Mumtaz Alam, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, July 4: While expressing grave concern on some Arab countries snapping ties with Qatar, eminent Indian Muslim leaders have urged the Arab nations to resolve their dispute through dialogues. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt on Monday extended the deadline for Qatar to meet their 11-point demands for two days. They had snapped their diplomatic ties with Qatar during the month of Ramadan in early June.
“We express our deep concern and grief over the dispute among Arab and gulf countries,” said Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari, national president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.
“We believe and are hopeful that the misunderstandings prevailing among Saudi Arab, Qatar and other Muslim countries would be immediately removed through dialogue and talks in the light of Islamic teachings and the environment of friendship and mutual respect would be restored like before,” Maulana Umari said.
Dr Zafarul Islam Khan, former president of All India Muslim Majlise-Mushawarat expressed hope that the Arab nations would resolve the issue peacefully as they have done so in the past.
“I think this is a temporary phase. Very soon we will see these kings and emir embracing and kissing each other. The Arab world has seen many such rifts in recent history, involving Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Sudan, GCC, Palestine under Yasir Arafat (when he supported Saddam Husain in 1991) and in all these instances the rift was papered over very soon while inner animosities and mutual fears remain. Even the boycott of Egypt after Sadat’s unilateral deal with Israel ended very soon…Hence, I do not attach much importance to the current crisis.”
Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam, General Secretary, All India Milli Council, said: “It is unfortunate.”
Navaid Hamid, President, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, said: “It is height of disintegration of Muslim millat.” He added that this should not have happened at least “in the holy month of Ramazan when every Muslim extends help to others.”
Dr Syed Zafar Mahmood, President, Zakat Foundation of India, said that the situation is because people are “looking after personal vested interests up over community and even their national interests. They overwrite their community and national interest by their personal interests and they should come out of it.”
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates (UAE) severed ties with Qatar on 5th June, accusing it of supporting Islamist militants – the charge Qatar has denied. These nations have blocked all transport connectivity with Qatar.
Most of the Indian Muslim leaders see a Western conspiracy behind the current Arab crisis and link it with US President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia.
Dr Syed Zafar Mahmood said: “There is indeed circumstantial evidence which will be acknowledged in any court of law. If it is investigated, then nobody can deny that Trump’s visit will be counted as a circumstantial evidence.”
“It is very clear that the extreme step taken against Qatar was closely coordinated at the behest of the American administration which does not tolerate any Islamic movement including those which believe in democracy and elections like Egypt, Algeria, Palestine where elected governments have been overthrown with American prodding,” said Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, who is also Editor of The Milli Gazette.
“It is not about the question of Trump’s visit. It is policy of far west which has conspired to make disunity in the Muslim world,” said Navaid Hamid of Majlis-e Mushawarat.
Jamaat chief Maulana Umari said: “Imperialist forces, just for their vested interests, are creating rifts and provoking infighting among Muslim countries, selling weapons to them and occupying their natural resources through different means. There is a need to save Muslim countries from these conspiracies.”
Meanwhile, the Indian government has also asked Arab nations to resolve their differences through dialogue.
“We are closely following the emerging situation in the Gulf region in the wake of the recent decision by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and some other countries to break diplomatic relations with the State of Qatar,” said India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
“We are of the view that all parties should resolve their differences through a process of constructive dialogue and peaceful negotiations based on well-established international principles of mutual respect, sovereignty and non- interference in the internal affairs of other countries,” said the ministry.
