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Qatari politics?
Oct. 2nd, 2004 07:40 pmThere's an interesting juxtaposition of articles in today's Peninsula (one of the two English-language newspapers in Qatar.)
The first article is Emir outlines his Mideast vision, featuring another speech by H.H. Sheikh Hamad during his visit to the United States. As in many of these speeches he is reaffirming Qatar's interest in increasing relations with the U.S.:
The second article is Qaradawi renews call to boycott US, Israeli goods. Qaradawi is an Egyptian Islamic scholar who lives here in Qatar, and who has become famous through his religious talk show on Al Jazeera. He's often called a moderate but has been getting more radical in the last year or two; last month, for example. he issued a fatwah arguing that all Americans in Iraq, even civilians, are combatants and ought to be fought. On Friday, commemorating the 4th anniversary of the beginning of the Intifada, he urged followers to boycott American & Israeli goods.
That didn't really surprised me. What surprised me was this statement in the article:
The first article is Emir outlines his Mideast vision, featuring another speech by H.H. Sheikh Hamad during his visit to the United States. As in many of these speeches he is reaffirming Qatar's interest in increasing relations with the U.S.:
"We in Qatar appreciate and and are proud of our strategic partnership as well as your support and cooperation, and we are looking forward to boosting these relations in all domains, which would turn would benefit the peoples of the two countries, and we hope that new chances would be available for you through our several annual activities in order to get well acquainted with development that our country was experiencing in various walks of life."(fellow Sheikha Mouzah fans, check out her suit in the picure! She and the emir both wear Western clothes in the West)
The second article is Qaradawi renews call to boycott US, Israeli goods. Qaradawi is an Egyptian Islamic scholar who lives here in Qatar, and who has become famous through his religious talk show on Al Jazeera. He's often called a moderate but has been getting more radical in the last year or two; last month, for example. he issued a fatwah arguing that all Americans in Iraq, even civilians, are combatants and ought to be fought. On Friday, commemorating the 4th anniversary of the beginning of the Intifada, he urged followers to boycott American & Israeli goods.
That didn't really surprised me. What surprised me was this statement in the article:
"Qaradawi was severely critical of some Arab countries and said they were cultivating relations with Israel and its ally, the US. 'Shame on them,' he said."The Peninsula does not, of course, mention which countries Qaradawi criticized. However, there is only one Arab country with relations with Israel: Qatar. And there is one emir currently in the U.S., making speeches on the importance of cultivating relations: Sheikh Hamad. This is the closest I have seen to criticism of the government since I've been here. I have to admit it makes me a little uneasy that it is coming from such quarters.
