Citing native day by day Gulf News, Xinhua stated the 41 individuals have been charged with establishing and operating a terrorist organisation named “Shabab Al-Manarah” (Arabic for the Minaret Youths) in the United Arab Emirates.
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The accused are blamed for setting up cells to train members in handling weapons and the manufacture of explosives in preparation for attacks on UAE soil.
In July, following the murder of an American teacher in an Abu Dhabi mall, the authorities enacted tougher anti-terror legislation, including harsher jail terms and even introducing the death penalty for crimes linked to religious hatred and “takfiri groups”. “They communicated with external terrorist groups and organisations which provided them with whatever money they needed and with people to achieve their goals inside the nation”. Takfiri, the ideology of ISIL and Al Qaida, regards Muslims who do not follow their interpretation of Islam as apostates who should be put to death.
“They attempted to jeopardise the security of the state and its people, including leadership and senior officials, as well as damage public and private enterprises to seize power in the country and create a so-called caliphate”, Kubaish said.
Known as Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led coalition began hitting IS forces with airstrikes last year after the extremists declared a caliphate in swaths of land they captured in Iraq and Syria.
The Brotherhood is one of several Islamist groups that have been listed as a terrorist organization in a recent crackdown in the UAE.
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Salem Saeed Kubaish, the UAE Attorney General has announced that 41 people of various nationalities, including Emiratis, have been referred to the Federal Supreme Court on charges of setting up a terrorist organisation.
