‘Stop funding terror’

Qatar has been given a stark warning by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt to end its ‘funding for terrorist groups’. “Stop financing terrorist groups,” Qatar was told during a speech delivered by the three countries before the UN Human Rights Council. The meeting held to review the rights situation in Qatar required the kingdom “to take necessary measures to prevent terrorist groups from using media platforms to spread fanatical ideas of terrorism.”

The quartet, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and nonGulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member Egypt, cut ties with Qatar in 2017 for its role in supporting terrorism. In its speech to the Council on Wednesday, Bahrain called on Doha to take immediate steps to remove all barriers for migrant workers. “Give them access to justice and take necessary measures to ensure their protection,” the Kingdom told Qatar.

Qatar was also urged to pay timely wages to workers and punish violators. At the UN Human Rights Council’s Review on Qatar, Bahrain called on the Qatari government to develop a contractual system to improve labour recruitment procedures and intensify efforts to prevent forced labour. It also called on the Qatari authorities to fully implement the National Plan of Action against Trafficking in Humans and to ensure that victims receive justice.

Hajj obstacles

Saudi Arabia called on Qatar to take necessary measures to remove obstacles that hinder “Qatari citizens and expatriates working in Qatar from performing Haj and Umrah.” Saudi has recently activated a new web link to handle requests from Qatari nationals wishing to perform the Umrah pilgrimage. Saudi Arabia also expressed deep concern over the tragic humanitarian situation of hundreds of Qatari families of Al-Ghufran clan.

The Qatari government has withdrawn citizenship from members of the clan, seized their money and property and discriminated against them with forced displacement in addition to denying them their right to return home. Egypt, for its part, called on Qatar to cut all forms of communication with individuals, organisations and terrorist or extremist entities, and stop providing financial, or moral support to them.

It also called on Qatar to stop providing various forms of support to media platforms that disseminate hate speech and justify violence or incitement to it, whether in Qatar or abroad. Egypt called on the Qatari authorities to end all arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances against Qatari nationals, including members of the ruling family.

The Egyptian representative called on Qatar to commit to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their families and to adopt legislation to combat violence against women, including migrants.