By Joseph J.Jacob
I was shocked and saddened when I heard the news about the boycott and blockade against the vibrant State of Qatar by the five Arab nations of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Yemen. That it was then followed by a smear campaign by Arab nations against an Arab country is a despicable ploy, disgraceful and shameful act. Qatar is a sister country. All of them share same cultural customs, religious beliefs including family ties.
Qatar developed great foreign policies that came to scare and irritate some neighbors and the main reason behind the diplomatic fallout is the national gas dominance. Qatar supplies gas pipelines to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Egypt. Despite what happened, Qatar did not halt pipeline shipments to its neighbors.
Qatar is ruled by the Al Thani family, the largest of all the ruling families in the Middle East. Qatar’s Emir, Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, is a strong leader, with a moral conscience, good values, ambitious foreign policy and strong vision for the future of his country. “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18 – Qatar is a country of Vision. Qatar’s Emir focuses on building bridges, not walls, with neighboring countries in the Middle East and beyond. He has transformed his country into the Jewel of the World.
The State of Qatar is a kind of Arab version of Switzerland, neutral and secure, friendly with all the neighboring countries including Iran and Israel. Qatar is a founding member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the biggest national gas powerhouse in the region. It is one of the wealthiest states in the region due to oil and natural gas exports.
One of the demands of the five Arab nations is to shut down the news network Al-Jazeera. Al-Jazeera, established in Qatar, has reinvented news reporting in the Arab world. It is a widely watched news channel and the most controversial in the world. This personal hostility is unfruitful and unproductive for all parties. The Qatar Crisis is in its third month. Enough is enough. They must find common ground on Qatar. Their major differences and concerns need to be addressed between the 6 Arab leaders who want what is best for their countries and the Middle East. They must not be enemies, but friends.
The Qatar Crisis is in its third month. Enough is enough. They must find common ground on Qatar. Their major differences and concerns need to be addressed between the 6 Arab leaders who want what is best for their countries and the Middle East. They must not be enemies, but friends.
The six countries should get together behind closed doors without interference from any other countries. These Arab countries should settle their differences among themselves; no foreign country should step in and get involved. They should resolve their differences amicably and without delay. Everything can be resolved with understanding. “A house divided against itself, cannot stand…”
Joseph J. Jacob is a former corporate controller for Hamilton Digital Controls, Inc., former president of the National Association of Accountants in the Mohawk Valley, former president of Upstate NY Regional Council of NAA and former national director of NAA… He is a contributing writer for the Utica Phoenix.
