ABU DHABI: Yousuf Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the US, has made a speech at the Washington DC based Center for Strategic and International Studies, during which he said that the UAE takes responsibility to stand with its allies in the fight against terrorism, laying out a positive agenda for the Middle East and referencing the annual Joint Military Dialogue between the UAE and the US. when officials from both nation’s armed forces engaged in discussions around shared challenges and threats.
The ambassador described how the UAE is the promise of a new Middle East, a safe haven of stability, opportunity and tolerance in the most difficult of neighbourhoods, saying, “The character of our people and of our leadership is deeply rooted in unity at home, compassion for others, and openness in minds, markets, and faith. We are 1 million Emiratis and 8 million foreign nationals, representing virtually every country on earth, living and working together peacefully in the region’s strongest economy. We in the UAE entirely reject the notion that we are doomed to perpetual conflict in the Middle East. We believe there is enough room, in geography, theology, and economy, for everyone.”
But in the fight against extremism, Al Otaiba highlighted how like-minded people and countries, such as the UAE and the US, must meet the immediate challenge of extremism and aggression in the region. “Daesh is today’s most pressing danger and it must be destroyed, but there is also the continuing concern of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
“In our view, Daesh is a creeping cancer that weakens states, increases sectarian tensions, and has been directly responsible for the death, casualties, and displacement of millions of people, most of them Muslims. We are experiencing a wave of Daesh-directed and inspired violent extremism that is rocking the Middle East and reaching deep into Europe, America, and Asia. We have seen the murderous spread of Daesh, from a concert hall in Paris to a social service centre in San Bernardino, in Mali and Egypt, Beirut and Baghdad, and, most recently, in Jakarta and Istanbul. The UAE’s men and women in uniform have been in this fight for years. We are in it today, and we are prepared to do more.”
The UAE has taken a lead in setting up the Hedayah Centre in Abu Dhabi. Hedayah equips communities and governments with the tools to counter violent extremism and terrorist recruitment. Their experts have trained imams, worked in schools, and assisted officials in many countries to develop community-based counter-radicalisation programmes.
Another new initiative is the Sawab Centre, established by the UAE and the US in July 2015. Experts from Sawab, which means “doing the right thing” or being on the “right path,” work side by side to counter extremist propaganda on social media, in both Arabic and English. One recent Sawab campaign highlighted the brutal stories of what happens to Daesh defectors, while another provided first-hand stories of women and girls who had escaped from the self-described Caliphate.
“Let’s be clear,” the ambassador continued, “The war against Daesh is not a war against Islam. On the contrary, it is a battle to save Islam from a death cult that is hijacking an entire religion to sell an ideology of hate and murder, and in this struggle of ideas, it must be Muslims who lead. That’s why we, as proud Muslims, are committed to charting an alternative way forward. Muslim countries, led by Saudi Arabia, have formed a new coalition to coordinate across all areas of counter-extremism. The overwhelming opposition to Daesh in the Muslim world leaves no doubt as to who is hijacking our religion, and defeating their ideology will take more than force alone. This brings us to the third, and most enduring, front in the fight. To win, it is not enough to only describe what we are against, we must also define what we are for.”
The UAE, he said, is taking the lead to offer a new vision for young Muslims and the region, an alternative ideology, unafraid of modernity, and looking to the future. It’s a path guided by a phrase oft-repeated by Muslims all around the world: “In the name of God, the most merciful and most compassionate.” Respect, inclusion, peace; these are the true tenets of Islam. Ours is an Islam that empowers women, embraces others, encourages innovation, and welcomes global engagement.”
The ambassador drew attention to the UAE’s commitment to openness and tolerance, referring to the appointment of Dr Amal Al Qubaisi as president of the UAE’s Federal National Council, the first woman in the region to lead a national assembly, or the November meeting of the Muslim Council of Elders. Established and supported by Emirati leaders, the council is an international body of Islam’s most prominent, forward-thinking scholars that is giving greater voice to moderate Islam. It is modernising the way Islam is taught in schools, developing new training programs for imams, and updating Quranic commentaries.
The UAE, he said, is building a knowledge economy anchored by world-class academic institutions. “New York University Abu Dhabi is bringing together the brightest students from around the world. From 400 graduates to date, NYU Abu Dhabi has already produced six Rhodes scholars. I’m not a betting man, but I’m pretty sure that none of these 400 will be joining Daesh.”
The ambassador also spoke about a future less reliant on fossil fuels.”We are building an economic engine for the entire region, a place where the free flow of goods, services, people, investment, and ideas lifts the entire Middle East and links it to Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. And in doing so, we are already planning for a future that is less dependent on oil. We will have a sustainable post-hydrocarbon economy – driven by innovation, human capital, rule of law, and open trade.”
At the COP21 climate change conference in Paris, the UAE pledged to increase the country’s use of clean energy sources to 24 percent by 2021. In 2020, Dubai will host the World Expo, and in 2021, the UAE plans to send a space probe to Mars. Al Otaiba said that this the ‘Arab world’s version of President Kennedy’s moon shot’.
