Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Edition:
U.S.
Africa
Arabic
Argentina
Brazil
Canada
China
France
Germany
India
Italy
Japan
Latin America
Mexico
Russia
Spain
United Kingdom
Home
Business
Business Home
Economy
Technology
Media
Small Business
Legal
Deals
Earnings
Social Pulse
Business Video
The Freeland File
Aerospace & Defense
Markets
Markets Home
U.S. Markets
European Markets
Asian Markets
Global Market Data
Indices
M&A
Stocks
Bonds
Currencies
Commodities
Futures
Funds
peHUB
World
World Home
U.S.
Brazil
China
Euro Zone
Japan
Mexico
Russia
India Insight
World Video
Reuters Investigates
Decoder
Politics
Politics Home
Election 2012
Campaign Polling
Tales from the Trail
Political Punchlines
Supreme Court
Politics Video
Tech
Technology Home
MediaFile
Science
Tech Video
Tech Tonic
Social Pulse
Opinion
Opinion Home
Chrystia Freeland
John Lloyd
Felix Salmon
Jack Shafer
David Rohde
Bernd Debusmann
Nader Mousavizadeh
Lucy P. Marcus
David Cay Johnston
Bethany McLean
Anatole Kaletsky
Edward Hadas
Hugo Dixon
Ian Bremmer
Lawrence Summers
Susan Glasser
The Great Debate
Steven Brill
Jack & Suzy Welch
Frederick Kempe
Christopher Papagianis
Mark Leonard
Breakingviews
Equities
Credit
Private Equity
M&A
Macro & Markets
Politics
Breakingviews Video
Money
Money Home
Tax Break
Lipper Awards 2012
Global Investing
MuniLand
Unstructured Finance
Linda Stern
Mark Miller
John Wasik
James Saft
Analyst Research
Alerts
Watchlist
Portfolio
Stock Screener
Fund Screener
Personal Finance Video
Money Clip
Investing 201
Life
Health
Sports
Olympics
Arts
Faithworld
Business Traveler
Entertainment
Oddly Enough
Lifestyle Video
Pictures
Pictures Home
Reuters Photographers
Full Focus
Video
Reuters TV
Reuters News
Article
Comments (0)
Full Focus
Editor's choice
A selection of our best photos from the past 24 hours. See more
Images of June
Follow Reuters
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
YouTube
Read
Romney appears in final stages of running-mate decision
16 Jul 2012
Indian fishermen say U.S. boat fired without warning
12:18pm EDT
Fed prepared to do more to boost jobs: Bernanke
11:54am EDT
Police bust drug network selling Mexican meth in Oklahoma
16 Jul 2012
At least 17 wounded in Alabama bar shooting: police
|
12:35pm EDT
Discussed
110
Obama allies tell Romney to ”quit whining” about Bain attacks
99
Romney may name running mate early in election race
96
Syria hit by diplomatic defection as U.N. battles divisions
Watched
Mars landing not a crazy concept but risky: program director
Mon, Jul 16 2012
U.S. Morning Call: Yahoo seeks fresh start with new CEO
Mon, Jul 16 2012
Nicotine vaccine could be breath of fresh air for smokers
Mon, Jul 16 2012
Pictures
Reuters Photojournalism
Our day's top images, in-depth photo essays and offbeat slices of life. See the best of Reuters photography. See more | Photo caption
$30 million trailer park
A developer wishes to relocate residents from a California trailer park sitting on land worth $30 million. Slideshow
Kim Jong-un and mystery woman
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has appeared on state television in the company of an unidentified young woman. Slideshow
Leading lawyer arrested in UAE clampdown on dissidents
Tweet
Share this
Email
Print
Related News
UAE rights activist to carry on fighting in Thailand
12:07pm EDT
Analysis & Opinion
Timbuktu tomb destroyers pulverise Islam’s history
Libya’s first post-Gaddafi vote to test Islamists
Related Topics
World »
By Raissa Kasolowsky and Rania El Gamal
ABU DHABI/DUBAI |
Tue Jul 17, 2012 12:07pm EDT
ABU DHABI/DUBAI (Reuters) - Three Emirati Islamists, including a prominent lawyer, were arrested in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, relatives and activists said, extending a crackdown on political dissidents in the Gulf oil producer.
The arrests brought to 20 the number of dissidents detained since April. Most of them have been Islamists, targeted by a government clampdown amid concerns they may be emboldened by the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in other Arab countries.
