ABU DHABI — The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday passed a draft law that allows setting up a global counter-extremism center to promote the country as a role model for tolerance and combating violent extremism, state news agency WAM reported. The draft law to establish the International Centre of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism, Hedayah (which means guidance in Arabic) was approved during a session of the Federal National Council — a consultative body that acts as a parliament. According to the draft law, it aims to address the conditions resulting from the establishment of the center, under Federal Law No.7 for 2013, including Article No.16 regarding the abolition of the law after five years from the date of its publication in 2018. During the FNC session, which was held remotely on Tuesday and headed by Saqr Ghobash, speaker of the FNC, the council praised the work of the center, which is a joint effort between many countries, most notably the UAE, where it is based. Dr. Anwar Bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said: "One of the UAE's goals is to combat violent extremism because it realized that there are many related issues and some people are trying to distort the image of the tolerant Islamic religion. Therefore, several initiatives have been launched, including the creation of the center, which has played a key global role through its work and programs." One of the tools for implementing the UAE's related strategy is to work with other countries, Gargash added. Before discussing the articles of the federal bill for 2020 to establish the center, a summary of a report by the Defense, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee was read. The session was attended by Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, and Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs, Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, Hessa Essa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development, and a number of senior officials.
