A senior Emirati lawmaker says demonstrations seen across Europe have moved beyond political expression and into the realm of national security, warning that unchecked extremism can eventually become violent.
“People can demonstrate, speak and deliver speeches, but what [we] witnessed on the streets of 11 European cities was not freedom of speech. It was a national security threat,” Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, chairman of the Defense, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee of the UAE’s Federal National Council, told News Media in an exclusive interview.
His comments come as European governments continue to grapple with radicalization both on the streets and online. On Nov. 3, Europol said authorities in 16 countries had flagged more than 9,000 links to extremist and terrorist content distributed across 47 social media and gaming platforms. The investigation focused on online role-playing material connected to jihadist, far-right, far-left and anarchist violence, including content that could expose minors to extremist groups.
A vehicle burns as demonstrators watch during a nationwide strike and protest over wages, living costs and public services in Lyon, France, on Nov. 5, 2026. French labor unions organized the action, which was also joined by high school and university students demanding improved education conditions. (Reuters)
UAE officials and specialists say their approach differs because they view countering extremism as a process that begins well before a police investigation. They point instead to schools, families and the daily experience of living alongside people from different backgrounds.
“The root problem is extremism, not only violent extremism. … Our schools teach coexistence. We promote values that unite people regardless of religion, nationality, ethnicity or color. … We must learn to live with our differences and accept people as they are,” Al Nuaimi said.
Preventing extremism before violence
At Hedayah, the Abu Dhabi-based International Center of Excellence for Countering Extremism and Violent Extremism, News Media interviewed Maqsoud Kruse, chairman of the organization’s International Steering Board and the UAE foreign minister’s envoy for countering extremism and terrorism.
Kruse, an organizational psychologist who helped launch Hedayah in 2012, said radicalization often unfolds gradually. It may begin with beliefs, intensify through emotional reactions and, in some cases, progress to violent conduct. Recognizing those stages, he said, gives governments and communities a chance to intervene before violence takes place.
“When we discuss countering extremism and terrorism, we recognize that no country, institution or individual can solve the problem alone,” Kruse told News Media. “International cooperation, shared networks and bridges between communities are essential. Everyone has a role in the solution.”
Maqsoud Kruse, chairman of Hedayah’s International Steering Board and the UAE foreign minister’s envoy for countering extremism and terrorism, discusses prevention through education, psychology and international partnerships in Abu Dhabi. (Efrat Lachter/News Media)
Inside the UAE, Kruse said, the strategy combines psychology, sociology, education and economic analysis instead of viewing extremism strictly through a security lens.
“An integrated strategy requires moving away from focusing only on the problem and toward solutions that create hope,” he said.
That idea sits at the center of the UAE’s tolerance policy. Rather than waiting for extremist beliefs to produce violence, Kruse said societies should invest in schools, community programs and other preventive efforts that address why people may become vulnerable to radicalization.
He also rejected the idea that poverty by itself causes extremism. Affluent and highly educated people can adopt radical ideologies, while millions facing economic hardship never do. Kruse cited former extremists who left radical movements as evidence that rehabilitation and reintegration are possible.
Hedayah works with governments, academics and civil society organizations on prevention initiatives. Kruse does not suggest that education can replace counterterrorism operations; rather, he argues that security measures alone cannot confront the ideas and personal vulnerabilities exploited by extremist recruiters.
U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Yousif Al Obaidli, director of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, while touring the mosque grounds in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on May 15, 2025. (Brian Snyder/ Reuters)
Messages of coexistence at the Grand Mosque
That philosophy is also reflected at one of Abu Dhabi’s most recognizable landmarks: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
During a visit to the vast white-marble complex, News Media encountered displays along the route to the prayer halls promoting tolerance, respect and the legacy of the UAE’s founding president, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The message is reinforced by the setting itself, with bright courtyards, floral designs and long colonnades leading visitors toward the country’s iconic religious site.
The mosque contains 82 domes and architectural elements inspired by traditions from across the Islamic world. It serves both as a place of worship and as a destination for visitors seeking to understand the UAE’s religious and cultural heritage.
A sign identifies the Multifaith Gallery at Dubai’s Crossroads of Civilizations Museum in the United Arab Emirates, where exhibitions examine the shared history and heritage of religious communities. (Efrat Lachter/News Media)
The ideas presented at the mosque emerged before the UAE established relations with Israel. Sheikh Zayed helped form the federation in 1971, and the country’s leadership has long described tolerance as a defining part of its national character. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre identifies religious accommodation and openness toward people of different cultures as key parts of his legacy.
