Khalfan responds to businessman’s criticism of Trump praise

Dubai’s Deputy Police Chief Dhahi Khalfan has tweeted in response to UAE businessman Khalaf Al-Habtour, who criticized him for praising the actions of US President Donald Trump.

“[I] was hoping to hear brother Khalaf Al-Habtour’s response to the head of the [Iraqi] popular gathering threatening the whole Gulf [region]...Trump was praised by Abu Rashid before me,” Khalfan tweeted.

Khalfan recently posted a controversial tweet saying Trump was right to bar citizens of seven Muslim countries from entering the United States. Khalfan also tweeted referring to citizens of the barred countries as ‘backwards’.

The tweets led to a scathing attack on the UAE by a number of social media users, an attack that was indirectly blamed on Khalfan by Al-Habtour.

“We caused this attack [on UAE] because some people make mistakes. We have to balance what we say, and when we insult others they will respond,” Al-Habtour said in a video he posted on Instagram, referring to Khalfan’s earlier tweets.