DOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has conveyed Qatar’s readiness to work with the US to address the growing threat of terrorism in the Middle East but said “inclusive” solutions to regional disputes are necessary for such efforts to succeed.
US President Barack Obama praised Qatar as a “strong partner” in the fight against the Islamic State militants as he hosted the Emir in the Oval Office yesterday.
“Qatar is a strong partner in our coalition to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIL,” news agencies quoted Obama as saying.
“We are both committed to making sure that ISIL is defeated, to making sure that in Iraq there is an opportunity for all people to live together in peace,” Obama said.
Speaking after the meeting, the Emir also praised the strong bilateral relationship and urged efforts to advance the Middle East peace process. “We have to find a solution for Palestine. And I’m happy to learn, to hear from you Mr President, that you’re committed,” he said. Libya and Yemen were also discussed.
In an article in New York Times titled “Qatar’s message to Obama” published shortly before his meeting with Obama, the Emir conveyed Qatar’s readiness to work together with the US “to pull the Middle East back from the brink of collapse”.
The Emir cautioned against attempts to deepen the sectarian divisions in the region and exploit the Sunni-Shia divide for political ends.
He said the problem behind the terrorist threat is not Islam as perceived by many in the West. “But as a Muslim, I can tell you that the problem isn’t Islam — it’s hopelessness. It’s the kind of hopelessness that abounds in the Syrian and Palestinian refugee camps, and in war-weary towns and villages in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Gaza,” said the Emir.
“It’s the hopelessness we see in the poorer neighbourhoods of Europe’s great cities, and, yes, even in the United States. And it is this hopelessness, which knows no state or religion, that we need to address if we are to stem the tide of terrorism. This is not meant as an excuse for terrorism, because it is not,” he added.
The Emir said addressing the root causes of terrorism will require “a deeper, longer-term, and more strategic approach to the problem. It will require political leaders to have the courage to negotiate pluralistic, inclusive, power-sharing solutions to regional disputes. And it will require that tyrants be held to account”.
The Emir said despite all of the pessimism generated by the forces of violence and repression, the youth of the Arab world remain steadfast and committed to a better future.
“They continue to hope for a Middle East where human dignity is respected and justice is fair and true. But their hopes will not endure if we don’t act, as we must, to win back their trust and support by renewing our commitment to the values they marched for in the Arab Spring,” said the Emir.
The Peninsula
