(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM)) The UAE is a quintessential canopy of social accord. With people from over 200 nationalities basking in a plethora of creature comforts and shored up with watertight security, the nation's leaders are making all-out efforts to see that the character of the country holds, commented a UAE daily.
"Apart from rendering material delights, the UAE also looks after the emotional wellbeing of the masses, both nationals and expatriates," said The Gulf Today in an editorial on Tuesday.
Since communal harmony is the bedrock of the nation the government sees that any aberration is not allowed on that front. Such an aberration could painfully torpedo the smooth pace of life. The leadership has and is doing enough to keep that fabric intact.
Hate crime is the scourge of society, which has led to unwarranted deaths, in some countries, of innocent civilians caught up in the whirlwind of misguided prejudice.
To pre-empt any move by this hydra-headed monster to wreak havoc on its putative bliss, the UAE government has issued a law against hate crimes.
Following a Decree by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates has issued a new law against any form of discrimination on the basis of religion, caste, creed, doctrine, race, colour or ethnic origin.
The new law criminalises any act that stokes religious hatred and/or which insults religion through any form of expression, be it speech or 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.
The punishment is severe: jail terms from six months to over 10 years and fines ranging from AED50,000 up to AED2 million. Insulting God, his prophets or apostles or holy books or houses of worship or graveyards is forbidden.
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.
The law prohibits any entity or group established specifically to provoke religious hatred and recommends stringent punishment 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.
"Hate crimes have rocked various parts of the world fuelling endless crises. Religion ensures peace, the opposite can't be permitted under any circumstances under its banner. Therefore, like always, the UAE leaders are moving in the right direction and cementing the purity of that intention by introducing the above law," concluded the Sharjah-based daily.
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