Dr. Khalid Mubarak Al-Shafi, Editor-in-Chief of The Peninsula, talking in "Reality" talk show on Qatar TV last night.
Dr. Khalid Mubarak Al-Shafi, Editor-in-Chief of The Peninsula has stressed that Qatar is on the right path as it has not severed ties with the countries that have imposed sanctions on it. Earlier also, same countries had cut ties in 2014 with Qatar.
“We are welcoming all diplomatic initiatives to resolve disputes with other three countries and that too on the permanent basis and not temporarily," Dr. Al-Shafi said talking in "Reality" talk show on Qatar TV last night.
About Qatar relations with Muslim Brotherhood, he said: “Qatar had strong relations with Egypt in the past and provided a lot of aid in all fields. The people of Egypt elected the Muslim Brotherhood and not the people of Qatar. Qatar continued its aid to Egypt during the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and had sent five shipments of gas which is equal $300m, so how can they accuse us for supporting just Muslim Brotherhood."
About supporting Hamas, Dr. Khalid Al Shafi said that the Palestinian issue was issue of all Islamic world and "we host Hamas to negotiate with Fatah. Saudi Arabia too had hosted it earlier in July 2015 for reconciliation with Fatah". "If the reconciliation efforts come from Qatar then problem appears. Why," he questioned.
He said that the aid to Palestinian people was coming through the channels of the UN organizations. "It proves that the accusation on Qatar of supporting only Hamas is incorrect."
“I think the main issue is that some countries want to play the leadership role, when they see Qatar playing a major role in the world community they can not tolerate it."
He said that many countries were supporting mediation like Turkey and Pakistan. "Our relations with Turkey are very strong. Turkish President has praised Qatar's role of helping people across the globe."
He also said: “What Saudi Arabia has done with Qatar, it never did that with any other country. It never banned people from Umrah, separated mixed families or banned flights to Saudi Arabia. So why it is happening only with Qatar?" he questioned.
He said that several Qataris were in Saudi Arabia and hotels were asking them to leave and "this is a shame”. "They want only one thing which is to make Qatar go with them based on their agenda and this will not happen."
For his side, Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Sulaity, a Qatari journalist said: "The diplomatic efforts are good and we are in Ramadan and I appreciate our position that Qatari foreign minister is presenting."
He also said that the UAE statement was not acceptable as they were preparing a list of their demands and handing it to the United States instead of solving the issue within GCC. "And unfortunately the GCC organisation has become a Council of Conspiracy and the Secretary General is absent from the scene. Why there is no cooperation among GCC countries to solve their disputes. I hope they discuss their issues clearly and in the framework of GCC charter,” he said.
About the accusation three countries were leveling against Qatar, he said: “Saudi Arabia had good relations with Muslim Brotherhood and they were welcomed in Saudi Arabia. They were living in Saudi Arabia and Saudi had asked Gamal Abdel Nasser not to sentence Sayyid Qutb but Nasser rejected."
"The only country having problems with Brotherhood is UAE and not Saudi Arabia. So just after Trump's visit to Saudi and when they knew that he will visit Israel they take it a chance and said that Qatar was supporting Hamas and Brotherhood thinking that Trump will take decision against Qatar but America has stated that we cant say that all Brotherhood people are terrorists," Al Sulaity said.
About Qatar relation with Iran, he said that 18 percent of residents in UAE are Iranian, and bilateral trade between Iran and UAE is more than $22bn. "Saudi Arabia also has relations with Iran, so where is the problem?"
