“Shameful Occupation”

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed condemns the occupation of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs Islands.

 

 

The citizens of Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah and all greatly encouraged by the comments made by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, in relation to the illegal occupation of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs Islands since December 1971.

 

Sheikh Abdullah has described the situation as a “shameful occupation” rather than a “misunderstanding”, which is how Iran prefers to describe its illegal occupation of our Islands.

 

“They like to call it a misunderstanding, but we call it occupation,” said Sheikh Abdullah.  The citizens of Ras Al Khaimah were all thrown off the Tunbs Islands in 1971 but the citizens of Abu Musa are now living in occupied land.

 

“There are hundreds of families in Abu Musa under occupation.  Communication between them and the rest of their compatriots is almost non-existent, delivering aid or construction materials is impossible.  Iran refuses that we send teachers, doctors and nurses to them.  There are few who know the daily suffering of our citizens in Abu Musa”.

 

Since 1971 Iran has been increasing its stranglehold over the three islands.  In 1992 Iran forced citizens of the United Arab Emirates sailing to the islands to apply for Iranian visas.  In 1996 Iran built an airport on Abu Musa and a power station on Greater Tunb without any reference to the United Arab Emirates.

 

The citizens of the United Arab Emirates suffer occupation and hardship.  Despite this the present regime in Ras Al Khaimah continues to develop close economic ties and trading relationships with Iran which are themselves “shameful” given that the Greater and Lesser Tunbs Islands, which are part of Ras Al Khaimah and the United Arab Emirates, are not only occupied by Iran but are also now heavily fortified.  Long range artillery is in place on the Lesser Tunbs Island designed not for the purposes of “defending” the islands from attack, but rather set inland giving Iranian military the ability to fire into the main shipping lanes leading into and out of the Arabian Gulf.

 

All citizens of the United Arab Emirates must support our Federal Government in its commendable defence of its citizens and for confirming that “no matter how long this goes on, the Emirate Rights will be retained”.

 

Sheikh Khalid Bin Saqr Al Qasimi

Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler

Ras Al Khaimah