That approach gradually became embedded in law and government policy. The UAE passed legislation against discrimination and religious hatred in 2015, created a minister of state for tolerance and introduced a national tolerance program in 2016. In 2023, the government further revised its legal framework to address discrimination, hatred and extremism.
The UAE government says more than 200 nationalities live in the country. That diversity offers a daily test of how people from different cultures and religions share workplaces, neighborhoods and public spaces.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bahrain’s Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and UAE Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan join President Trump at the Abraham Accords signing ceremony on the White House South Lawn in Washington on Sept. 15, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
From interfaith dialogue to the Abraham Accords
The UAE has sought to promote the same principles internationally. In February 2019, Pope Francis and Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar, signed the Document on Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi, calling for religious dialogue and peaceful coexistence.
Four years later, the country opened the Abrahamic Family House on Saadiyat Island. A mosque, church and synagogue stand as separate but equally prominent buildings, connected by shared spaces designed for education and discussion.
The complex was temporarily closed during News Media’s visit to the UAE. Emirati officials said the closure followed an Iranian attempt to strike the interfaith site during the war.
In Dubai, Mohammed Baharoon, director general of the B’huth research center, said the Emirates’ tolerance policy should not be attributed simply to its oil wealth.
“This is about will, not wealth. It reflects vision, principles and respect for people,” Baharoon told News Media. He described a deliberate effort to welcome people from around the world and give them a meaningful role in the UAE’s growth.
Ahmed Obaid Al Mansoori, right, founder of Dubai’s Crossroads of Civilizations Museum, stands with a rabbi. Al Mansoori created one of the Arab world’s first permanent Holocaust memorial exhibitions to encourage interfaith understanding. (News Media)
Baharoon said the Abraham Accords, negotiated during President Donald Trump’s first term and signed in 2020, reflected that same philosophy on a regional level. The agreement normalized relations between the UAE and Israel, but he said its purpose extended beyond establishing diplomatic missions.
“The Abraham Accords are not merely normalization,” he said. In his view, they were intended to challenge the tendency to portray the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a struggle between entire religions and populations. Diplomatic ties, he argued, have value only when they foster relationships capable of surviving disagreements between governments.
Al Nuaimi likewise characterized the accords as an investment in human relationships rather than an endorsement of any specific Israeli government.
“We believe in diplomacy between people. We need to work with communities, build bridges and strengthen those relationships. … Whatever government is in power in Israel, … the only answer is to pursue a lasting solution in which Israelis and Palestinians can live as neighbors, respect one another and care about each other’s future.”
He said the UAE’s continued relationship with Israel has also enabled it to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
“Because of that trust, we were able to help Palestinians in Gaza. … We have three hospitals and eight bakeries, and we built water infrastructure and other facilities. … That assistance was possible because of the relationship with Israel.”
A sign points to the “Tolerance Path” at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. The visitor experience presents the founding president’s vision of religious tolerance, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence. (Efrat Lachter/News Media)
The limits — and the test — of tolerance
The Emirati model also contains an important contradiction. Religious and cultural coexistence does not translate into unlimited freedom to criticize the government. Freedom House’s 2026 assessment says political parties are prohibited and that freedom of expression and assembly face significant restrictions. Those civil liberties concerns complicate any argument that the UAE’s system could be directly replicated in European democracies.
Even so, during reporting in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the emphasis on coexistence was visible in several forms: from the Grand Mosque’s visitor exhibits to conversations with counter-extremism experts and the UAE’s effort to preserve ties with Israel while assisting Palestinians.
On Saadiyat Island, the temporary closure of the Abrahamic Family House captures the difficulty of that mission. Three houses of worship were designed to exist side by side, yet conflict elsewhere in the region has interrupted the environment intended to bring their communities together.
For Kruse, the answer lies in stopping radicalization before it takes hold. For Baharoon, the foundation is political determination rather than wealth. And for Al Nuaimi, whose warning about Europe began the conversation, the path forward involves teaching coexistence at home while pursuing a diplomatic future for the region.
Smoke rises from Zayed Port after a reported Iranian strike in Abu Dhabi on March 1, 2026. Emirati authorities said Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone campaign in the Gulf had killed three people and injured 58 in the UAE since it began. The strike came one day after the United States and Israel launched a nationwide attack on Iran that killed its supreme leader. (Ryan Lim / AFP via Getty Images)
The larger question is whether the UAE’s ambitions can withstand the pressure of war — and whether its model of coexistence can extend beyond the country’s borders.