is a serious ting! 04 Apr 2010 from UberTwitter
7. 
   LadyElenaUK (London, U.K.) British couple jailed for a month in Dubai for kissing! Is this necessary?! Was it Criminal Kissing? So, not Fair. 04 Apr 2010 from web
8. 
   zaqzaqat (London, U.K.) Lawyer advises kissing couple to appeal again despite failure: Cassation court is last resort after judge upholds … http://bit.ly/bppqjL 04 Apr 2010 from twitterfeed

1. 
   tweettowoo (Dubai, U.A.E) Dubai kissing couple appeal rejected plus fined for alcohol consumption. Prison for a kiss! Tourists be sure to comply with all local laws. 04 Apr 2010 from web
2. 
   Tremainz (Dubai, U.A.E) RT @Kipp_Report: Dubai ‘kissing couple’ lose appeal. http://bit.ly/aNWUi2 (via @MoneyMunot), Too harsh in my opinion. 04 Apr 2010 from Tweetie
3. 
   AlexanderMcNabb (Dubai, U.A.E) Dubai kissing couple go down. This is really crap. http://twurl.nl/bkgeru 04 Apr 2010 from Tweetburner
4. 
   RmystiQue78 (Dubai, U.A.E) Unbelievable… Guys, be warned! This is NOT an open society. -> British #kissing couple loses jail appeal in #Dubai http://bit.ly/bGeQqm 04 Apr 2010 from TweetDeck
5. 
   algergawi (Dubai, U.A.E) My views on the #Dubai kissing couple’s loss of verdict appeal. http://tr.im/UsKL 04 Apr 2010 from Tweetie

What constitutes an act of public indecency?

For more information:

BBC Jailed Dubai kissing pair lose appeal over conviction

Khaleej Times Beyoncé Bowls Abu Dhabi Over

Huffington Post Dubai Kissing Couple

Beyoncé Knowles performing in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 (Photo by Maria Khan)