Alleged ‘Religious Tolerance’ in the Emirates: Mosques Stand as an Exception

Amid Abu Dhabi’s Inauguration of a Massive Hindu Temple, Mosque Restrictions Highlight a Departure from Alleged ‘Religious Tolerance’ in the Emirates.

Minister of State Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh praised the Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi as a significant symbol of the country’s commitment to religious freedom and peaceful coexistence. Nonetheless, this viewpoint contrasts with the current reality of religious freedom in the country, where authorities impose restrictions on mosques, religious leaders, and Islamic educators.

Al-Sayegh said in an interview with the Indian magazine “The Week” that the “Babis Indian Temple is a strong testimony and embodies the UAE’s point of view regarding understanding, coexistence, and tolerance,” claiming that “protecting the freedom to practice religious rituals lies at the heart of the UAE’s values.”

However, despite the government’s public promotion of tolerance and religious freedoms, mosques in the UAE face rigorous surveillance, with all non-official prayer time activities necessitating a license. Moreover, imams receive their salaries directly from the government

Over the last decade, official entities have enforced the predominance of the Sufi order in the majority of the state’s mosques, granting them authority to regulate religious discussions and marginalize alternative ideologies. They’ve banned congregating in mosques outside the five daily prayer times and mandated acquiring a permit to deliver a sermon. Additionally, the state imposes a standardized Friday sermon.

The authorities defend their actions in mosques and limitations on Muslims as efforts to combat what they perceive as “extremism.” They cite the arrest of numerous Islamists who advocated for reforms in 2011 on charges linked to freedom of opinion and expression. Despite the completion of their previous sentences, the UAE continues to prosecute many of them.

The country’s constitution ensures the right to religious worship as long as it aligns with public policy and upholds public morals, and historically, mosques and Emirati society have not harbored “extremism.”

According to the Emirates Center for Studies and Media (EMASEC), the governing authorities in the Emirates are conducting extensive disinformation campaigns regarding the actual surveillance of mosques and censorship occurring within the country.

The report published by the official Emirates News Agency claims that mosques in the Emirates serve as a symbol of tolerance to the world. However, this assertion is intentionally misleading to both citizens and residents. The significant level of surveillance and censorship within mosques mirrors a state where authorities tightly control religious practices.

The report indicates that the Authority pays great attention to building mosques and ensuring their continuous development and modernization, as report issued by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority indicates an increase in the number of mosques from 6,747 in 2017 to 9,083 mosques in 2019, a rate of 34.6 percent.

The Studies Center said that the UAE regime is pushing to allocate huge resources to mosques to monitor them and develop systems to spy on worshipers who adhere to the five daily prayers.

It also adds, “Mosques have become a means for the security apparatus to tame society, as it considers them one of the security feeding centers for ideas that support the authorities and their policies.”

Since 2017, all mosque-related activities have been regulated by a law aimed at enforcing security measures and controlling preaching within the state’s mosques. This law centralizes mosque management under a single Islamic ideology, Sufi dervishes, aligning them with state messaging while stifling dissenting voices. This consolidation of power limits citizens’ ability to openly discuss issues and justifies policies that curtail freedoms and rights.

The report highlighted the UAE government’s implementation of a rigorous surveillance apparatus to monitor worshippers in mosques, employing undercover agents alongside surveillance cameras. This monitoring extends not only to mosques but also encompasses numerous community facilities, streets, schools, and public institutions.

The UAE authorities enforce a unified “Friday sermon” across all mosques, prohibiting any sermons other than those prescribed by the authorities. These sermons are pre-written and distributed on Thursday.

Rather than serving as a platform for discussing societal issues and fostering awareness, the Friday sermon has been co-opted by the authorities as a tool to deter Emiratis and residents from engaging in such discussions. This exemplifies the UAE’s stringent control over freedom of expression and opinion, ensuring a singular voice prevails.

The law prohibits congregating in mosques after prayers for discussions, advice exchange, or preaching unless officially licensed by authorities. Providing advice to worshippers after prayers without proper authorization is also criminalized. Additionally, donating books to mosques, establishing libraries with materials not approved by authorities, and distributing any books or religious publications within or near mosques are all considered unlawful acts.

The state’s claim that mosques symbolize tolerance seems ironic in light of the circumstances described. Merely increasing mosque numbers doesn’t promote tolerance; it may instead be a tactic to mislead Emiratis. This mirrors a broader pattern noted by the Emirati Studies Center, where official media obscures realities for Emiratis.