Inside Arab nation's battle against radicalism as top official warns of threat brewing on Europe's streets
A senior Emirati official has condemned demonstrations in Europe as a national security threat, arguing they have crossed from political expression into extremism that must be confronted before turning violent.
Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, chairman of the UAE's Defense, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee, told Fox News Digital that demonstrations in 11 European cities have become a threat to national security rather than legitimate political expression. His remarks come amid a wider European debate over radicalization.
Europol reported on November 3 that authorities from 16 countries had referred more than 9,000 links to extremist and terrorist material across 47 social media and gaming platforms. The operation targeted online role-playing content promoting jihadist, far-right, far-left and anarchist violence.
You can go demonstrate, talk, give a speech, but what [we] saw in the street in 11 cities in Europe is not freedom of speech. It is a threat to national security.
Preventing extremism before violence
The UAE's distinctive approach to combating extremism focuses on prevention rather than reaction, beginning in classrooms and communities. At Hedayah, the Abu Dhabi-based International Center of Excellence for Countering Extremism, officials emphasize an integrated approach combining psychology, sociology, education and economics.
Maqsoud Kruse, chairman of Hedayah's International Steering Board, challenged the assumption that poverty alone drives extremism, noting that wealthy, educated individuals can embrace extremist ideologies while millions in hardship do not.
Messages of coexistence
The UAE's tolerance strategy is visibly embodied in the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, where displays emphasize tolerance and mutual respect. The mosque, with 82 domes incorporating architectural influences from across the Islamic world, serves as both a place of worship and a destination for visitors interested in the country's religious and cultural traditions.
The UAE has formalized its commitment to tolerance through legislation adopted in 2015 against discrimination and religious hatred, the appointment of a minister of state for tolerance in 2016, and updated legal frameworks in 2023 to address discrimination, hatred and extremism.
Regional and global outreach
The UAE has extended its vision of coexistence beyond its borders, hosting the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity by Pope Francis and Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, in 2019. The country later inaugurated the Abrahamic Family House, featuring a mosque, church and synagogue linked by common spaces.
Mohammed Baharoon, director general of Dubai's B'huth research center, attributed the UAE's tolerance policy to deliberate vision rather than oil wealth. He described the Abraham Accords as an investment in people rather than a bet on any particular Israeli leadership, aimed at challenging patterns of religious confrontation.
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