Egyptians living in the United Arab Emirates called for official action to ease the tension in relations with Egypt, which resulted from what they described as “irresponsible” statements by a spokesperson of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mahmoud Ghazlan.
Ghazlan had criticized Dubai Police Chief Dahi Khalfan Tamim for demanding the arrest of the prominent Islamic preacher Yusuf al-Qaradawi.
They also intend to file a lawsuit against Ghazlan, as they fear such tension would affect their careers.
“Ghazlan added fuel to the fire,” Abdel Kader Ahmed, an Egyptian living in the UAE, told Al-Masry Al-Youm. “He caused resentment toward Egyptian expatriates living in the Gulf.
“Those expatriates send a lot of money to their families back home,” he added. “And the officials should take this into consideration.”
Ahmed Samy, another Egyptian expatriate in the UAE, said the Prince of Qatar paid a visit to Abu Dhabi after Ghazlan’s statement was broadcast on the Qatari channel Al Jazeera, while no Egyptian official seemed to care.
“The Brotherhood obtained a majority in Parliament, and so must take into account the interests of all Egyptians,” he said. “For Egypt cannot afford the return of hundreds of thousands from overseas if things get worse.”
Qaradawi had criticized the UAE for deporting Syrians who staged demonstrations without permits, and threatened to constantly attack its government if it does not take them back.
Police Chief Tamim said the issue was closed after the Prince of Qatar’s visit.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
