FAQs - about Dubai, the UAE and the Middle East – Part 2

1: Are they Shiites or Sunnis in Dubai and the UAE?
2: Are they really our ally or is that just politically correct nonsense?
3: Did you see any people with armed guards or others that appeared to be terrorists?
4: You say that Islam condemns terrorism, so not all Muslims are terrorists - how come ALL terrorists are Muslims?
5: Your article says that Muslims believe in Jesus. Is this true? If so, how many of them and in what way?
6: Is there an anti-American sentiment there? Where you subject to any discrimination? Do they hate us?
7: What about the Al Qaeda in Dubai? Is the government influenced by them or are they making progress routing them out?
8: You’re a business person who is able to stay in safe areas and have the best guides etc. Do you think a regular traveler would feel safe there?
9: Your article says “many Americans don’t know the difference between an Arab and a Muslim” okay, you got me, and I’m one of them. What’s the difference?
10: I heard you on the radio, you say you supported Dubai Ports ownership of US ports. This is the craziest thing I have ever heard. How can you think that it is safe to allow an enemy to own our ports? Would you want to take responsibility for a bomb getting through?
 
 
1:Are they Shiites or Sunnis in Dubai and the UAE?
 
According to the State Department, the UAE is 80% Sunni Muslim, 15% Shiite and 5% Christian and others. There are also 3.5 million expats (foreigners who live there) in the UAE of various religions.

There is no Shiia-Sunni stigma between the people of the UAE. The UAE Nationals are just like the Americans, we are a concoction of many immigrants and races. You will see white locals who are originally from Iran, others who are originally from Zanzibar (Sub Saharan Africa) Bedus, Naturalized Indians, Palestinians, Pakistanis, etc.
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2:Are they really our ally or is that just politically correct nonsense?
 

Yes, the UAE is our official ally. This is a matter of public record and is not just wasted words. The UAE is a trading partner, ally, military supporter and friend of the US.

· The UAE special forces are assisting the US, fighting alongside the US Special forces in Afghanistan.

· The UAE is re-equiping the Iraqi military with armored vehicles, planes, ships and helicopters and assists in training (Alongside the German Military) Iraqi Army Engineers/ Police Forces

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3:Did you see any people with armed guards or others that appeared to be terrorists?
 
No, not at all. Again, no offence but this is a way off base question. Thanks for asking though. It is hard to convey the vibe of this place. From the questions I get I see that many people just do not get the picture of the type of place this is. Dubai is not the image we see of an Arab or Muslim nation on TV. This is a regular, nice, beautiful city that I would be happy and comfortable to bring my family. There are no jeeps full of “scary bearded men” shouting and firing AK-47s in the air. Such a site would be as bizarre and out of place in Dubai as it would be in Greenwich Connecticut.
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4:You say that Islam condemns terrorism, so not all Muslims are terrorists - how come ALL terrorists are Muslims?
 
I’m not a politician and it’s too bad that a positive article about a place triggers so many terror questions, but I am glad you asked because, although sad, this type of question seems to be very common in addressing anything to do with the Gulf. More than half the responses to my article were on terror.

First off, not “all terrorists” are Muslim. Oklahoma city, the Atlanta Olympics bombing, bombings in London and many other terrorist acts in the US, England and other nations have been conducted by Christians and members of other religions.

Some high profile terrorists recently have been Muslim but it is important to remember that this religion has just as many members as there are Catholics. Did you know that the US has over three million Muslims, which is actually more than the UAE has as citizens? There are 1.5 billion Muslims in the world. That is a fifth of our planet. If even one in 1000 Muslims were terrorists that would be more than the entire population of Wyoming, Vermont and Washington DC combined. This just isn’t the case by any stretch of the imagination. Proportionately there are a similar number of terrorists who are Christian members of the KKK or other organizations. It is an extremely small radical faction.

I am not some kind of attorney/ advocate for all Muslims. This is not even my area of focus. I am just a business person who wrote an article about a very interesting place with a good deal of business opportunity. There are many other people and groups who can speak about these things better than I can. But please, do some research; your statement is a very sad and incorrect one.
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5:Your article says that Muslims believe in Jesus. Is this true? If so, how many of them and in what way?
 
I’m a financial guy not a religious scholar! That was just a passing mention in an article that is focused mainly on good things about Dubai and about business. It’s unusual for me to discuss religion in business and I am not a religious expert. But yes, Muslims do believe in Jesus. From my understanding Jesus is considered a Prophet just as the Prophet Mohammed is. It is important to note that Islam comes from the same root religion as Judaism and Christianity. The book “Islam for Dummies” says that the Quran states that all three religions believe in the same god. Just as Jews and various types of Christians believe in the same god, Christians, Jews and Muslims do as well.
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6:Is there an anti-American sentiment there? Where you subject to any discrimination? Do they hate us?
 
I didn’t see any. The closest thing I would say is that I saw some sadness and disappointment in America from some people. America is very respected and even honored worldwide. Our international “brand” was the best on earth but has fallen hard in recent years. The reaction by some might be like having a big brother who let you down. I ran into almost no outright criticism of America, even less than what I see in the US. I am sure that in such a large and diverse city there are people who dislike America just as there are in any other (even our own) cities. In any event, there is no way that someone named John Smith from the US would face the obstacles in Dubai that someone named Mohammad Attar would face in Chicago.
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7:What about the Al Qaeda in Dubai? Is the government influenced by them or are they making progress routing them out?
 
No, the government is not controlled by them at all because there isn’t Al Qaeda in Dubai. There are no more Al Qaeda in Dubai than there are in America.

When was the last time you saw a Sandinista guerilla fighter, Nicaraguan rebel or Columbian drug lord in Houston Texas? Just because we perceive that Dubai and the UAE is close to countries that have Al Qaeda does not mean that they have ties with them.
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8:You’re a business person who is able to stay in safe areas and have the best guides etc. Do you think a regular traveler would feel safe there?
 
Yes, it is as safe for everyone who goes there. I am a pretty “regular” traveler. I did not receive special treatment at all and it isn’t needed to be safe.

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9:Your article says “many Americans don’t know the difference between an Arab and a Muslim” okay, you got me, and I’m one of them. What’s the difference?
 
Arab refers to someone who is a speaker of Arabic, typically from an Arab country, mainly in the Middle East and North Africa. This could be someone of any religion, for example there are many Arab Christians. Muslim means someone who follows the religion of Islam and can be from anywhere in the world. For example: there are Muslims in Pakistan, Japan, Ohio, Delaware and Australia.
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10:I heard you on the radio, you say you supported Dubai Ports ownership of US ports. This is the craziest thing I have ever heard. How can you think that it is safe to allow an enemy to own our ports? Would you want to take responsibility for a bomb getting through?
 
Dubai is not an enemy! Dubai and the UAE are considered an ally by the US Government; there is no debate of this. You can review any US Government official website for confirmation of this. Even the opponents of the Dubai Ports deal did not argue that Dubai is our enemy; usually they simply misunderstood what the country is and lumped it in with Iraq and other Gulf states. The ports were already managed by a foreign nation, I think the denial of ownership was due to confusion about the region exactly like that evidenced by your question.

Security is handled by Homeland Security and the US Customs, this would not have changed. The Dubai Ports decision is a very unfortunate one by our Congress. I think if more people knew even the most basic facts about Dubai this denial would never have occurred.
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