A constellation of UAE media outlets strives “to shape an anti-democratic narrative sugar-coated with an abhorrence for political Islam.” Opinion | tarek_cher
It was the same story on social media. Academic Marc Owen Jones examined Twitter manipulation surrounding the coup in Tunisia. One Arabic Hashtag that Owen analysed was titled: "Tunisians revolt against the [Muslim] Brotherhood". Owen's analysisthat most of the tweets were led by a few UAE and Saudi influencers and bots. They aimed to create the impression that there is a sizable popular mobilisation behind Saied across MENA, which is not the case.
All in all, it was no surprise to see the UAE mobilising against the Tunisian democracy and supporting Saied’s coup. The same modus operandi was used in the past ten years all over MENA, as the UAE media and electronic army tried to sell this decade-long crusade and justified it by mirroring UAE's aversion for political Islam at every turn.
In reality, though, the UAE’s leaders abhor democracy. The Ennahda Party has only 52 out of 217 seats in Parliament and has been compliant with the democratic rules, becoming known for its sense of consensus. Thus, the real target for the UAE and its media is Tunisia's democratic path, and the liberties Tunisian citizens have gained in the past few years. The rest is just smoke and mirrors.
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints and editorial policies of TRT World. We welcome all pitches and submissions to TRT World Opinion – please send them via email, to [email protected]
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