Former Grand Mosque preacher and TV personality Waseem Yousef was accused of spreading hatred and sedition. Antonie Robertson / The National.
Former Grand Mosque preacher and TV personality Waseem Yousef was accused of spreading hatred and sedition. Antonie Robertson / The National.
Former Grand Mosque preacher and TV personality Waseem Yousef was accused of spreading hatred and sedition. Antonie Robertson / The National.
Former Grand Mosque preacher and TV personality Waseem Yousef was accused of spreading hatred and sedition. Antonie Robertson / The National.

Former Grand Mosque preacher counter-sued over Twitter posts


Haneen Dajani
  • English
  • Arabic

An Islamic preacher in the UAE who is suing more than a dozen Twitter users after they criticised him online now faces legal action himself.

Waseem Yousef, a well-known TV personality, is accused of spreading “racism and hatred” through comments he made on social media.

Appearing at the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court on Tuesday, Mr Yousef was asked whether he intended to appoint counsel to aid his defence.

But the former preacher at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque responded by turning his back on the judge and insisting he would represent himself.

“Where are the charges?” he asked, as he turned away from officials to face the main body of the court.

“You are not in a television show,” the chief justice replied, before again urging Mr Yousef to instruct a lawyer.

In January, The National reported how Mr Yousef was suing 19 Twitter users after he claimed they had defamed him online.

On Tuesday, prosecution lawyers requested a delay in the case against Mr Yousef. The court agreed and the hearing was adjourned until March 18.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Kathryn Hawkes of House of Hawkes on being a good guest (because we’ve all had bad ones)

  • Arrive with a thank you gift, or make sure you have one for your host by the time you leave. 
  • Offer to buy groceries, cook them a meal or take your hosts out for dinner.
  • Help out around the house.
  • Entertain yourself so that your hosts don’t feel that they constantly need to.
  • Leave no trace of your stay – if you’ve borrowed a book, return it to where you found it.
  • Offer to strip the bed before you go.
What are the influencer academy modules?
  1. Mastery of audio-visual content creation. 
  2. Cinematography, shots and movement.
  3. All aspects of post-production.
  4. Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
  5. Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
  6. Tourism industry knowledge.
  7. Professional ethics.
What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

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