Persian Gulf Doublespeak: French Peace Camp Armed to the Teeth, What about Sharia Law?.......
“The French military base in Abu Dhabi has been hailed as a historic first in a region of strategic importance. But the question of whether Sharia laws should apply on it has left French and Emirati officials bogged down in frantic negotiations. Dubbed the “Peace Camp,” the French military base is situated in Abu Dhabi, one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE (United Arab Emirates). In terms of geopolitical real estate, the French military could not have secured a more strategic site: the base lies on the banks of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, through which 40 percent of the region’s oil shipments pass. More critically, across the narrow waterway lies Iran, a country that has expressed its strong disapproval over the French military presence in its backyard. But a year after its much celebrated inauguration, a problem seems to have arisen between the French military officials and their new hosts, one that is still being frantically resolved. On Wednesday, the leading French daily, Le Monde, reported that intense negotiations between French and Abu Dhabi officials were underway to ensure that Abu Dhabi laws, essentially Islamic or Sharia laws, do not apply to French military personnel and their families stationed on the base. In a report titled “Abu Dhabi base: France confronts the application of Sharia law,” the paper noted that Sharia provides for the death penalty, which is banned in France and other EU countries. More generally, the report noted, Sharia law comprises a range of penalties “inconsistent with (French) republican principles”…..…”
I got news for the French. Nothing in the whole region is consistent with the (French) republican principles…” Rien, except the love of money. And no worry, money will conquer all. They’ll get their Beaujolais and other necessary parts of the way of life.
The good news is, the French troops and their families and girlfriends will not further upset the population mix of the UAE, which consists of about 10% natives and about 90% foreign temporary expatriate labor.
Cheers
mhg
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