(DICID) organized an intellectual seminar entitled
“The Role of Dialogue in Crisis Solving: Siege of Qatar as an Example”
Siege of Qatar as an Example
The Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue (DICID) organized an intellectual seminar entitled “The Role of Dialogue in Crisis Solving: Siege of Qatar as an Example” in which the speakers termed the ongoing blockade of Qatar as illegal, unethical and against the teachings of Islam and other religions.
The seminar was addressed by Dr Ali Mohiuddin Al Qaradaghi, Secretary-General of the World Union of Muslim Scholars; Dr Aisha Al Mannai, Director of the Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani Center for Islamic Contributions to Civilizations; Jabir Al Harmi, prominent Qatari journalist and Eng Abdulla Heiai Al Sulaiti, senior adviser to Qatar Petroleum.
The seminar was moderated by Dr Ibrahim Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue.
The speakers touched different themes including the siege and the methods of solving it from the legal perspective, the evaluation of media discourse in dealing with the crisis, and lessons learnt from the siege.
Throwing light on Qatar’s stance and efforts to resolve disputes through dialogue in the world, DICID Chairman Professor Dr Ibrahim Al Naimi said: “Father Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani set up a platform for dialogue followed by Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The meetings were held in Qatar and other countries on regional and international issues at the table of talks including the Lebanese crisis, the Darfur issue, and other thorny issues that Qatar has managed to get resolved through dialogue.”
“It is necessary that this dispute does not descend to the level of communities and peoples and must remain at the level of political decision-makers,” he said.
Al Naimi called for dialogue as the only way to resolve the crisis. He said that the disputes, regardless of its depth, are resolved through dialogue and no dispute can be resolved except by direct, frank and transparent dialogue.
Professor Aisha Al Mannai, Director of the Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Thani Center for Islamic Contributions to Civilizations, said: “The world has witnessed this unfair generalization against the State of Qatar with allegations that it supports terrorism without providing evidence.”
Al Mannai said that dialogue was a necessity to reach a solution to the crisis. “On the siege, Qatar has insisted that it will never compromise on its sovereignty. It seems that the siege countries want to force Qatar to surrender. Other parties are not serious about the dialogue and the crisis.”
“This crisis has been marked by the moral downfall of everything, politicians, religious scholars, media professionals and even artists,” she said, adding that the history would write it with pens of shame.
Dr Ali Mohiuddin Al Qaradaghi, Secretary-General of the World Union of Muslim Scholars, said: “The siege had caused harm and injustice not only to humans but animals as well. The crisis must be discussed ethically and religiously.”
He said that the clear solution to all differences was dialogue. “God has spoken to Satan and to the angels, and the prophets have spoken to their people. These all were forms of dialogue.”
Dr Al Qarra Daghi said that unfortunately, human, moral, and even tribal and religious values were violated by imposing siege on Qatar. “The cousins and the uncles have been separated. What applies to the siege countries is the position of the brothers of Joseph, who wanted to kill Joseph.”
For his part, the Qatari media person Jaber Al Harimi lauded role of Qatari media in covering the crisis with principles of truth and objectivity without levelling accusations or spreading disinformation against siege countries and their leadership despite constant provocations. “Since 2011, false media reports started appearing in some section of world press against Qatar and all that was sponsored.”
Al Harami added: “The siege countries by forgetting all ethics are spreading lies, disinformation against Qatar while the Qatari media has remained committed to morality without resorting to lies and slander.”
Abdulla Al Sulaiti talked about the lessons learnt from the crisis. “The oppression of the relatives is the most painful.