What would you do if you encounter a blog, a Tweet, a reading material that’s obviously, blatantly offensive in nature? Something that shouts racial hatred in your face?
The UAE expat community do not take something like this sitting down. We were recently outraged by a blog called Al-Emirati, written by a group of people, mostly locals. I won’t glorify that blog further by giving it a live link although it’s pointless now anyway – that blog in question has been removed by Google due to racist content. A big “Not Found” 404 Error page is displayed when you request for the URL of that blog. That’s what you get for being a bigot in a country that’s supposed to be a melting pot of more than 200 nationalities.
The blog was nothing but negative, offensive posts – making fun of people and sensitive issues. The latest of which involved the Air India crash that killed more than 150 people, most of them Indian expatriates from Dubai. The blogger made fun of the passengers who died which is a blow too low considering dead people can’t defend themselves. The blogger belittles Indian expatriates and communities with slanderous statements, forgetting that the UAE wouldn’t be what it is now if not for these people from the sub-continents (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka). The post was ingrate and very uncalled for.
I invite you to see the original content of that vicious blog post here and judge for yourself.
But while that post was written by an Emirati, he doesn not represent all locals as a whole. I don’t believe every Emirati is like him – racist, ignorant, arrogant and vile. Or one can only hope not everyone is like him.
So the blog, hosted by Google has been removed and now questions are raised. Was it the right thing to remove/block the blog? Or should it be allowed to exist, be ignored or argued upon?