DUBAI - Dubai Deputy Police Chief Dahi Khalfan complained in a tweet on Wednesday that many Emirati tweeters had withdrawn from Twitter after Dubai's ruler published a letter criticizing some of those tweeting, accusing them of insulting the UAE.
In response to his tweet, UAE political science professor Abdul Khaleq Abdullah commented on the need for caution.
Dear Bo Fares, it is clear that you have immunity and you have a different roof than the rest of the titans who decided to withdraw after the Sheikh's message. Caution is necessary and other writers and singers do not enjoy the immunity you enjoy according to your location, proximity and history. @Dhahi_Khalfan Greetings. https://t.co/zRh5wy7kSu - Abdulkhaleq Abdulla (@Abdulkhaleq_UAE) September 4, 2019 |
"It is clear that you have immunity and a different ceiling from the rest of the singers who decided to withdraw after the Sheikh's message," he said on his Twitter account.
"Caution is necessary and other tweeters do not enjoy the immunity you enjoy according to your location, proximity and history."
freedom of expression
For his part, Khalfan believes that the withdrawal of tweeters in this way put the UAE in the last list of Arab countries in freedom of expression, stressing that the message published by Mohammed bin Rashid days ago in a tweet on Twitter was not addressed to the sober defender with his thought and his pen about the reputation of the UAE.
The withdrawal of Emirati singers from Twitter in this number is sad to put us in the last lists of Arab countries in the freedom of expression ... Never the message to the song was never sober ... Defender of his idea and pen about the reputation of the UAE .. I say and I take responsibility for what I say .. Since we knew Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum respects personal opinion - Dahi Khalfan Tamim (@Dhahi_Khalfan) September 4, 2019 |
Some of those who reacted to the tweet of the security official in the emirate of Dubai that the Yemeni forced the expatriates Emiratis to withdraw, amid official Yemeni accusations to the UAE that it supported the coup of the Southern Transitional Council against the legitimate government in Aden.
Khalfan's talk of freedom of expression in the UAE has been met with cynicism by others, while others have pointed to a gross language error in the tweet by Dubai's deputy police chief.
Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashid published a tweet on Saturday denouncing the behavior of Emirati singers on Twitter.He said that these are undermining the reputation of the UAE, and some considered that these criticisms were directed at people like Dahi Khalfan and Hamad Al Mazrouei, who are accused of stirring up strife by attacking countries and leaders.