A trending hashtag promoting racism in the UAE was quickly flooded with tweets from angry Emiratis who refused to be represented by hate.

The hashtag #كلنا_عنصريين_في_حب_الوطن (We are all racist when it comes to loving our country) was created as an online attack against a restaurant owner with Turkish origins in the UAE. It was launched by an allegedly prominent Emirati figure as a response to a Snapchat video of the restaurant owner offering free hookahs to men and women visitors.

Twitter users in the UAE were infuriated by the attack and went online to express their disappointment with fellow citizens using the hashtag.

who gave you the audacity to condemn someone because of his/her origins and/or descendants as a political addition to support whatever you want to support!

Just leave the political conflicts to the political figures😕#كلنا_عنصريين_في_حب_الوطن — 13 (@TheDiplomacy) February 17, 2020

Certain social media users who supported the attack on the restaurant owner, mocked his promotional hookah video on the basis of his Turkish origins, claiming that they are "defending their local culture that doesn't accept women smoking."

شخص يسيء لي ويهددني قدام الناس بانه بيبلغ علي ف المحاكم ..! وبيلتهني ف المحاكم مع اني طلبت منه انه ما يكون عنصري وما يوجه لي كلام عنصري .. 🙂💔 ما احس اني غلطت عليه او على اي حد اذا نشرت دعايه لمطعم مسوي عروض على الشيشه للمدخنين وشيشه مجاناً للنساء او للرجال .! — 🇦🇪 دانيال بن محمد آل ميداني 🇦🇪 (@danyal220) February 16, 2020

Translation: "Someone has been insulting and publicly threatening that he'll sue me only because I demanded that he stops his racist remarks. I don’t see how me advertising an offer for free shisha for men and women can be wrong."

#كلنا_عنصريين_في_حب_الوطن 🇦🇪❤️



حب الوطن #فرض

والخوف عليه #واجب



وإذا كان حب الوطن والخوف عليه وعلى عاداته وتقاليده #عنصرية



فليشهد الله والناس إني عنصري لحد النخاع



وعاشت بلادي 🇦🇪😍🤝 — #واير_ثلاجه (@lk_wayerthlajah) February 16, 2020

Translation: "We are all racist when it comes to our country and we have to love and protect our country. If you think that me loving and protecting my country, its traditions and customs is racist, then everybody should know that I'm the most racist person ever."

Similar tweets received strong backlash by people saying there is no place for racism in the UAE, as their country hosts millions of people from 200 different nationalities. They also highlighted different laws the country has issued to combat racist sentiments over the last few years.

#كلنا_عنصريين_في_حب_الوطن

هاشتاق تافه وخبيث لتلميع العنصرية وتبرير ممارستها على الناس ويجب أن يعلم المستشرف ومن معه من السذج أن

العنصرية ضد حب الوطن

فرض الوصاية على الآخرين مرفوض

التنمر على الغير وقاحة

استغلال المرض للشتم خبث

الوطن أرقى من هذه الأفعال القبيحة — مقدامֆ'ء🇦🇪 (@ri57_) February 17, 2020

Translation: "This is a ridiculous, disgusting hashtag and a desperate attempt to whitewash racism against others. Racism goes against loving your own country. You can't tell people what to do or what not to do. Bullying others is rude. The country is above these awful actions."

This hashtag is literally so ugly. I’m Emirati but count me tf out



#كلنا_عنصريين_في_حب_الوطن — maitha␈ (@maimhr) February 16, 2020

تذكير للكثير :



الكراهيه و العنصريه تُدَّمِر المجتمع أكثر من الشيشه #كلنا_عنصريين_في_حب_الوطن — ســيــف (@saifaltunaiji) February 16, 2020

Translation: "Reminder: hatred and racism can destroy society much more than smoking hookah."