DUBAI // The Speaker of the FNC has warned a visiting delegation from the European parliament against false impressions and cultural misunderstandings of the region.
Mohammed Al Murr made his comments after a Swedish member, Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, raised questions on women's freedom and human trafficking.
"All these are important issues and like you, every country tries to improve its situation," Mr Al Murr said. "They move forward."
He said differences in culture created misunderstandings.
"I was reading in Germany there were political parties that used cartoons against Islam", and that they wanted to plaster them outside a mosque.
Mr Al Murr said this was a case where freedom of speech, a cultural right in Germany, could harm people.
"These things you have to keep in mind when discussing these matters of intercultural co-operation and relationships," he said. "You have to see there are different cultures.
"Women in the Arab world have full rights."
Interpretations of Islam varied around the region, he said. Some interpreted it in a conservative way and others, including the UAE, in an enlightened way.
But the media tended to focus on the more conservative interpretations, Mr Al Murr said.
In the case of human trafficking, he said it was inevitable that with more people entering the UAE every day, it would attract "the good and the bad".
A German member of the European parliament asked about the low turnout in last September's FNC elections, when only a quarter of eligible voters went to the polls.
The Speaker blamed logistical problems, lack of media coverage and lack of interest in the federal government.
"There are two levels in the government, federal and local, and many people, especially in the services sector, think the federal election is not important to them," said Mr Al Murr.
The reasons for the low turnout are still being studied, he said.
Internationally, Mr Al Murr said the UAE followed a "peaceful foreign policy".
He said the FNC was all for last year's Arab revolts if they improved the people's lot, and that the GCC welcomed positive change in the Arab world.
When economic development failed to benefit the public, the result was popular "anger", he said, but when they did benefit they were more likely to show their support for further development.
Mr Al Murr stressed that economic development in the UAE focused on helping Emiratis.
"Fortunately our leader, Sheikh Zayed, had all this in his mind, how everything benefits all people, everywhere," he said. "That was his goal and what his son Sheikh Khalifa is doing."
The chairwoman of the European group Angelika Niebler, another parliamentarian from Germany, asked about the "UAE Seven" Emiratis, six of whom are being held for allegedly posing a threat to state security.
Mr Al Murr said the decision had been made by "executive power".
"Those people will be under the jurisdiction of the UAE law and they will get a fair trial," he said.
Members of the delegation said they were "amazed" at what the UAE had achieved in 40 years.
