Averting Islamism
"Over the last year the climate of repression in the United Arab Emirates has worsened dramatically and over 60 members of the Al-Islah movement, a non-violent opposition movement, have been detained.
"Some have even had their citizenship revoked. That is a dangerous precedent.
"As the environment in the UAE has worsened, our access to the country and the willingness of the government to engage in substantive debate has declined dramatically."
Nadim Khoury, deputy director, Middle East for Human Rights Watch
Well, yes. It's more or less the accepted social contract reflective of the neighbourhood. As in, for example: "wot's gnu?" And there's the left, right on cue, helpful enablers to those whose 'peaceful' revolt is certain to stoke violent reaction to the potential of an overtake by Islamists; the choice given around the Middle East; exchange your friendly secularist dictator for an unfriendly theocracy.
Human Rights Watch deplores the newly-introduced cyber-crime law enacted by the United Arab Emirates which, alas, "effectively closes off the country's only remaining forum for free speech", making it illegal to "criticize senior officials, argue for political reform, or organize unlicensed demonstrations". Furthermore, anyone charged under the new law could be penalized to the tune of up to $270,000, along with imprisonment.
Altogether a compelling argument to mind their ps and qs. In essence, a reflection in part of the newly-released and very contested edicts released in Egypt by that country's new President, Mohammed Morsi, he of the Muslim Brotherhood. And here's the irony; the president of the UAE Sheik Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, and other government officials are not much swayed by the protests of the HRW, nor by the European Parliament which has similarly expressed concern.
The concern of the UAE is wholly focused toward the incipient threat to their political and governing longevity. Where, within their precincts, a federation of seven emirates, they are facing a growing threat emanating from opposition groups representative of the Muslim Brotherhood-linked Al-Islah who have been agitating for regime change.
"From the UAE's point of view, the tensions that are sweeping the region is another reason this new cyber law has been put into place", explained Theodore Karasik, director of research for the Institute for Near East & Gulf Military Analysis in Dubai. The UAE's rulers are becoming increasingly upset over the threat they perceive from the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood.
Egypt and Tunisia along with Libya, and with Syria and Jordan now threatened, have fallen into the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood; unsurprisingly the UAE has no wish to be next in line. The Arab Spring which was to have liberated the states where it raised its banner for freedom has transmogrified into the Islamist Springboard, a condition that has no appeal for the UAE.
Labels: Islamism, Middle East, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Realities, Revolution
posted by Pieface @ Friday, November 30, 2012
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