Emirates Step Up Efforts to Counter Dissent
This new publication in the New York Times talks about how the U.A.E. has intensified the effort to calm political dissent around the nation; this is achieved by arresting people who "threaten state security and insult the Emirates' leaders"1 by protesting and asking for a more democratic political system in the country. The protesters' idea is to have a group of seven principalities, ruled by hereditary emirs.
The text mentions the opinion of a lecturer at Durham University, Christopher Davidson, where he compares U.A.E. with Bahrain in the way of how they have been cracking down on dissidents; and how the leaders of the Emirates feel comfortable with this because there hasn't been any kind of penalization to the Bahrain regime by the international community. Davidson affirms that "the U.A.E. authorities want to govern over a nonpolitical country and a depoliticized population..."1 In the news they comment about one of the threats that the Emirates are using, which is to take away people's citizenship. It also talks about how they are controlling the internet and all the social media. Actually they mention that in May 21st, four people were arrested on charges of "tribal investigation and libel" through Internet posting. Mr. Mansoor, a human rights activist who was arrested for calling for democratic reform, said that these actions are not silencing people and oponents; instead it's bringing liberals and Al Islah members closer.
The Arabian peninsula has never been known as a very "open" region about ideas or government, they have always been clear of what they do and how do they do it. And even though the authorities of these countries impose extremist penalties, most of the time there's always someone who disagrees of how things are working and wants to change the things for the good of the most. It's true that it will be really hard to change things up; for the reason that not only the authorities feel ok with this political control, but also many Emiratis think that what their leaders do is fine because they have a good, wealthy life. But when we consider why do they want to keep power as it is, it gets very clear who is fighting to get better oportunities for others.
References:
1SHAH, A. (2012, May 30). Emirates Step Up Efforts to Counter Dissent. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/31/world/middleeast/united-arab-emirates-step-up-efforts-to-counter-dissent.html?_r=1
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