A top U.A.E. official said on Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s visa ban on citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries isn’t targeting any religion.
“The vast majority of Muslims and Muslim countries have not been affected by this ban,” United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed told a news conference in Abu Dhabi. “This is a temporary ban that will be reviewed within three months. It’s important to take these points into account.”
Leaders of some of the Islamic world’s largest countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt have not reacted to the travel ban, which drew criticism from Canada to Germany and triggered protests at U.S. airports. The executive order bars citizens of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the country for 90 days.
The U.A.E. is a close U.S. ally. Along with Saudi Arabia, it’s engaging in a proxy conflict with Iran in Yemen.
“Undoubtedly, states have the right to take sovereign decisions,” Sheikh Abdullah said in a joint press conference with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. “We also have to take into account that some of the countries on the list are facing challenges and these countries should fix their situations before raising the issue with the United States.”
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