Abu Dhabi: Qatar has repeatedly used political manoeuvres to sway the international community’s attention from its support to terrorism and terrorists, analyst said yesterday.
Sulaiman Al Hattlan, a Saudi writer, told Gulf News Qatar has exploited Haj for political gain in an attempt to distract the international community from its support to terrorism and avoid international commitments to combat extremism.
ALSO READ:
Nine emergency corridors for Qatari planes
Qatar call to internationalise Haj operations tantamount to a ‘declaration of war’
How the Muslim Brotherhood manipulated the Qatari regime
“Saudi Arabia condemns any politicisation of Haj,” he said.
“The Kingdom firmly rejects that this sacred ritual is used to achieve political goals or to promote sectarian agendas, especially because the Almighty Allah has called upon all Muslims to perform Haj without discrimination,” he added.
Saudi King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz has always stressed the importance of unity among Muslims in the region and the world and sought solutions to fix any issues, Al Hattlan said.
Saudi Arabia announced that Qatari pilgrims will be allowed access to Saudi Arabia via two designated airports, squashing attempts by Qatar to depict the boycott of four Arab states against it in the international community as a “blockade”.
Salman Al Dosary, former editor-in-chief of Al Sharq Al Awsat said Qatar was trying to politicise Haj to gain sympathy from the international community.
“They have failed to prove their isolation, especially after the Saudi government announced that it welcomes pilgrims from all over the world including Qatar and that Qatari people can continue to perform Umrah at any time and can arrive into the kingdom through any airline, except Qatar Airways, even those taking off from Doha,” Al Dosary said.
Qatari pilgrims and those residing in Qatar who have Haj permits and have been registered in the Haj electronic system, will be able to come by air via any airline selected by the Qatari government and approved by the General Authority of Civil Aviation.
Qatari citizens will not be able to reach Saudi Arabia via the land border due to its closure.
Qatari have spread lies through their media by saying its citizens are banned from entering the Grand Mosque and that they might be killed if they go to Haj.
“Haj will pass safely and the crisis with Qatar will also pass, at some point. But its efforts to politicise Haj will forever be imprinted in the memories of Saudis.”
