A parliamentary proposal to introduce a law to protect and enhance Emirati identity

The rapporteur of the Education, Culture, Youth, Sports and Media Affairs Committee in the Federal National Council, Shatha Saeed Al-Naqbi, informed Emirates Al-Youm that she had submitted three parliamentary proposals to the Minister of Culture and Youth, Noura Al-Kaabi, during the Federal National Council session, which was held yesterday evening, the first of which was “activating The government’s approval to issue a draft law to protect the Arabic language and enhance its status,” and the second, “to create a federal draft law to protect and enhance Emirati identity, aimed at deterring and criminalizing acts that deviate from values.” And customs that are offensive to the nation’s reputation in any way on social media platforms,” and finally, “setting an annual memorial day during which the UAE celebrates its Emirati identity, to focus on the concept of Emirati cultural privacy.” It is promoted in accordance with the requirements of modern society, and in imitation of the Sharjah Heritage Days.” Al Naqbi confirmed that “the Ministry of Culture and Youth developed many strategic initiatives and programs during the years from 2017 to 2020, including initiatives related to national identity, such as launching the executive plan for the identity strategy.” Nationalism, preparing studies and research that monitor the impact of culture on shaping national identity, in addition to preparing media campaigns to enhance the consolidation of national values. It announced a 100% completion rate in all initiatives.

Al-Naqbi indicated, in an intervention addressed to the Minister of Culture and Youth, during the discussion of the topic “Policy of the Ministry of Culture and Youth,” that the committee concluded seven parliamentary observations during its study of the axis of the ministry’s strategy in “promoting national identity and belonging.” The first is the absence of the cultural role of the ministry, at the expense of the roles it plays. There are local entities or private cultural institutions, and the second is the weakness of the programs and operational plans concerned with preserving the Emirati cultural privacy, “which has led to a negative impact on customs, traditions, and values, and on the generation.” He is rising, in his external appearance, his adherence to the formal dress on official occasions, and his Emirati dialect, which now includes foreign words.”

Al-Naqbi said: “Among the observations that the committee also concluded was the absence of cooperation programs with relevant authorities regarding media content standards and controls for the use of social media in accordance with national principles and values, guidance on the danger of influences that are inconsistent with national identity, and the lack of clarity of a unified work strategy at the national level to preserve on the Arabic language and enhancing its status, in addition to the limited research activity as a result of the lack of incentives for publishing in the Arabic language in scientific fields, and the lack of interest in developing the skills of craftsmen and encouraging them, which led to the exposure of some traditional professions and handicrafts. To disappear, and has a negative impact on the national identity, in addition to the lack of sustainability of the workshops and programs provided to young people, which leads to a lack of continuity in consolidating the national identity in the youth. Finally, not activating the state’s strategic media plan led to not activating one of its goals, which is managing the state’s reputation, which negatively affected the weak display of Emirati identity in media content in a very clear way.”

She added: “One of the Ministry’s specialties is to propose and prepare policies, strategies and legislation to protect the Arabic language, strengthen national identity, and work to develop it in coordination with the relevant authorities. However, it has become clear that the use of the Arabic language is limited in the most important vital fields such as the technology and translation sector, in addition to the limited research activity in scientific fields, according to what was confirmed by the report on the status of the Arabic language and its future issued by the Ministry of Culture and Youth,” calling for clarification of the reasons for not implementing a parliamentary recommendation adopted by the Federal National Council at the end of 2014 on the subject of policy The Council of Ministers to strengthen the status of the Arabic language, which stipulated the issuance of a federal law to protect the Arabic language and enhance its status by obligating federal, local, and private institutions to use it in spoken and written form, especially since the government had previously approved this recommendation.

• “Introducing a draft federal law to protect and enhance the Emirati identity, aiming to criminalize acts that deviate from values ​​and customs and are harmful to the nation’s reputation on social media platforms.”