These initiatives, he said, will produce the types of opportunities that people in the region dream of: sapping the energy from extremist groups and encouraging children to pick up books instead of guns.
“We hope that a similar vision for the future is shared by our Iranian neighbours. Unlike Daesh, Iran has a choice. In the words of [former US Secretary of State] Henry Kissinger, Iran can be either a state or a revolution.”
Al Otaiba went on to applaud President Obama and Secretary John Kerry for their leadership to address the threat of Iran’s nuclear weapons programme. “We are hopeful that Iran will seize this historic opening with a new commitment to regional stability and respect for the sovereignty of other nations. In the UAE, this feeling is very real because no country has more to gain from more peaceful and productive ties with Iran than we do. Our coasts are less than 21 miles apart, we have significant trade ties, and we see enormous opportunities for greater economic, energy, and cultural links.”
The ambassador then paraphrased President Obama’s first inaugural address, saying, “We are ready to extend a hand if Iran is willing to unclench its fist,”
But, he continued, “Unfortunately, that hand is still very much clenched. Since the signing of the nuclear deal, we have seen nothing but more Iranian aggression in the region. In late December, Iran fired unguided rockets dangerously close to a US aircraft carrier. Last October and again in November, Iran performed ballistic missile tests in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1929.”
Al Otaiba said that Iran’s continued interference across the region can be seen from Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. “Last August, Yemeni authorities intercepted a shipment from Iran destined for Marib that contained military-use communications equipment accompanied by pamphlets in Farsi. In September, coalition forces intercepted an Iranian freighter in the Arabian Sea carrying anti-tank missiles and launching units, and in late October, surveillance photographs tracked speed boats in the Red Sea smuggling weapons to the Houthis in Yemen.”
These incidents, along with the destruction of the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran, demonstrate that in Iran, Al Otaiba said, old habits die hard. “In 1971, just before the UAE declared its independence, Iran seized three strategic Emirati islands in the middle of the Arabian Gulf. The Iranian occupation continues to this day. Iran has consistently refused UAE offers to settle the issue through direct negotiations or at The International Court of Justice.”
Over the past decades, the UAE and other GCC countries have built a constructive relationship with the United States, and the US continues to identify Iran as the leading international state sponsor of terror. “In Palestine, in Iraq, and in almost every country in the region, Iran is funding, arming, and enabling radical, violent, and subversive cells. And closer to home here in Washington, it was just a few years ago that Iran plotted to assassinate my friend, Adel Al Jubeir.” Al-Jubeir was the Saudi Arabian envoy in Washington at that time, and is now Saudi Foreign minister.
“And let’s not forget that Iran orchestrated countless terrorist attacks that killed Americans, at the marine barracks in Beirut, at Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, and in Iraq, where they supplied the IEDs that killed or maimed thousands of American soldiers.”
These facts, the ambassador continued, are not lost on the global community and certainly not among Muslims. Last week, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OIC, voted to denounce Iran’s interference in the internal affairs of other states.
“Just as we have much to gain from increased exchanges with Iran, we also have much to lose in the face of continued Iranian aggression. Daesh may be a more immediate threat and its barbaric methods are certainly more headline-grabbing, but if Tehran continues to ignore opportunities for reconciliation, Iran’s influence will ultimately prove to be even more destabilising than Daesh.”
Al Otaiba addressed the recent nuclear agreement with Iran, saying that in the aftermath of its signing, it is time to focus on the threats the deal didn’t address. “Two weeks ago, President Obama made clear that the US will remain steadfast in opposing Iran’s destabilising behavior in the region, and noted specifically Tehran’s support for violent proxies in Syria and Yemen. In May 2015 at Camp David, President Obama reiterated an ‘ironclad’ commitment to the security of the UAE and other Arabian Gulf states. He offered new support for defending against missile strikes, maritime threats, and cyber attacks, and he pledged to streamline the defence acquisitions process. We welcome these commitments.”
“With our allies, we continue to wait for more promising signs from Iran. But at the same time, we must remain watchful and prepared to take whatever action is necessary to defend the security of the UAE and our friends. With the nuclear deal, diplomacy worked. It can also work in addressing Iran’s other provocative regional policies if together we apply the same level of urgency, determination, and leadership. It is important that the United States strictly enforce the terms of the nuclear deal and hold Iran accountable to its other international commitments. This is the best approach to convince Iran to accept a new peaceful order in the Arabian Gulf.”
The UAE ambassador concluded by saying that an engaged and responsible Iran would be welcomed by all in the region. This and the defeat of Daesh, he said, are the two most critical steps toward an alternative, forward-looking path for the Middle East.
“I believe that a new narrative of openness, opportunity, and optimism is possible. When I look ahead in the region, I see more Rhodes scholars and fewer terrorist recruits, more Mars missions and fewer ballistic missiles, more women leaders, more online start-ups. I see an Islam of peace and inclusion, not of extremes.
“In the UAE, this is our way forward: A better way that the men and women in both of our militaries are risking their lives to protect and advance. Whether on the battlefield or at the negotiating table, the UAE is ready to lead with confidence, knowing that the US is our partner.”
