Manama, November 7 (BNA) The State of Qatar’s grave violations of human rights against its citizens and migrant workers were revealed during a television program recently broadcast by Bahrain TV.
The second deputy speaker of the Shura Council, Jamila Salman, said in an interview with the Bahrain TV special program, that the human rights issue in Qatar is inhumane, noting that Qatar tends to hide behind the human rights organizations that it established and financed. In order to cover up her miserable human rights situation.
She added that Doha paid bribes and huge sums in the form of donations to foreign institutions in order to whitewash its human rights image, noting that it tends to attack countries through human rights claims in them in an attempt to distract international public opinion. of its human rights violations.
Salman stressed that the reports of human rights organizations and the US State Department prove that human rights violations in Qatar have become horrific at all levels, and the world has exposed them, despite Doha’s attempts to review its fictitious achievements in this field by issuing them. Laws or regulations or the creation of fictitious institutions, without real application of the values of protecting and promoting human rights.
She pointed to the violations that Qatari citizens are subjected to, whether in terms of freedom of opinion, freedom to practice religious beliefs, or women’s rights, as well as violations against Qatari tribes such as Al-Ghufran and Al-Murra, including withdrawal of citizenship, confiscation of property and depriving them of the most basic human rights such as the right to health, in addition to grave violations of human rights Human exposure to foreign workers in Qatar.
The Second Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council also touched on Qatar’s sponsorship and financing of terrorism as one of the biggest violations of human rights because of its threat to international peace, because terrorism entails depriving people of their rights to security and life, which are among the rights stipulated in human rights documents.
With regard to women, Salman emphasized that, contrary to Doha’s demands, Qatari women are not empowered, and do not enjoy their full rights, as they suffer from inequality and the absence of social justice, and are treated as an incomplete citizen in legislation and daily. practices.
In this context, she cited the observations of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention during its visit to Qatar and reports by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, which indicated that Qatari women under the age of 25 cannot exercise their civil rights, such as: signing contracts, leaving their relatives’ homes, or traveling outside the country. country without the consent of a male guardian. In addition, Qatari women cannot obtain a driver’s license or join a government job without the consent of a male guardian, which confirms that Qatari women are subject to guardianship in their most basic rights.
She said that the situation of expatriate workers, who constitute 95% of the workforce in Qatar, is not better, noting that they have been subjected to a large number of grave human rights violations, and have fallen victim to the Qatari labor system, which is characterized by exploitation. In this regard, she cited international reports that revealed grave violations against foreign workers participating in the construction of facilities related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
She pointed out that the practices monitored by international reports revealed Qatar’s hidden violations of human rights and drew the attention of international organizations and the world to the inhuman reality of the State of Qatar and the human rights violations that it is witnessing at all levels.
In this context, she referred to the Amnesty International report, which monitored the killing of about 6,599 foreign workers from five Asian countries since the beginning of Qatar’s preparations to host the 2022 World Cup, noting that despite Amnesty International’s demand for an independent investigation into the causes. The results of these deaths have not been announced, and the families of the victims and those responsible for their deaths have not yet been compensated.
It also said that foreign workers suffer from other forms of human rights violations that bear the hallmarks of “racial discrimination” against them, they are unable to obtain justice, and suffer from poor living conditions due to the suspension of their wages and the difficult situation. They have passed through the epidemic.
The head of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, Essam Shiha, confirmed that Qatar claims to be one of the advocates of human rights in the world, while many violations occur against its citizens, residents and minorities, which is doubly clear. Standards of the Qatari human rights system and international human rights organizations’ dual approach to the issue of human rights in Qatar.
He added that while Qatar is tired of the world with allegations of its respect for human rights, it is one of the first countries to violate these rights by putting pressure on its citizens and residents, ignoring the system of universal values and principles of human rights, and exercising coercion in the face of its citizens and foreign workers.
He added that Qatar’s human rights violations against foreign workers, especially during the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and preparations for the 2020 World Cup, were heavily criticized by Amnesty International and some American organizations.
He stressed that the State of Qatar has been practicing such violations for a long time, but it is putting pressure on its affiliated and funded organizations to try to change the mental image of Qatari citizens and public opinion about its practices.
He pointed out that violations also include the rights of Qatari women, members of the ruling family and all citizens, noting that it is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years for anyone who contacts foreign media or organizations to talk about its internal affairs. A situation that is inconsistent with all international treaties.
He also highlighted Qatar’s unjustified mistreatment of the Al-Ghufran tribe, noting that the majority of its members were deported, while the rest were prevented from owning real estate, imprisoned or prevented from returning, confirming Doha’s black human rights record.
He added that world public opinion is following Qatar’s violations of freedom of belief and religious freedom, through its practices against its Baha’i citizens who were forced to leave the country or not to mention their religion, and support terrorists. Muslim Brotherhood Organization.
It also highlighted Doha’s failure to implement 296 human rights recommendations made by more than 100 countries during the 2019 Human Rights Review.
NS