Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba Statement on the Death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

October 29, 2019

The UAE commends the United States for removing Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a bold raid this weekend and recognizes the members of the U.S. Armed Forces for their bravery and courage. 

The Middle East, the world and Islam are better off now that he is gone. ISIS devastated millions of lives and communities across the region and across religions. However, al-Bahgdadi’s terror was directed in large part against Muslims. Refusing to accept its treacherous ideology and his phony Caliphate, thousands of Muslims died and millions more endured under ISIS’ brutal control.

In this brutal aftermath, al-Bahgdadi’s death is important but it alone will not erase his corrosive ideas or his malevolent supporters. Across the region and the world, among all religions, reasonable people and responsible nations must continue to work together to confront hate and extremism. True Muslims especially must be sure not to allow anyone else to hijack a religion of peace into a weapon of extremism. We must join in common cause to promote peaceful coexistence and the strength of faith as an instrument of acceptance and understanding.

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