PARIS: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Tuesday Qatar must take several steps, including ending its support for the Palestinian group Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, to restore ties with other Arab states.
Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said Qatar knew exactly what to do to restore relations with Riyadh and its Arab allies.
“We want to see Qatar implement the promises it made a few years back with regard its support of extremist groups, regards its hostile media and interference in affairs of other countries,” Jubeir told reporters in Paris.
“Nobody wants to hurt Qatar. It has to choose whether it must move in one direction or another direction.”
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain said on Monday they would sever all ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism.
“We took this step with great pain so that it understands that these policies are not sustainable and must change,” Jubeir said.
Jubeir added that Qatar was undermining the Palestinian Authority and Egypt in its support of Hamas and the Muslim brotherhood.
“We don’t think this is good. Qatar has to stop these policies so that it can contribute to stability in the Middle East,” he said.
Jubeir declined to say exactly what he wanted Qatar to do immediately, but said the measures taken by Arab states, including a sea, land and air blockade would have a considerable cost on the country.
“We believe that common sense and logic will convince Qatar to take the right steps. The decisions that were made were very strong and will have a fairly large cost on Qatar and we do not believe that Qataris want to sustain those costs,” he said.
The campaign to isolate Qatar is disrupting trade in commodities from crude oil to metals and food, and deepening fears of a possible shock to the global gas market, where the Gulf state is a major player.
Jubeir also dismissed Qatar’s recent rapprochement with Shiite Iran — Sunni Saudi Arabia’s arch foe in the region — saying that countries that deal with Tehran “deal with it at their own peril.”
When asked whether there could be military measures should Doha not change course, Jubeir said: “I hope not.”
Saudi foreign minister: Qatar must end support for Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood
Saudi foreign minister: Qatar must end support for Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood
Malaysian minister commends Saudi Arabia’s Ramadan programs
- Ministry of Islamic Affairs implements Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ program for distributing dates in 120 countries, iftar meals in 70 countries
RIYADH: Malaysian Religious Affairs Minister Zulkifli Hasan has commended Saudi Arabia’s Ramadan programs, saying that the implementation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ iftar and date distribution programs in Kuala Lumpur embodies the deep ties and humanitarian solidarity between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony at the Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque, the minister praised the Kingdom’s historical commitment to caring for the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah and attending to the affairs of Muslim nations, Saudi Press Agency reported.
He described the initiative as a generous gesture that reflected the values of cooperation, concluding with prayers for the continued security and stability of the Kingdom and its leadership.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, represented by the Saudi Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, launched the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ dates distribution program during a ceremony at the Saudi Embassy in Bucharest, Romania, SPA reported.
The total quantity allocated for distribution is five tonnes of premium Saudi dates, benefiting about 15,000 people in various Romanian cities and regions, as part of the ministry’s Ramadan programs implemented outside the Kingdom during the holy month.
A number of attendees and beneficiaries expressed their appreciation to the Kingdom, its leadership and people for the donation.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs also launched the iftar program for fasting Muslims in Korea at the Seoul Central Mosque, in the presence of the charge d’affaires at the Kingdom’s embassy in Korea, Fahd Al-Barakah.
Three tonnes of dates will be distributed, benefiting 12,000 people, while about 10,000 will benefit from the iftar program.
This initiative is part of the ministry’s efforts to promote the values of solidarity and compassion among Muslims worldwide during Ramadan.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs implements the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ program for distributing dates in 120 countries and the program for providing iftar meals in 70 countries.
