Saudi obstacles prevent Qataris from Hajj and Umrah for the third consecutive season

Saudi Arabia’s claim to establish mechanisms to facilitate the pilgrimage is merely a maneuver to procrastinate

We Call on the European Parliament and the governments of the Union to address the Saudi authorities to stop violating the right to perform religious rites

We Call for urgent appeals and recommendations to remove Saudi obstacles to pilgrimage

Racial discrimination due to political disputes is a critical precedent that must be refereed to in United Nations reports

Brussels, 19 February 2019

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, said that the issue of Saudi violations and politicization of religious rituals shall be raised before the European Parliament and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), noting that no positive signs or signs of hope have been recorded, reflecting the willingness of the Saudi authorities to stop their violations and end the obstacles that deprive the citizens and residents of Qatar from performing their religious rituals for the third consecutive year. During his meeting in Brussels with the Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU and Commissioner of the European Union for Education, Culture and Youth, Dr. Ali Bin Smaikh said that more than 20 months after the blockade imposed on Qatar since June 5, The Saudi authorities have taken no effective or concrete measures to remove the obstacles that have led to the politicization of religious rites after citizens and residents of Qatar have been prevented from performing Hajj and Umrah during the past two seasons, pointing out that “there are no positive signs on the horizon, reassuring the intention of the authorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to retreat from the intransigence and stirring up the feelings of citizens and residents who were deprived of Hajj and Umrah, under the pretext of political dispute. Al Marri also gave an overview of the psychological and material damage caused by the Saudi authorities to pilgrims and, in addition to the material losses incurred by Hajj and Umrah campaigns.

Al-Marri called on the European Parliament and the governments of the Union countries to hold their moral responsibilities and to address the Saudi authorities about their violations resulting from the denial of the rights of citizens and residents of Qatar In the practice of religious rites, stressing that the need to respect the rights of citizens and residents of the State of Qatar to practice religious rites unconditionally and to overcome all obstacles placed by the Saudi authorities. “The mechanisms that the Saudi Arabian authorities claimed to establish to address the situation of victims affected remain misleading and ambiguous, lacking credibility, and did not address the human rights and humanitarian situation of those affected by the violation of the right to practice religious rites,” Dr. Ali Bin Smaikh said.

Dr. Ali Bin Smaikh also noted the Saudi authorities’ disregard for the reports and statements of the National Human Rights Committee and the calls of the international community, particularly the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which called for an end to the obstacles facing citizens and residents in Qatar in performing their religious rituals. “Despite numerous statements by the National Human Rights Committee, the international reports and organizations and the urgent appeal of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief to the authorities of Saudi Arabia, they continue their policy of politicizing religious rituals, and prevent citizens and residents of Qatar from exercising their right to worship and perform religious rites. We know that The Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief in the United Nations had already addressed Saudi Arabia’s authorities on violations of religious rites; there had been no concrete response from the Saudi side or an end to such violations”, Al Marri said.

February 19, 2019

the eyes of Human rights activists and international human rights organizations are set on the European Parliament, which is expected to hold a historic session with the participation of four victims of blockading countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

At the public meeting of the European Parliament, Qatari national Dr. Wafaa Yazidi, one of the victims of family disintegration, and Qatari student Jouhar Mohammed Al Meer, who was expelled from the Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, and Khadija Genkiz, fiance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and The British student Matthew Hedges, who was imprisoned and tortured in Abu Dhabi and sentenced to life imprisonment before his subsequent release after British authorities intervened, along with Ali al-Aswad, a member of the Bahraini parliament sentenced to life imprisonment.

It is expected that the participants will speak before the European Parliament and the international media about the violations they have been subjected to by the Saudi, UAE and Bahraini authorities, including the testimony of Khadija Genghis about the circumstances of the assassination of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The hearing of the victims of the blockading countries comes just days after the European Parliament unanimously approved the inclusion of Saudi Arabia in the black list of countries supporting terrorism. The victims are expected to meet with Mr. Antonio Tiani, President of the European Parliament, Mr. Antonio Panzieri, Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights of the European Parliament and Ms. Michele Alliot-Marie, Chairman of the Committee on the Arab Peninsula Affairs of the European Parliament.

President of the Sub-Committee on Human rights of the European Parliament:

– We will spare no effort to lift the blockade on Qatar

– We will not allow the Saudi Crown Prince to cover up the assassination of Khashoggi

– Protecting human rights in the world and the Gulf region is our priority

Alliot-Marie: Al Marri is the initiator of listening to the victims of the blockade in the European Parliament

European Parliamentarians:

– Europe will bear the consequences of violations caused by the blockade of Qatar if we do not move to put an end to it

– The repercussions of the blockade of Qatar are not sufficiently discussed in the European Parliament

– European MPs demand a halt to the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia

– The European Parliament and governments do not take adequate action to protect human rights

– Sanctions are necessary to push Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain to stop their violations

– Human rights should be a priority ahead of the political interests of European States

