(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Dr. Khalid bin Mubarak Al-Shafi, Editor-in-Chief of The Peninsula newspaper, has said that the list of demands by the three Gulf countries must not have the content that can violate Qatar's sovereignty or interfere in a sovereign state's internal affairs and policies.
"The Foreign Ministry of Qatar has also expressed the same hopes that the claims or demands in the list set to be handed over to Kuwait and Qatar by three Gulf countries must be clear and executable. This is because, from the other side there have been frequently changing versions regarding the list; sometimes they called it a list of demands, other times a list of complaints or grievances. The same thing was also raised by the US secretary of State," Dr. Al-Shafi said while talking in the talk-show "The Truth" at Qatar TV yesterday.
He said that the three Gulf countries were intervening in many things and issues like Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood and individuals living in Qatar etc. It has been creating confusion and none of these issues are affecting the security or stability of those countries.
"Even this step (list of demands) has come after global pressure which has forced them to list their demands or complaints. They imposed the blockade even before listing their accusations and UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Afairs, Gargash has said this blockade may continue for years."
Dr. Al-Shafi said that the demands going to be presented to Qatar by the three countries "must not violate the sovereignty of Qatar" or intervene in its internal policies as Qatar will never compromise on these things.
"In fact, we are facing a systematic campaign from these sister states since the crisis of 2014. They are trying to exploit every single and minor issues and present them as problems; we never see reason for all these measures taken against Qatar. If there are differences, they can be solved by sitting on table."
Dr. Al-Shafi said that the media of the three Gulf countries were digging some dead issues, which are related to 2011, to malign Qatar. "Why such issues were not raised at that time? Why now, if they are real problems? We are handling issues in accordance to our ethics and morality; we never mix things and the greeting cables of the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is a clear evidence of it."
He said that Qatar is keen to keep GCC unity intact and "we want all differences to be settled within the GCC family and in a friendly way".
Dr. Al-Shafi noted that the reports of Amnesty International had revealed many illegal practices being carried by the UAE authorities in Yemen and Libya where they have created detention centres and torturing innocent people for political differences.
"But, they are trying to accuse Qatar of supporting terror. Qatar is supporting people's rights and always stood against regimes and never supported regimes fighting against its own people," he said, adding: "Qatar intervenes to settle disputes among countries, to bring peace not to oppress people like what the UAE is doing and this is one of the issues which this country is annoyed of."
Jaber Salem Al Harmi, a media person, took part in the TV discussion said: "I hope the demands which they have said will be handed over to Qatar and Kuwait as mentioned by the US Secretary of State and also hope it will be realistic although such a list is coming after three week since the beginning of the crisis and imposition of the blockade on Qatar."
He said that Qatar's Foreign Minister was very clear from the day first of the crisis saying that it wanted to see the demands which must be reasonable and applicable.
"Qatar is an ally in global alliance fighting terrorism and this is the first time it is being accused of supporting terrorist by these three countries . Qatar's support to Arab Spring Revolutions were part of global supports including Arab League. Qatar supported people not regimes like what these countries did and doing now in many Arab countries like Egypt and Libya."
"This is Qatar's principled stance from which it will not retreat. It started with the support of Tunisian revolution and it is continued till now. Same thing happened in Egypt, we supported the revolution; we were not supporting a specific party but the people."
Regarding the congratulation letter sent to the King of Saudi Arabia and Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Al Harmi said that it shows that Qatar never mix political difference with other duties because it is a matter of principles and ethics. "Differences will disappear tomorrow and we will remain together."
"The same congratulation letter was also sent to the King of Jordan despite the degraded relations."
He said Qatar is concerned about the peace, security and stability of Saudi and all GCC countries, and "we consider our security and peace part of other Gulf countries".
Al Harmi said that UAE arrested Qatari citizens in 2014 and now it is leaking confessions extorted by force, and Qatar never acted in the same way because "this is not our culture and these are not moral acts".
"I remember my Emirati colleague Professor Abdul Khalik Abdullah once said Qatar is the only country where he feels safe whatever differences occur between the GCC countries."
He said that the issues should not be mixed to exploit things to distort the image of Qatar by fabricating information and creating stories.
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