United Arab Emirates National Day

 

The United Arab Emirates sometimes simply called the Emirates or the UAE is a country at the southeast end of the Arabian Peninsula on the Persian Gulf bordering Oman to the east and Saudi Arabia to the south as well as sharing maritime borders with Qatar to the west and Iran to the north. Islam is the official religion of the UAE and Arabic is the official language, although English is widely spoken and is the language of business and education especially in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The 17th century the Bani Yas confederation was the dominant force in most of the area now known as Abu Dhabi. The Portuguese maintained an influence over the coastal settlements building forts in the wake of the bloody 16th century conquests of coastal communities by Albuquerque and the Portuguese commanders who followed him particularly on the east coast at Muscat Sohar and Khor Fakkan. During the 19th and early 20th centuries the pearling industry thrived providing both income and employment to the people of the Persian Gulf. The First World War had a severe impact on the industry it was the economic depression of the late 1920 and early 1930 coupled with the invention of the cultured pearl that wiped out the trade. On 24 January 1968 British Prime Minister Harold Wilson announced the government's decision reaffirmed in March 1971 by Prime Minister Edward Heath to end the treaty relationships with the seven Trucial Sheikhdoms that had been together with Bahrain and Qatar under British protection. Days after the announcement the ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan fearing vulnerability tried to persuade the British to honour the protection treaties by offering to pay the full costs of keeping the British Armed Forces in the Emirates. The British Labour government rejected the offer. After Labour MP Goronwy Roberts informed Sheikh Zayed of the news of British withdrawal the nine Persian Gulf sheikhdoms attempted to form a union of Arab emirates, but by mid-1971 they were still unable to agree on terms of union even though the British treaty relationship was to expire in December of that year. On 2 November 2004 the UAE's first president Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan died. His eldest son Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan succeeded as Emir of Abu Dhabi. In accordance with the constitution the UAE's Supreme Council of Rulers elected Khalifa as president. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan succeeded Khalifa as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. In January 2006 Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum the prime minister of the UAE and the ruler of Dubai died and the crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum assumed both roles. The first ever national elections were held in the UAE on 16 December 2006. A small number of hand-picked voters chose half of the members of the Federal National Council, an advisory body. UAE has largely escaped the Arab Spring which other countries have had; however more than 100 Emirati activists were jailed and tortured because they sought reforms. Furthermore some people have had their nationality revoked. A member of the ruling family in Ras al Khaimah was put under house arrest in April 2012 after calling for political openness. Mindful of the protests in nearby Bahrain in November 2012 the UAE outlawed online mockery of its own government or attempts to organise public protests through social media. The Arab Organization of Human Rights has obtained testimonies from many defendants, for its report on Forced Disappearance and Torture in the UAE who reported that they had been kidnapped tortured and abused in detention centres. The report included 16 different methods of torture including severe beatings threats with electrocution and denying access to medical care. Criticism of the government is not allowed. Criticism of government officials and royal family members is not allowed. Major holidays in Dubai include Eid al Fitr which marks the end of Ramadan and National Day 2 December which marks the formation of the United Arab Emirates. Emirati males prefer to wear a kandura an ankle-length white tunic woven from wool or cotton, and Emirati women wear an abaya, a black over-garment that covers most parts of the body. The traditional food of the Emirates has always been rice, fish and meat. The people of the United Arab Emirates have adopted most of their foods from other West and South Asian countries including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India and Oman. Seafood has been the mainstay of the Emirati diet for centuries. Meat and rice are other staple foods; lamb and mutton are the more favored meats then goat and beef. Popular beverages are coffee and tea, which can be complemented with cardamom, saffron, or mint to give them a distinct flavor. Fast food has become very popular among young people to the extent that campaigns are underway to highlight the dangers of fast food excesses. Alcohol is only allowed to be served in hotel restaurants and bars. All nightclubs are permitted to sell alcohol. Specific supermarkets may sell alcohol but these products are sold in separate sections. Note that although alcohol may be consumed it is illegal to be intoxicated in public or drive a motor vehicle with any trace of alcohol in the blood. Islam is the largest and the official state religion of the UAE. The government follows a policy of tolerance toward other religions and rarely interferes in the activities of non Muslims. By the same token non Muslims are expected to avoid interfering in Islamic religious matters or the Islamic upbringing of Muslims.