Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt have banished Qatar, which they blame to support the Muslim Brotherhood and have moved closer to Iran.

The break of diplomatic relations with Qatar was decided by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, followed by Yemen and Egypt. The blockade is accompanied by several restrictions:

The closure of land and sea borders

Suspension of flights to Doha

The departure, within two weeks from 5 June, of all Qataris living in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain.

Media outlets block

Moreover, at the economic level, 40% of the food supplies pass through the border with Saudi Arabia. Several thousand families will therefore be affected.

These excessive measures have already had a brutal effect on the population. This blockade is a risk of separating husbands from their wives or parents of their children. Amnesty International has even stated that these residents are at risk of losing their jobs and of their schooling interrupted.

The decision of the GCC created splits between the supporters on one hand of Saudi Arabia and Qatar on the other. However, the US President, Donald Trump, supported the choice of Riyadh and his allies. He also said that Qatar has historically financed terrorism at a very high level. At this point, it is clear that Trump would say anything to stay in Saudi’s good grace after the profitable arm deal they signed last May. 

Qatari media outlets have also been blocked. However has ties to Qatar or sympathises with the country risks prison and a very pricy fine. This is a clear violation of freedom of expression.

ICSFT condemns the hypocrisy of the Gulf countries that accuses Qatar of financing terrorism, while they are themselves responsible for their acts of propagating a literalist Wahhabi ideology that participates in the perpetual violation of human rights. In these countries women are not equal to men, and death penalty is still in place.

We remember the role of Saudi Arabia in the Afghanistan war when it funded and supported (with the Americans and Pakistanis) the mujahedeen (Osama bin Laden) against the Soviets, and later, from 1994, the Taliban with whom it shares the same political-religious corpus.