I challenge any analyst to understand and explain what Qatar really wants, what its aims are and what the secret is behind its contradictory statements. Many say there is no agenda and there are no aims, and that this is all about Hamad’s strong feeling that Qatar is a marginal worthless country with a small population that cannot really constitute a state or help achieve what Hamad, who is Qatar’s real ruler, wants.

He wants to hear Qatar’s name all over the news, regardless of whether it is praise or condemnation. He thus randomly spends billions without being held accountable. Meanwhile, the Qataris, who are not very large in number, live comfortably as they are financially well-off.

Qataris fear opposing or criticizing the contradictory and chaotic practices of the Emir’s father. They do not dare hold him accountable. As long as they live comfortably, there is nothing to object to. Therefore, only few Qataris criticize these unjustified practices. Not to mention that the Emir’s father is a tyrannical figure who will not be merciful if he chooses to avenge.

We remember what happened with a poet once when he implicitly criticized some of his actions. He arrested him and the judge who is a staunch Brotherhood supporter sentenced him to life in prison. Hamad later decreased the sentence to 15 years.

Native Qataris feel they are second-class citizens in their own country while foreigners who are Brotherhood members, or who are affiliated with Azmi Bishara, are the spoiled ones as their life is more luxurious Mohammed Al Shaikh

Second-class citizens

Native Qataris feel they are second class citizens in their own country while foreigners who are Brotherhood members, or who are affiliated with Azmi Bishara, are the spoiled ones as their life is more luxurious. The latter live comfortably as well but not as comfortably as Brotherhood members and northern Arab nationalists.

Al Jazeera television channel, for example, is managed by a northern Arab. Qatar is Al Jazeera channel or Al Jazeera channel is Qatar. Everyone who works there is either affiliated with the Brotherhood or is a nationalist northern Arab. There was only one Saudi who was hired to hoodwink people, and he recently resigned. Although the television channel is more than 20 years old, the only Qatari presenters we have seen were in the weather and sports departments.

The only Qatari news presenter is assigned for the graveyard slot because they despise Qatari people and look down upon them. The Qataris hate the Brotherhood as they think this terrorist group is deep rooted and is one of the reasons behind Qatar’s problems with its Gulf countries.

I do not think Qatar’s policies and orientations will be rectified as long as it is being led by Hamad bin Khalifa as he caused this hardship and crisis. Meanwhile, the Gulf will not back down on its recent stance and its position will not change.

If the current regime continues to control Qatar’s wealth of oil and gas and to spend money without being held accountable, terrorism will not be eliminated and the world will not be able to dry out its funding resources.

This article is also available in Arabic.

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Mohammed Al Shaikh is a Saudi writer with al-Jazirah newspaper. He tweets @alshaikhmhmd.



Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:54 - GMT 06:54