This article was written by Dr. Abdul-Khaliq Abdullah, UAE Visiting Academic at Harvard University, and the views below are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of CNN.
Social networking sites, especially the Twitter platform, have recently witnessed a wide and heated debate in the UAE regarding who is the Emirati? And who are we? What is fixed and variable in the national identity?
A group went on to define the Emirati as anyone who holds the nationality and passport of the UAE. But this formal and legal definition, despite its correctness and simplicity, did not appeal to many. Whereas another group considered that the Emirati is a complete national figure, integrated with a set of social values and traditions inherited by father, grandfather and grandfather, who flocked to this land and contributed together and together in making it a safe, stable and prosperous land that embraces everyone and appreciates the contribution of everyone who participates in building an attractive Emirati model . This common definition, and is widely agreed upon, some of the latter added to it elements such as the Arabic language and the Islamic religion, without which the Emirati identity would not be complete.
The dialogue between the parties was controversial, revealing and useful, but the question of who is the Emirati and who we are, remained urgent and circulated between taking and attracting between a conservative current that wants to preserve established values, customs and traditions, and a modern and civil current that welcomes the new without fearing the national identity of the rapid transformations experienced by the Emirati and developments in society over the past fifty years.
And from the question who is the Emirati and who are we, other problematic questions, such as the question, what is the constant and what is the variable in the Emirati national identity, and is there a hidden conflict between the fixed and the transformed in this identity? Is the fear for the national identity right and requires urgent interventions, or is the jealousy and fear for the identity of the Emirati, artificial, excessive and misplaced, and some use it to achieve factional agendas? More importantly, have the constants of the Emirati identity become the target of an external invasion and as a result of the transformations of globalization and modernity that have been unleashed during the past fifty years, or has the Emirati become fully confident of his Emirates, adhering to his national gains without fear and fear for his national identity?
The premise of these problematic questions that deserve more careful national dialogue is the emergence of a new generation in the UAE society that differs in its behavior, taste, customs, traditions, aspirations, values and constants from the familiar customs, traditions and constants that settled in the souls and penetrated the hearts of generations over decades of ease and hardship.
This globalized Emirati generation, which emerged from the core of the new Emirates society, confirms its presence on the ground day following day, and increases its self-confidence in word and deed, and says that it has the same rights as others, and it has the same duties as others, especially as it performs its duties towards its homeland to the fullest. Face, as is the case of a million Emiratis who love their country and are loyal to its leadership. Therefore, although he differs in his taste, behavior, appearance and habits, he is no less Emirati than other Emirati men and women.
The Emirati, according to the logic of the twenty-first century generation, cannot be reduced to appearance, behavior, taste and habits only, but rather to belonging, loyalty and giving. Belonging to the homeland is the constant that defines the national identity of the Emirati. With this national standard, there is no preference for an Emirati over an Emirati except for loyalty to the homeland of all, the Emirates. The first element of the Emirates National Identity is that the second of December of each year is the birthday of every Emirati male and female. About one million Emiratis have one common birthday, the 2nd of December. No one feels the value of this history as the Emirati does. This day has a special taste, special taste and a special place in the heart of every Emirati. The Emirati is an Emirati by virtue of this temporal affiliation.
The Emirati is also an Emirati by virtue of its geographical affiliation to a specific area of the globe of 83,000 square kilometers. This space alone is the geographical homeland of the Emirati. He is born here, raised here, and when it is time to leave he is buried here. Every inch of this area is sacred and precious land for the Emirati, ready to pay his life for it.
Moreover, the young and old Emirati has only one national father, the late Zayed, the founding father of the UAE. One million Emiratis are the children of Zayed, may God rest his soul, feel his pure spirit hovering in every corner of the Emirates and in every corner of the federal state, east and west, north and south.
In addition, what unites one million Emiratis is the pride in the UAE flag. There are 200 flags in the world, but the Emirati flag stops only one and the only one that gives his soul and stands to salute him when the national anthem is played. The heart of the Emirati is beating for one flag. He delights in it when it flutters high and is raised at national events and international fora.
These national symbols, more than other constants and variables, are what unite a million Emiratis and distinguish them from other peoples near and far, and they alone constitute the constants of their national identity, and thus determine who is the Emirati and answer the question Who are we? Customs, traditions and values may change from age to age, and from generation to generation, but these national symbols are fixed and do not change at all with the change of time. The founding father is one and does not change, and the area of the homeland increases and does not decrease, and the flag does not change. As for the second day of December of each year, it is a day dedicated to the people of the Emirates and not other peoples.
The Emirati national identity has been linked to the establishment of the UAE and the symbols of this country that is open to the world, and has emphasized that it is a flexible and inclusive identity that is not monopolized by a generation, and it cannot be removed from a happy new generation with an Emirati model that embodies the best of openness and tolerance in the world.
