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A number of friends and me were following the negotiations in
Qatar to reach a settlement in Lebanon. With the company of the
same friends, I followed before the tragic events in Beirut.
During these successive sessions of TV news bulletin, I noticed
abnormal sectarian schism scenarios raising their ugly faces in
more than one part of the Arab World. I say schism scenarios
hoping or believing that they will not turn into realities on
ground and that they are no more than negative symptoms that
will evaporate with time.
 
Yes, these scenarios are being actively marketed under many
banners using huge efforts of mobilization, lining up and
evocation. But, I have a deep sense of confidence that these
efforts will at the end give up in the face of strong realities
on the ground. We have been seeing witnessing similar efforts
here and there in the Arab World for a good deal of time so far.
Well, it might take time, but I’m sure they will retreat and
leave the scene for a new coming daybreak.
Back to those TV news evenings with friends following political
developments in Lebanon. I was really shocked. I do not mean
here the hateful fighting. In fact, this was a small thing when
compared to the hatred expressed by many Lebanese speakers in
talk shows at the time. Sectarian lines and fears were flagrant
among people. Their statements and facial expressions pushed me
few years behind to remember friends and neighbors who I lived
with them without even knowing their religions. This was not
only because of my belonging to a pan-Arab ideology that did not
deal with people according to their religion or sectarian
backgrounds despite my strong belonging to Islam as a religion,
but also because this was the this was the situation of Lebanon
in the past.
We, the people of the UAE, belong to Islam and we are very proud
of our creed. I have never sensed any schism among us. Living on
this land as one family, UAE people feel baffled when faced with
newly born words such as Sunni or Shiite. The word Shiite has
never been used here before. Instead, we used to call people of
this Islamic creed as Bahrani. During my early years, me and
other people of my generation thought of Bahrani as something no
more than belonging to a certain region or community. During
these TV news evenings, a certain question started to hit me
strongly. Why sectarian lining up has been present in such
strong manner in many parts of the Arab World in recently?
Is there any logic behind this? Is it because centrifugal forces
have grown stronger than centripetal forces among us? Or, are
there powers that want to destabilize the Arab World using
sectarian evocations to start deep schism all over our region? I
will be direct and clear. There is no need for word playing. Out
of my belonging to the Arab Gulf and my Islamic belief, I
absolutely refuse all what is going now, even when the conflict
does not go beyond the verbal debate and evocative statement
about Sunnis and Shiites. Our self awareness here in the Gulf
has been built on being Muslims, and Muslims only without any
thing else.
This has been the case for us in the UAE and the Gulf in
general. Building on this belief, we had good relations and
trade with our neighbors in Iran, despite the tensions resulting
from Iran’s occupation of the three UAE’s island during the
reign of Shah Mohammad Rida Bahlawi. When the Islamic Revolution
overthrew the Shah, we looked to this as good news and hoped
that a new era of mutual respect and friendship with our
neighbors would start. This sense was reinforced among us by the
new Iranian rulers’ positive statements about the relationships
with Arab people and their commitment towards a fair settlement
of Palestinian issue which represents a lifelong duty for every
Arab man and woman. But, despite the welcoming positions
expressed by Gulf states and other Arab countries towards the
Iranian people and their new leadership, we found ourselves with
time before the following situations:
• Iran continued its occupation of the UAE’s three island and
its efforts to manipulate history by replacing Arab from the
name of our Gulf with other name.
• The security and stability of the Gulf have been repeatedly
victims of irresponsible adventures.
• The Sunni-Shiite sectarian fight has engulfed Iraq.
• A civil war almost burst between Sunnis and Shiites in
Lebanon.
• A deep schism divides pro-Iran Palestinians and their
compatriots who are allies to other powers.
With the exception of their occupation of our three islands, I
do not mean that our Iranian neighbors are responsible for all
these developments. However, I strongly believe that they must
use their political and economical influences to bridge the gaps
among Muslims and to support rapprochement with their Arab
neighbors. Speaking on behalf of any Arab in the Gulf, I am sure
that Gulf states want to establish very strong friendship not
only with the Iranian, but with all peoples of the world.
Yes, every human being as well as every society has the right to
choose the whatsoever type of government they want, but they are
not entitled to impose their choice upon other neighboring
peoples and countries or to recall historic evocative ideas to
spread divisions. Countries and regimes must search for factors
that support rapprochements and friendships, not hateful old
rivalries and historic divisions as a way to strengthen their
clout in other countries.
I wish that our Iranian neighbors will be hospitable for my good
faith comments. I raise the matter to highlight the importance
of building better relationship between the two sides of the
Gulf based on respect and friendship. To show my goodwill and
eagerness for a new and better chapter in the history of the
Gulf, I will assume that all these sectarian divisions have been
results of bad historic coincidences hoping that fresh winds
will bring change and unity.
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a map of Abu Mousa U.A.E. Island
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a map of Tunbs U.A.E. Island showing the changes and
settlements built by Iran
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