The United Arab Emirates on Sunday marked its national holiday with a change in government policy. The move came after an American pastor was charged with espionage in a U.S. court and charged with providing material support to ISIS. U.A.E.’s Emirati king changed the country’s weekly holidays to coincide with Western holidays:
Image: UAE public relations
The queen’s decrees are posted on the Dubai government website:
With the first two days of Eid ul Fitr upon us, we take this opportunity to wish all Muslims a happy Eid.
UAE’s President, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has long appreciated the Christian community’s contribution to the coexistence of societies and to all developing nations.
This year, his son, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai, paid tribute to the entire Christian community in the country:
Image: شمن عبدالله @Dubai_MoF والإسلام سعيدة بناقا من من تحاري الذي في مشرك سعيدة في الذي بناقا من تحاري الذي تمكن في الذي تحاري دعزيت والطبين والعالمة في يوفذ جسائ عصر الذي
All Americans and citizens of the U.A.E. enjoy the full faith and freedom of the constitution, which is the same for all religions.
The UAE, with its peaceful coexistence in an enormously diverse country, is a contrast to the region, where extremist movements are driven primarily by anti-Americanism.