Future Movement flag. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — On Sunday, the Future Movement issued a statement in response to an article published by Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper Al-Akhbar criticizing Emirati measures against Lebanese people.
The Future Movement stated that such criticism "is bad for the interest of Lebanon and the Lebanese."
An article published Saturday in Al-Akhbar heavily criticized Emirati jail measures against Lebanese accused of affiliation with Hezbollah.
"The policy of hostility against brotherly Arab countries still exists in Al-Akhbar newspaper and is controlling its hateful pens, which is launching for a while in accordance to direct instructions from the party that is implementing the policy of Iran [Hezbollah] that are subversive, a hateful campaign against the United Arab Emirates, which is bad for the interest of Lebanon and the Lebanese, especially for those who live on its (Emirates) land," Future Movement stated.
"It seems that the Al-Akhbar newspaper since its founding has been fighting the project of building a state in Lebanon and is allocating all its resources to support the project of a sub-state which results in bad consequences for the Lebanese and the Arab brothers, does not understand that Emirates is a real country and there is a law that does not discriminate among its residents and that Emirates is a country that respects the sovereignty of Lebanon and its people and expects from them as a result to respect its sovereignty and its rule of law," Future Movement added.
Relations between Lebanon and the Gulf have experienced ups and downs over the years, especially following Hezbollah's involvement in wars in Syria and Yemen.
In March, nine Lebanese were detained in Dubai for alleged links with Hezbollah. They were found innocent and released in May.
The head of the Future Movement, Saad al-Hariri, suspended his political life in January 2022.