By Hamoud Abu Taleb
We wish that the Emir of Qatar had waited for the ink to dry on the recommendations of the Riyadh summit that he attended before setting off his new bomb whose fragments have hit other Arab countries. We have become used to Qatar’s negative surprises, but we never expected anything like this as it is devoid of political principles and reflects poor diplomacy. The action also failed to take into consideration the simplest rules of bilateral relations between countries.
There was no justification for what the Qatari ruler, Sheikh Tamim Al-Thani, said in his speech on Wednesday morning because the name of Qatar was not mentioned by summit speakers or in its final communiqué. The Emir might have been the victim of his subconscious mind in an attempt to raise suspicion about the conference and its discussions.
The worst impact of his speech was that it drew condemnation of Qatar’s strange political behavior. It also exposed the Emir’s haughtiness and his move to compare himself with highly experienced rulers in the region who have mastered the art of politics, ruling large countries and steering them through major events and crises, unlike Qatar, which has only experienced a storm in a teacup.
Imagination has led Sheikh Tamim to assume that the US president’s visit to the region – he meant the Kingdom – coincided with a campaign against Qatar, as if all that Saudi Arabia wanted to accomplish from this historic visit and summit was to organize a campaign against Qatar, linking the country with terrorism and distorting its efforts to establish regional stability, as claimed by the Emir.
Sheikh Tamim went on to say that he was aware of the reason behind this alleged campaign and emphasized that it would not succeed because of “judicial investigations into the president’s violations and abuses.” Hats off to the Emir for his political knowhow and wisdom!
The Qatari Emir gave two valuable pieces of advice to the Kingdom while commenting on the summit, and may God reward him for it. Firstly, he stressed the importance of hard work, and of not relying on emotions or underestimating things in order to protect the region from danger. Secondly, he advised the Kingdom to focus on development, rather than concluding big arms deals, which will increase tension in the region.
Speaking about development, we do not know what the Emir saw when he visited Riyadh to attend the summit. Riyadh has a population several times larger than that of Qatar and it is spread over an area several times larger than Doha. He should have seen the tremendous progress achieved by the Kingdom on his way from Riyadh airport to the conference palace.
With regard to his advice on hard work beyond emotions and miscalculations, I would like to remind the Emir that he should practice it himself before preaching to others. Qatar has had problems with others mainly because of its miscalculations, which is what he talked about.
Let’s move on to another dangerous part of his speech, which will make Qatari politics the laughing stock of other nations and all politicians. Sheikh Tamim tells us that Iran is a big power that can ensure stability in the region if we cooperate with it and that it is unwise to escalate tensions with Tehran. This was a big surprise and we would not have known about it if it were not for Sheikh Tamim. God may reward him for this piece of advice.
We understand from the Emir’s statement that Iran is the guarantor of stability enjoyed by Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen where it has deployed its peacekeeping forces, not militias or spies or agents. They apply products that are useful to human beings, not missiles and mines. The Emir has also informed us that Tehran does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and does not try to spread chaos and confusion in other states.
All summit leaders emphasized the danger posed by Iran; however, perhaps they were mistaken or unfair when they warned against Tehran’s reckless practices. Sheikh Tamim, the master of politics, was the only exception and sided with Iran. Is this not a new political breakthrough for Qatar?
As long as he considers Iran to be the guarantor of stability in the region, he should consider Hezbollah as the symbol of resistance and Hamas as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. In this respect, the Emir also takes pride in Qatar’s relationship with Israel and praises it.
Indeed, we are deeply saddened to see the continuing political suicide of Qatar, incurring heavy losses and pushing the country into isolation. It cannot be saved by Iran or terrorist organizations, which Doha hosts and supports. We did not see Osama Bin Laden after the events of 9/11 except on the Al-Jazeera television channel, which continues to serve as the media hub of terrorists, saboteurs and agents. It is impossible for the channel to do so without the government’s green light and patronage.
Qatar has carried out a number of conspicuous and hateful plots but they have been exposed in many places including by the country’s close allies because they were shallow and primitive. Its elders have tried to cover up and have advised it not to repeat such dangerous practices but it has insisted on continuing the same negative practices like a handicapped brother who does not listen to advice. This time, the little brother has crossed all limits. If it fails to save itself from this self-made danger, the end will be tragic.