Interior Ministry officials were not available for comment on the detentions. On Sunday, officials announced the UAE was investigating a foreign-linked group planning "crimes against the security of the state".
The UAE, which allows no organized political opposition, has avoided the political unrest that has toppled four Arab heads of state since last year, thanks in part to its cradle-to-grave welfare system.
But it has moved swiftly against dissidents and last year stripped citizenship from Islamists it deemed a security threat. It also jailed activists who called for more power for a semi-elected advisory council.
Pro-democracy activists and family said lawyer Mohammed al-Roken, who represented the seven Islamists stripped of citizenship, his son and son-in-law were detained on Tuesday. All are linked to the local Islamist group al-Islah (Reform), which has been the focal point of the UAE crackdown.
"He (Roken) was taken by security officials at 2 a.m. when he was out with the driver looking for his son and son-in-law, who were also arrested," a relative told Reuters.
UAE authorities are worried that the political successes of Islamists in Egypt and Tunisia after the toppling of long-serving authoritarian rulers there could inspire dissent at home.
"This is the first time in 40 years (since the UAE was formed in 1971) that we have seen so many arrests. This is unheard of," said Emirati political scientist Abdulkhaleq Abdullah.
"It's mainly aimed at Islamists now but this is a signal to everybody: zero tolerance for political organizations in the UAE, zero tolerance for Islamists, and zero tolerance for upfront criticism."
MENTOR ROLE
UAE Islamists say their ideology is similar to that of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood but say they have no direct links with the group, which is seen as a mentor for Islamist groups in the region.
Their demands include more civil rights and greater power for the Federal National Council, a quasi-parliamentary body that advises the government but has no legislative power.
The men detained over the past days are mostly from the more religiously conservative emirates such as Sharjah and Ras al-Khaimah, which are also less affluent than the oil-rich capital Abu Dhabi and trade hub Dubai.
Many are well-known figures and include a ruling family member, who is being held at the ruler's palace in Ras al-Khaimah. Most were religiously active in their communities and some ran Koranic schools and religious institutes.
"The (Muslim Brotherhood) ideology is inherently political and that is what is the threat to the UAE. It doesn't matter that they are Islamists, the point is that they have a political opinion at all and that they say it," said Michael Stephens, researcher at the Royal United Services Institute based in Doha.
One Emirati activist residing abroad echoed that charge, dismissing allegations of foreign-run cells as baseless. He requested anonymity.
"These claims are just made up, to get public opinion against (the Islamists). They say this campaign is against Islamists but it's clearly aimed at all activists, people who are asking for political reform, who want more freedom of opinion," he said, adding that he was not an Islah member.
U.N. human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said the crackdown looked like an excuse to silence legitimate demands.
"It appears that national security is increasingly being used as a pretext to clamp down on peaceful activism, to stifle calls for constitutional reform and on human rights issues such as statelessness," Colville told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday.
Authorities on Tuesday also closed the office of the Arabian Gulf Center for Educational Consultations in the northern Ajman emirate, said its owner, who has links to Islah.
Diplomats and analysts say the perceived harshness of the crackdown could lead to a backlash among ordinary people.
"They are trying to get more stability but actually all this is leading to more instability, because it creates resentment and fear. And it's like cutting off the head of the Hydra, another head will just grow back," RUSI's Stephens said.
(Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Editing by Jon Boyle)
World
Related Quotes and News
Company
Price
Related News
Tweet this
Link this
Share this
Digg this
Email
Reprints
We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/
Comments (0)
Be the first to comment on reuters.com.
Add yours using the box above.
Edition:
U.S.
Africa
Arabic
Argentina
Brazil
Canada
China
France
Germany
India
Italy
Japan
Latin America
Mexico
Russia
Spain
United Kingdom
Back to top
Reuters.com
Business
Markets
World
Politics
Technology
Opinion
Money
Pictures
Videos
Site Index
Legal
Bankruptcy Law
California Legal
New York Legal
Securities Law
Support & Contact
Support
Corrections
Connect with Reuters
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
RSS
Podcast
Newsletters
Mobile
About
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
AdChoices
Copyright
Our Flagship financial information platform incorporating Reuters Insider
An ultra-low latency infrastructure for electronic trading and data distribution
A connected approach to governance, risk and compliance
Our next generation legal research platform
Our global tax workstation
Thomsonreuters.com
About Thomson Reuters
Investor Relations
Careers
Contact Us
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.