All is well between Tunisia and the UAE

This is a procedure the UAE has taken which when explained could have passed smoothly. It simply involved cancelling some incoming flights from Tunisia carrying female Tunisian passengers.

Naturally, the decision stirred a controversy in Tunisia. However, after details surfaced on the UAE and Tunisia receiving a security warning from a western intelligence service, blaming fingers cannot be pointed at the UAE. The warning detailed that ISIS allied women were carrying Tunisian passports to target the world renown airline carrier.

Therefore, the controversy is meaningless.

READ ALSO: Emirates flights suspended from Tunisia after ban targets women

Spokesperson for the Tunisian president, Saaeeda Qarash, confirmed on Monday when speaking to “Shams FM” private radio that “the UAE holds new information on potential terrorist activity.”

Thus, the UAE explained that the reason behind preventing Tunisian women from boarding Emirates planes was a matter of “security.”

Writing on this matter through his twitter account, the UAE’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said: “We have been in contact with our brothers in Tunisia [to discuss] a security matter which required precise and timely procedures.” He continued saying, “We appreciate and respect the Tunisian woman and we value her pioneering experience and consider her of utmost safety.”

He also called for avoiding the route of “misinterpretation and mistakes.”

Those who were pro initiating a feud between Tunisia and the UAE weren’t happy with the turn of events. Some Tunisian tweeters, whether they are from the Ennahda Movement crowd, or whom they call “revolution activists” or simply individuals whom were innocently rising to the occasion without taking into account the consequences of their actions is unknown. But these tweeters ensured that the problem with Emirates would be of pure political nature because “the UAE is aiming to abort the Tunisian revolution.”

We don’t know which sort of logic and mind stands behind such ludicracy?

So, does this mean that the revolution, the spring and the cheers continue to “work” in Tunisia? Or have people been occupied with other matters nearly seven years later since Mohamed Bouazizi’s heroism in December 2010?

It’s clear that there are those who want to catalyze anything involving the UAE to create confusion and dissonance about the young state. The vison is clear on preventing those who trade in religion from offering it in the politics’ bazaar. The Brotherhood and all those branching from their roots or took part in the Ankara-Doha trench have excelled in this notion.

The other thing is, putting aside the Brotherhood and Rached Ghannouchi’s movement and his gang, that whenever a dispute with a Khaleeji state occurs, there’s a group who choose to play the classic record on urbanization and Bedouinism and the whole “we are the ones who taught you” and the like of such ignorant talk.

Not to mention that it’s all just empty discourse.

Quite frankly, this record has been played one too many times and its getting old – I think it’s time to change up the music.

Alas, what’s between Tunisia and the UAE is all well.

This article is also available in Arabic.
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Saudi journalist Mashari Althaydi presents Al Arabiya News Channel’s “views on the news” daily show “Maraya.” He has previously held the position of a managing senior editor for Saudi Arabia & Gulf region at pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat. Althaydi has published several papers on political Islam and social history of Saudi Arabia. He appears as a guest on several radio and television programs to discuss the ideologies of extremist groups and terrorists. He tweets under @MAlthaydy.