New York – Information Office – 30 September
The Permanent Delegation of the State of Qatar to the United Nations refuted Saturday the statement of the delegation of Saudi Arabia to the 73rd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, from the fabrications and unacceptable abuses to the State of Qatar.
In his response to the Saudi statement, second secretary of the delegation Talal Al Khalifa said that more than a year after the unjust blockade imposed on the State of Qatar, and after the failure to achieve its objectives nor being able to convince anyone of the false allegations on which the blockade was based, the slanders from Saudi representatives are repeated once more, aiming to harm the reputation of Qatar.
He added that the State of Qatar's record of international cooperation speaks for itself, stressing that Qatar does not need to refute allegations made against it in areas where it has taken the lead in the region. He stressed that this was particularly true to countering terrorism, drying up its sources, combating extremism and supporting sustainable peace. He noted that these accusations, by the same parties, only serve to undermine their credibility as they offer no evidence or facts to support their claims.
He pointed out that the State of Qatar has stressed in several forums the importance of addressing all the causes and roots of terrorism as a first step to eliminate the scourge of terrorism, noting that terrorism found its incubator in the religious extremism that has been employed by Saudi Arabia to achieve political objectives that served certain conditions. He added that it was ironic that this deep-seated religious extremism and hardline identity would overnight be blotted out and then dressed up to be something else facing the world. He highlighted that this was happening at a time when prisoners of conscience, moderate clerics, reformers and human rights activists, particularly women, were being put in prison without fair trials. He also highlighted attempts to dress these violations of international law with human nature, noting that this was something that does not mislead the world.
The second secretary in the permanent delegation of the State of Qatar to the United Nations said that Saudi Arabia's politicization of the term terrorism is done in accordance to its interests, adding that they use it on whoever disagrees them within Saudi Arabia, and have gone as far as accusing other states besides the State of Qatar.
He pointed out that the world has witnessed the wisdom and self-restraint of the leadership of the State of Qatar in managing the fabricated crisis against the State of Qatar and its efforts to alleviate the effects of the unjust blockade, citing the humanitarian consequences of it. He said those violations can only be addressed through seeking justice for the victims, stressing that the blockade has led to massive violations of their rights which included the dismantling of families, the denial of students from completing their studies, and the taking of coercive and illegal measures affecting property rights and access to the justice system.
He added that what was worse was depriving Qatari citizens and residents of Qatar for the second consecutive year from performing their religious duties of Hajj and Umrah for no apparent reason. He highlighted that this was widely condemned as a gross violation of human rights.
He added that despite these unilateral measures that robbed the Qatari people of many of their rights as evidenced by the reports of the UN bodies, the government of the State of Qatar did not take any retaliatory measures that would harm the Saudi people.
In concluding his remarks, Al Khalifa said that the State of Qatar will continue to make constructive partnerships with the United Nations and States from around the world, resulting in practical outcomes for sustaining peace and security, alleviating human suffering, strengthening the rule of law, protecting human rights and developing relations between States and peoples.