Chairman of the National Council of Human Rights (NCHR) Mohammed Faiek called Sunday for the countries who cut diplomatic ties with Qatar to respect the human rights of Qatari residents.
During the regional seminar by the Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR), Faiek said that Qatari residents in other countries, particularly Gulf States, have the right to live with dignity and pride and not lose their jobs, regardless of the political situation.
Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and United Arabs Emirates (UAE) announced that their citizens are prohibited from traveling to, residing in, or passing through Qatar, and gave Qatari nationals 14 days to leave their countries. The decree follows the decision by Gulf States and Egypt to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.
Faiek said that what happened to Qatar “should be an example for any state who acts like Qatar,” adding that combating terrorism required international cooperation and prevention in funding or supporting terrorist organizations. “Security measures alone are not enough,” he said, and explained the vital role of spreading awareness through a civil society has to eradicate extremist ideologies.
Yemen’s Minister of Human Rights Mohammed Askar said that there is no alternative for dialogue to end extremism, adding that the first seminar by his ministry was held in Egypt because Egypt is considered the cornerstone of stability in the region. Askar said that more than 38,000 Yemenis were killed and injured by the Houthi militants. Yemen has been torn in armed conflict by the Houthi rebel movement and President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi’s forces since the uprising demanding the ouster of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2011.
Secretary General of AOHR reflected on the organization’s coordinated efforts with NCHR and the United Nations (UN) in the fight against extremism ideologies, explaining that a front needs to be established to act in parallel with religious institutions to promote coexistence.
