Mashari Althaydi

By : Mashari Althaydi

:: With the end of the second deadline for Qatar, another war is erupting: the war of concepts and terminology, with the visit of the German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel to the Gulf region.

In Doha, where the crisis had originally emanated from, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani said, in the presence of the German minister, that the measures taken by Arab countries to boycott Doha are “illegal”. He claimed that the list of demands presented by the boycotting countries “is not about terrorism, but rather about the suppression of the freedom of expression.”

On the other hand, in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said in the presence of the German minister: “Any steps taken by the boycotting countries will be within the framework of the international law.”

The Qatari minister suggested the reason behind the crisis was “freedom of expression” and not Qatari support for terrorism. On the other hand, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed said: “Our brother country Qatar allowed, shielded and instigated terrorism; this is why we tell Qatar, stop supporting terrorism and being a haven for terrorists”.

In the Qatari terminology, it was all about “freedom of expression.” They speak of the violation of international law, while the opposite side speaks of a sovereign right guaranteed by international law.

There is also the Khomeinist networks with left-wing tendencies that are fueled by “traditional” hatred of conservative Arab states, namely Saudi Arabia, that was opposed to the left-wing camp during the Cold War

Mashari Althaydi

Battle of terminology

Those who win this battle of concepts and terminology will have accomplished a tremendous step. Some may be surprised by the ability of the Qatari authority to be stubborn and promote its opinion and “terminology” in the presence of international media.

Qatar has become so obstinate that it is using its membership and legitimacy as a recognized state for the sake of a multi-faceted entity throughout the world, namely many networks and not just one, like the Muslim Brotherhood.

It is worth noting that Muslim Brotherhood had dissolved its organization in Qatar for more than 20 years. There was no need for such an organization in the wake of the policy of Prince Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. The whole country is swamped by the Brotherhood and there seems to be three generations of Muslim Brotherhood networks in the West.

There is also the Khomeinist networks with left-wing tendencies that are fueled by “traditional” hatred of conservative Arab states, namely Saudi Arabia, that was opposed to the left-wing camp during the Cold War; I mean this could be a late revenge.

We have three major problems at hand. The Muslim Brotherhood, Khomeini and leftists add up to the Qatari terminology that we have already talked about. This is a confrontation that cannot be ignored because winning it would be a great takeoff for a bright future. It will be a step to fold this dark phase, no matter how much time and effort it consumes.

:: Saudi journalist Mashari Althaydi presents Al Arabiya News Channel’s “views on the news” daily show “Maraya.” He has previously held the position of a managing senior editor for Saudi Arabia & Gulf region at pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat. Althaydi has published several papers on political Islam and social history of Saudi Arabia. He appears as a guest on several radio and television programs to discuss the ideologies of extremist groups and terrorists. He tweets under @MAlthaydy.

:: Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in the Column section are their own and do not reflect RiyadhVision’s point-of-view.

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