On Sunday, Tech billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk expressed support for comments made by UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed regarding the Muslim Brotherhood. Musk shared a video clip on social media from a years-old interview with Sheikh Abdullah, highlighting the minister’s insights into terrorism and its roots in political correctness in Europe.
In the video, Sheikh Abdullah articulated his concerns in English for clarity, saying, “Let me say this in English so that you can understand it correctly. I know you have a translator, but I want to ensure you comprehend this properly: There will come a day when we will see far more extremists and terrorists coming out of Europe due to a lack of decision-making and attempting to be politically correct, or assuming they know the Middle East, they understand Islam, and they know others better than we know ourselves. And I’m sorry, but this is complete ignorance.”
Sheikh Abdullah’s prophetic words have resonated over the years, especially as his warning about the rise of extremism in Europe has become increasingly evident.
During his discourse, Sheikh Abdullah also addressed broader issues regarding the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology, emphasizing its divergence from the principles of national sovereignty and state legitimacy.
In a statement made in October 2012, he criticized the organization’s ideological stance, saying, “The thought process of the Muslim Brotherhood does not believe in national states, does not believe in the sovereignty of states.” He highlighted the UAE’s commitment to maintaining open and transparent dialogues with various countries to counteract entities that exploit their openness.
The UAE’s top diplomat further commented on the challenges posed by organizations that disregard state sovereignty: “No one is against actions taken by individuals who respect the sovereignty and laws of states. However, the problem arises when an organization believes certain entities have the stature and capability to penetrate sovereignty, recognizing themselves as totalitarian entities wanting to invade and breach the systems, laws, and sovereignty of those states.”
Elon Musk’s endorsement of Sheikh Abdullah’s views points to a shared concern about the implications of extremist ideologies and the importance of respecting national boundaries and laws.