SAUDI DICTAT AND QATAR’S ISOLATION
Muslims live in a feudal society, and Saudi imperialism epitomizes this mind-set. Led by Saudi Arabia, a few countries – mostly dictatorial regimes – have issued sanctions against QATAR and set humiliating conditions for lifting them. One relates to the shutting down of @Al-Jazeera television channel. We in the rest of the world celebrate the fact that after half a century Muslims finally managed to put out one world class media organ and here a bunch of undemocratic nations want that shut down, too. Qatar is also accused of having friendly relations with a Shiite country, viz, Iran. Again, we ought to be happy that somebody was attempting to erase this Arab-non-Arab divide, and should welcome this. Yet another accusation against Qatar is supporting terrorism. Osama was a Saudi, not a Qatari. Most Muslim terrorists receive aid from Saudia – officially or privately from its citizens, in the name of the so-called glory of Islam. At any rate, isn’t Wahabism in itself a subtle form of terrorism in everyday life? Qatar, with its futuristic vision, comparatively greater openness, better global indices [check Gapminder statistics on Qatar] and Al-Jazeera, came as a saving grace for the Arab world. Yet do you find any major voices against this Saudi-led belligerence? Why don’t the Muslims of the world raise their voice against such humiliating isolation of Qatar? Against demands to shut down Al-Jazeera? Is a Saudi victory in this war of nerves likely to enhance the Muslim prestige?
