DUBAI and CAIRO: The Arab League has entered the controversy surrounding Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and the United Arab Emirates, over statements made by the popular Islamic group in Egypt earlier this month. The Brotherhood said Abu Dhabi was against development and did not support Egypt in its transition. Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Araby, in a statement issued late on Monday by his office, argued that the Brotherhood's spokesman's comments toward the UAE were “hostile.” The Brotherhood spokesman, Mahmoud Ghozlan, had threatened action against the UAE if the Gulf country would attempt to capture and prosecute prominent Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi. The Sheikh had sparked a heated row between the UAE and his Brotherhood supporters when he criticized the Gulf state for reportedly revoking the visas of Syrians who protested against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad outside of the Syrian consulate in Dubai. Qaradawi's comments provoked a heated response from the Dubai police chief, Dhahi Khalfan, who threatened to arrest the Shiekh. “We are going to issue an arrest warrant against Sheikh Qaradawi” Khalfan wrote on his Twitter account earlier this week. “If he insults the UAE will we leave him? … Whoever insults the state or the government of the UAE, I will pursue him,” the police chief added. The row has left potential funding projects by the UAE in Egypt on edge, with many sources telling Bikyamasr.com that the UAE government could withdraw all support from Egypt if the Brotherhood does not apologize for the comments. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/lOJRX Tags: Arab League, Brotherhood, Comments, featured, UAE Section: Egypt, Latest News, United Arab Emirates
