UAE Security Crackdown: A View From The Emirates
Sultan al Qassemi writes that there is no support for the protesters currently being arrested in the UAE. Across liberals and conservatives alike, sentiment is overwhelmingly against the detained activists. Qassemi sees the UAE's political Islamists as having failed in gauging the level of support for political reform and an Islamic state.
Since the start of the Arab uprisings the UAE has witnessed a widespread campaign of arrest mostly involving political Islamists. Five activists were detained early last year, sentenced then pardoned by the country’s president. Then in December six naturalized individuals had their citizenships revoked for “threatening national security.”
In April this year a distant cousin of mine, believed to be involved at a senior level of the UAE Muslim Brotherhood chapter, was put under palace arrest. Finally, this week a number of political Islamists were arrested, while a formerly stateless activist who has since acquired foreign citizenship was deported. Certainly, this is all very alarming, but these decisions by the UAE government hardly seemed to have registered on the wider national scene. Indeed, what I have come across from people I spoke to and on social media is overwhelming support and in some cases criticism toward the government for “not acting earlier.”
In fact, and this will surprise only those who wished to believe otherwise, including this writer, there is more widespread consensus regarding this wave of arrests than on any other national issue I have encountered. Following the often-bloody events of the Arab uprisings, those of us who have called for reform over and over again continuously find ourselves in a shrinking minority. I would be glad sit down and write you an article about how UAE nationals are up in arms, protesting in the streets (or in the malls) and demanding that the political Islamists assume power immediately. But that is not the case, not by a long shot — and not, it seems, even in the distant future.
But why aren’t UAE nationals marching in the street demanding urgent political reform? Here are several reasons. Western analysts will have you believe that it is solely due to the security apparatus of the state. That is an incomplete picture and ignores other variables, including the tribal nature of society. Poll after poll finds that the vast majority of UAE residents, citizens and expats alike are satisfied with their government and living conditions. Also, over the past few years I have found and written about the excessive materialism in UAE society; citizens are generally satisfied through employment and other government benefits, although there are emerging pockets of discontent that I have warned about.
