The call given by His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to protect the UAE’s youth against alien and subversive ideas, and to spread a culture of tolerance, moderation and social harmony, is the true embodiment of the genuine humanitarian and Arab values adopted by the Founder of the UAE, the Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (may God bless his soul). These values have been nurtured diligently to bring about social and economic prosperity for the people of the country and to place the UAE as a leading nation in international human development reports.

His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qassemi’s call is consistent with the effective contribution being made to protect our youth against ideologically deviant movements. The basic principles of the intellectual foundation laid down by Founder of the UAE, the Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (may God bless his soul), provide that the Emirati national is both the agent and beneficiary of human progress. Real development in the country is not possible without preserving the country’s genuine noble values and ensuring social welfare and human dignity for all UAE citizens based on the principles of justice, equality and tolerance.

The UAE’s new generation is faced with a new set of challenges, including ideas and practices that are alien to the community which cherishes their faith, traditions and values based on moderation, tolerance and openness. These deviant ideas, which lead the youth toward subversive activities, should be fiercely opposed to safeguard the society and maintain social harmony. To protect the youth from falling into this trap requires us to spread values of tolerance among them and familiarize them with the real threat these ideas pose to the security and stability of the community.

Any effort made to defy these social values should be promptly discouraged. His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qassemi’s call reflects his deep understanding of the challenges facing the nation’s security, the need to maintain political, military, economic and social security and laying out appropriate strategies that help achieve these objectives. One way to render these strategies a success is to preserve rational beliefs and traditions, which are a reflection of national identity and social cohesion.