UAE passed law against fanning hate against any religion, Islamic sect, race and ethnic origin
Abu Dhabi: United Arab Emirates (UAE) has passed a historic law for criminalising all forms of discrimination on the grounds of religion, caste, creed, doctrine, race, colour or ethnic origin.
According to state news agency, the law is intended to provide a “sound foundation for the environment of tolerance, broad mindedness and acceptance in the UAE and aims to safeguard people regardless of their origin, beliefs or race, against acts that promote religious hate and intolerance”.
The law was enacted on Monday following a decree by President Sheikh Khalifa. All books published outside country or inside country that fan religious hates shall be confiscated. This law will bring an end of exporting religious books from Pakistan to UAE because majority of them encourage hate against other religions and different sects. The law covers speech and the written word, books, pamphlets or via online media.
The law also includes provisions for punishing anyone for terming other religious groups or individuals as infidels, or unbelievers.
Penalties for violation of the provisions of the law include jail terms ranging from six months to more than 10 years and fines from Dh50,000 to Dh2 million.
The law prohibits any act that would be considered as insulting God, his prophets or apostles or holy books or houses of worship or graveyards. It also has provisions to fight discrimination against individuals or groups on the basis of religion, caste, doctrine, race, colour or ethnic origin.
The law condemns actions that would comprise hate speech or the promotion of discrimination or violence against others using any form of media, including online, print, radio or visual media.
News Agency reported:
“Strict action will be taken against any form of expressions of hatred or incitement to hate crimes spread in the form of speech and published media. “The law also criminalises any act that amounts to abuse of religion or vandalism of religious rituals, holy sites or symbols, and takes a serious view of violence on the basis of religious doctrines. The law prohibits any entity or group established specifically to provoke religious hatred and recommends stringent punishments for groups or supporters of any organisations or individuals that are associated with hate crimes. It also bars any kind of events such as conferences and meetings within the UAE organised with the sole purpose of sowing seeds of discrimination, discord or hatred against individuals or groups on the basis of faith, origin or race. Receiving financial support for such activities is also punishable under the new law. The law encourages anyone involved in any activity that violates the law to voluntarily submit themselves before the authorities and has provisions allowing the courts to waive penalties in such cases.
“The new law does not contradict with any other existing laws meant to protect specially privileged groups in the society such as women, children and individuals with disabilities or others.”
