The decision by some GCC countries to withdraw their ambassadors from Qatar was unprecedented in the history of the council.
Since its establishment the GCC has witnessed many problems that were solved with wisdom and conciliation among the members of the Gulf family without the involvement of the citizens.
However, banning writers from writing in Gulf newspapers and some other writers stopping writing in these newspapers is unfortunate.
This looks so unlike the Gulf that people were accustomed to. The Gulf people were united and cooperative before the GCC was established. Family affiliations, intermarriage and migration for livelihood saw Kuwaitis settle in Bahrain, Emiratis settle in Qatar and Bahrainis settle in Saudi Arabia.
Borders were open back then, while seeking jobs and visiting families were legitimate rights of everyone, with no barriers or restrictive laws.
Following the growth, political maturity and economic prosperity of the GCC countries, a political, security, economic and social cover is necessary for these sister countries, especially in view of the changes that have taken place in the neighbouring countries.
The GCC was established by its six member countries in 1981. It did not affect their sovereignty or their freedom to take decisions as independent states.
The council has always been keen to achieve its goals, as set out in its statute. Its decisions were sometimes right, sometimes wrong. Some problems occurred as well, but with wisdom and composure they have always been able to solve them.
According to what has been published in social media by some writers, some Gulf writers have been banned from writing and cooperating with Qatari newspapers, and this is something we have never seen before.
Writing is a personal matter that no authority should have the right to decide as to with whom one can cooperate or how one expresses one’s opinions. The constitutions of the GCC states and international charters, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ensure the right to write and express one’s opinions, especially if the writer is committed to good opinions and does not interfere in other countries’ affairs.
Some people who do not have anything to do with the Gulf issue are interfering in it. Some broadcasters on Arab channels are now “ordering” the council to accept the membership of one country and kick out another, without having enough knowledge about the statute that governs the GCC.
I would like to say that such clashes on the media might be a normal thing for enthusiastic youth who lack experience and rush to speak without understanding what the Gulf region is facing, or knowing about the historical development of the Gulf regimes. However, what is not normal is the suspension of Gulf writers from writing in some newspapers. Some might say that the GCC is already finished, barriers will be constructed between the Gulf countries and common goals and aspirations of the people have almost vanished.
Preventing writers from writing or cooperating with some newspapers is dividing writers — in Bin Laden style — and treating them as if they are employees of one of the ministries of information, without considering their experience, fields of study, academic independence and their desire not to get involved in political disagreements that can be solved among brothers. This decision disregards the fact that the writers are committed to meeting their readers weekly or daily, particularly taking into account the fact that the number of Gulf writers is much lower than the number of Arab writers who write in Gulf newspapers.
In other words, if these writers are banned, readers will lose confidence in the independence of the newspapers and their writers, and if we believe that this is the right choice, the same may happen to pilots, professors, engineers, employees and clerks who work in other countries.
Is it possible that after the long history of the GCC some people can think this way, with such hostility, because of a political situation between brothers? Bigger issues have taken place before and caused blood to be shed, but no ambassadors were withdrawn or writers banned from writing in some Gulf newspapers.
Moreover, Gulf writers are writing for their cousins, nieces and maybe for their families who live in other Gulf countries. It is not reasonable to ban these writers, especially since they have not violated the ethics or traditions of writing. These writers are not a part of the issue that has cropped up between the Gulf brothers.
We feel so much pain when we hear that a journalist somewhere in the world has been stopped from writing, because we believe in the freedom of choice, speech and expressing one’s opinions by writing.
How come, then, that Gulf writers are banned from writing in newspapers of other Gulf countries? They taught us for more than 30 years that our Gulf is one and its people are one.
Agreements among the GCC states say that citizens of their countries should be treated equally in the Gulf countries, as the main goal of the council is to bring about Gulf citizenship. So is it possible that what was built in 30 years has collapsed and that what our children were taught, what our lessons and songs said, what we stood for were just illusions?
We wish not to take hasty decisions that do not serve the GCC citizens or benefit any of the countries. Banning a writer from writing in other Gulf countries means banning books and songs in other Gulf countries and even banning journalists from entering other Gulf countries.
We also believe in the wisdom of our GCC states’ leaders and their ability to make right decisions for the sake of their nations and citizens.
We believe that politicians should solve political issues, as they are responsible and wise. They should be solved without tension and decisions that restrict opinions.
These are the principles that have prevailed in Gulf societies and it is not wise to abandon them because they are one of our most important gains. Relationships between all countries are subject to disagreements in opinions, therefore it is not wise to cause such ruptures in Gulf societies.
