Mideast situation – Letter from United Arab Emirates

Letter dated 11 October 2001 from the Permanent Representative of the

United Arab Emirates to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

On instructions from my Government, I have the honour to attach the text of a statement by the Council of Ministers of the United Arab Emirates, dated 8 October 2001, in which the United Arab Emirates takes a firm position with regard to the military operations conducted against international terrorism centres, deplores the humanitarian situation of the Afghan people and expresses its gratitude to the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for their statments rejecting the idea that terrorism and Islam are one and the same.

I should be grateful if you would have this letter and its annex circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 166, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Abdul-Aziz Bin Nasser Al-Shamsi

Ambassador, Permanent Representative

Annex to the letter dated 11 October 2001 from the Permanent Representative of the

United Arab Emirates to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

Statement by the Council of Ministers on developments with respect to Afghanistan

The United Arab Emirates reaffirms its support for the international efforts aimed at combating terrorism. It is aware of the reasons underlying the military operations currently being waged against the international terrorism centres and receiving broad international support. The United Arab Emirates must, however, express its support and solidarity for the Afghan people in their current predicament and its commitment to the humanitarian efforts which are being made to ease their suffering. We appeal to those concerned to spare innocent civilians, and we request the international community to make serious and responsible efforts to counter terrorism, wherever it may arise, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations, and also to prevail upon Israel to end immediately its terrorist operations against the Palestinian people. Such is the firm position of the United Arab Emirates, as expressed by the Head of State, His Excellency Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who has stated that he strongly repudiates terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and has invited the international community to unite its forces in combating terrorism and eliminating it in accordance with the principles of international legitimacy.

The United Arab Emirates is pleased that the President of the United States, George Bush, and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair, have rejected the idea that terrorism and Islam are one and the same and have condemned the hostility being shown to Arabs and Muslims. The United Arab Emirates again denounces the campaign of hatred that some Western media are conducting against the Arabs and Muslims in order to denigrate Islam, which is in actuality a religion of peace, brotherhood and tolerance.