You are not to speak I
You'd better read the US Department of State Country Report 2005 on Human Rights Practices for the UAE if you haven't already.
What I found weird is that the authorities has ordered ten Emiratis not to communicate with the media. Why would the government do such thing? If they were a threat or criminals they should have gone to jail, but they should be left free if they were found innocent. This clueless statues doesn't sound right.
A 2002 de facto ban prohibiting 10 prominent intellectuals from publishing opinion pieces in the country's Arabic and English language media continued. The ban was lifted in 2004 for at least two of the individuals, and they have since returned to writing and teaching. There was one new report of an academic that was banned from teaching in the university, although no reason was initially given and no further details were available
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61701.htm
Who are those people and why did the government ban them from talking to the media or teaching? Emirates Reuters investigated and found the following:
1) Dr. Saeed Hareb Al Muhairy
What I found weird is that the authorities has ordered ten Emiratis not to communicate with the media. Why would the government do such thing? If they were a threat or criminals they should have gone to jail, but they should be left free if they were found innocent. This clueless statues doesn't sound right.
A 2002 de facto ban prohibiting 10 prominent intellectuals from publishing opinion pieces in the country's Arabic and English language media continued. The ban was lifted in 2004 for at least two of the individuals, and they have since returned to writing and teaching. There was one new report of an academic that was banned from teaching in the university, although no reason was initially given and no further details were available
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61701.htm
Who are those people and why did the government ban them from talking to the media or teaching? Emirates Reuters investigated and found the following:
1) Dr. Saeed Hareb Al Muhairy
- Ph.D. in Islamic International Relations
- Adviser to Vice Chancellor of the
- The vice chairman of Dubai International Holy Quran Award
For more information about his achievments visit this website
http://www.dubaiculturalcouncil.ae/en/display.aspx?type=menu&id=1163
He has membership in over 2o academic organizations and an author of more than 16 books. What did the goverment reward him?!
He was promoted last year into the Advicer to Vice Chancellor of the UAE University. Put in your mind that when an Emirati gets promoted to a consultant or an advicer in governmental institutions it means the government doesn’t want him anymore and he is being put as a decoration.
He has been suspended from teaching from May 2005. The governmental university didn't give reasons to its decision. He hasn’t been allowed to publish his opinion in the local media since 2002.
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posted by Proud Emirati @ 4:20 PM
6 Comments:
Worrying isn't it? Things are getting much better here in terms of free speech, but it's obviously not perfect.
I think the internet is forcing goverments across the world to open up more. They can stop an academic speaking to a local paper, but eventually the story gets out. Research papers are published on the internet. There's nothing to stop these people speaking with the international media: after all, if they've already lost their jobs, what else do they have to lose?
Indeed, really sad. It is getting better though as you said.
I'll try to answer some of the thoughts in my next posts.
Most worrying, not many people seem to know about it.
Yes, I really did not know about this aspect of such accomplished Emiratis' . The nation should be so proud of them - I know I am.
Why are these brilliant individuals and their thoughts/sentiments not shared with the entire nation - do you guys realize how "progressive" that would be?
Please continue to post us with such blogs - it's truly interesting.
my dad should be in the list too
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