– EU countries should engage more seriously and express a collective and strong stance against human rights violations

Brussels on 19 February 2019

The European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday witnessed a historic session with a wide presence of EU Parliamentarians and the international media to hear – for the first time – live and shocking testimony presented by 5 people affected by Saudi, UAE and Bahraini violations of human rights, including Dr. Wafaa Al Yazidi, Qatari citizen and victim of family dispersal, Jouhar Mohammed Al Meer, Qatari citizen student who was expelled from the Sorbonne Abu Dhabi University, Khadija Genghis, fiancé of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was assassinated inside the headquarters of the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Briton Matthew Hedges, student and academician who was jailed and tortured in Abu Dhabi and sentenced to life imprisonment before being released later following the intervention of the British authorities, along with Ali al-Aswad, a member of the Bahraini parliament sentenced to life imprisonment.

In an open session of the European Parliament, the victims called on EU governments and the European Parliament to adopt stronger and more effective stances to stop the grave human rights violations against citizens and residents of Qatar since the blockade began, as well as the abuses of many citizens held in UAE, Saudi and Bahraini prisons.
President of the Sub-Committee on Human rights of the European Parliament emphasized the commitment of the European Union deputies to defend human rights issues in various countries of the world, including victims of human rights violations resulting from the Gulf crisis, pointing out that the European Parliament will spare no effort To lift the blockade imposed on Qatar, stressing that the European Parliament will not allow Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman to cover up the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The hearing witnessed heated and transparent debates in which a number of European parliamentarians called for cessation of arming of Saudi Arabia, pointing out that the European Parliament has voted three times to prevent the sale of arms, but some governments are still making deals with the Saudi regime. The deputies stressed the need to move forward to stop the violations of Saudi Arabia and the UAE in Yemen, and those resulting from the blockade of Qatar, pointing out that human rights must be defended everywhere, warning that Europe will bear the consequences of violations resulting from the blockade of Qatar if EU does not move to put an end to it, and that the repercussions of the blockade of Qatar is not sufficiently discussed within the European Parliament.

Dr. Wafa Al Yazidi: I have traveled thousands of kilometers to speak about my suffering despite my illness

Dr. Wafaa Al Yazidi barely managed to hold back her tears as she spoke about the great suffering for the first time before the European Parliament. “I have come to tell you the story of my suffering since the beginning of the blockade, I am Qatari, my Bahraini children, and they lived with me in Europe where I was studying and living a quiet life. Europe allowed me to raise my children in humanitarian conditions and freedom of opinion and expression. We lived a normal life free of any barriers due to my nationality as Qatari or their nationality as Bahraini My life has been turned upside down since June 5, 2017, when diplomatic relations with Qatar were cut off. From then on, my life became hell, my children can no longer talk to their family in Bahrain, and all channels of communication are banned, fearing the punishment imposed by the blockading states. If my children express their solidarity with their mother, they would be punished. We are no longer able to travel to the Hajj. We were not allowed to attend the funeral of relatives. My children’s passports shall expire at the end of this year, and I cannot renew their passports. I know another story of a Qatari mother who has an 11-year-old son who went to renew his passport. From his day, he was not allowed to return to his mother for about a year! I am sick, I cannot stop thinking about my family, I always think about my situation, I appeal to all European parliamentarians, especially women who understand my situation and suffering as a divorced woman deprived of her children, to take action to help lift the blockade”, Al Yazidi said.

Student Jouhar Mohammed Al Meer: I did not expect that I would be at the European Parliament to speak about my usurped rights

In her first public appearance, Qatari student Jouhar Mohammed Al Meer spoke of her suffering after being expelled from the Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi despite her academic excellence, under the pretext of severing political relations with Qatar! “I always hoped that I would visit to talk about my usurped rights,” she said. Today, I decided to stand here to speak for the first time about my suffering, because I am sure I will find someone who would listen to me, and because I believe that the European Parliament can do something to stop the suffering of thousands of victims like me. My dream came true, and I began to learn French in the French city of Tours to prepare myself for post-graduation studies in the future, and later I decided to move to the Sorbonne Abu Dhabi During the past year, when I finished all my exams, I went to Qatar to spend my vacation and left all my belongings in Abu Dhabi, and I did not expect that I would not be able to return one day. I was with my family and I read on the news on Al Jazeera about severing the diplomatic relations, and I was shocked, because it was a sister country. I contacted the university administration, which responded with an e-mail telling me that I had been transferred to the Sorbonne in Paris. It was true that my dream was to study at the Sorbonne in Paris, and within 20 days I had to move to Paris. I say to the officials in the United Arab Emirates: It is nice that the UAE opens the Sorbonne and the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi, but it is more important to bring the civilized values ​​of these prestigious institutions!”

Antonio Benzari: Bin Salman will not be able to keep his crime hidden .. We will work hard to lift the blockade on Qatar

Antonio Benzari, chairman of the Human Rights Sub-Committee of the European Parliament, said parliamentarians are committed to protecting human rights in the world, including the Gulf region.

“Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will not be able to keep his crime hidden. We will work hard to lift the blockade on Qatar and we are happy to hold this meeting in the European Parliament and listen to the testimonies of victims and we will always be in the service of human rights” Benzari said.

Michèle Alliot-Marie: Hearing at the initiative of Dr. Ali Bin Smeikh Al Marri

Michèle Alliot-Marie, Chair of DARP Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula of the European Parliament, said at the beginning of the meeting that a hearing for victims of human rights violations resulting from the Gulf crisis came after a visit to the State of Qatar. “After our visit to the region, Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri expressed the hope that the victims will be able to speak in the European Parliament about the repercussions of the violations resulting from the blockade of Qatar and welcomed the participation of officials from the blockading countries to enable progress in resolving the crisis. We are always discuss human rights issues in the region, because it is part of our manadate in the European Parliament, especially with respect to the protection of human rights. We are waiting and following with great interest what the victims of human rights violations will say, not what we say. We can not forget what Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi faced. I was the first to demand a decision in the European Parliament to investigate the murder, to know the whole truth.

The repercussions of the humanitarian crisis must be discussed during the regular meetings of the French National Assembly

The strategic dialogue between Qatar and France should be accompanied by an open dialogue for the development of human rights

ongoing Progress in operationalizing a strong partnership with French governmental and non-governmental organizations should focus on promoting human rights

we call on the French government to move to end the politicization of the Sorbonne and the Louvre

We appreciate France’s unwavering commitment to the defense of human rights in various regions of the world

The continuation of the Gulf political crisis can be the basis or pretext fort violations of human rights

Kuwaiti mediation and international diplomatic efforts have not succeeded in deterring the countries of the blockade to stop their violations

Paris, February 14, 2019

Dr. Ali Ben Smaikh Al Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, called on the French government and parliament to include the violations resulting from the blockade of Qatar on the agenda of meetings of French officials with their counterparts from the countries of the blockade, calling for the establishment of a strong partnership with the National Human Rights Committee to defend and promote human rights in Qatar and the world, in parallel with the strategic dialogue announced between the State of Qatar and the French Republic. This came during the first meeting of Dr. Ali Bin Smaikh Al Marri, on the occasion of his visit to France, with Mr. Richard Ferran, President of the French National Assembly (Parliament), and Mrs. Nicole Pelopi, Minister of Justice of France.

Al Marri also briefed the French officials on the latest repercussions of the blockade imposed on Qatar and the efforts and moves of the National Human Rights Committee to end the violations that the countries of the blockade continue to commit, pointing out that after June 5, 2017, most of the complaints submitted to the NHRC via hot lines and other means of communication, reported violations by the blockading countries of the rights of citizens and residents in Qatar.

Al Marri also presented a brief description of the human rights situation in the State of Qatar and the latest developments undertaken by the Qatari Government in the area of ​​legislation and reform of laws dealing with workers’ rights and human rights in general, as well as the ratification of the International Covenants on Human Rights.
During his meeting with Mr. Richard Ferran, President of the French National Assembly (Parliament), the chairman of the National Human Rights Committee called on placing the repercussions of the humanitarian crisis during the regular meetings of the French National Assembly.

Al Marri stressed that the continuation of the Gulf political crisis can be the basis or pretext for violations of human rights, and ignoring the continued suffering of thousands of separated families and students expelled from the universities of the blockading countries, because of the discriminatory procedures that affect citizens and residents of Qatar, pointing out that” the Kuwaiti mediation and international diplomatic efforts have not been able so far to deter the countries of the blockade to stop violations of human rights. On the other hand, in his speech with Mrs. Nicole Belloubi, French Minister of Justice, Dr. Ali Ben Smaikh stressed the need to strengthen the partnership between the National Human Rights Committee, the French Ministry of Justice and various French institutions and bodies in the field of human rights. Al Marri praised the launching of the strategic dialogue between the State of Qatar and the French Republic, stressing that the ongoing Progress in operationalizing a strong partnership with French governmental and non-governmental organizations should focus on promoting human rights. He stressed the important role that the French government can play in addressing the human rights violations resulting from the Gulf crisis that has been going on for about a year and a half, calling on placing serious violations of human rights in the agenda of meetings held by the government and French officials with the countries of blockade. In this context, Dr. Ali Bin Smaikh called for the French government to move to put an end to the politicization of its long-standing institutions of education and culture, citing the expulsion of Qatari students from the Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi, calling on the French government to take effective action to protect its educational and cultural values, including asking the officials of the Sorbonne Abu Dhabi to redress the Qatari students who were forcibly and arbitrarily expelled under the pretext of a political dispute.

Al-Jamali: National Sports Day coincides with the great victory made by our national team

February 12, 2019

The National Human Rights Committee participated in the national sports day in Aspire zone in the presence of senior officials and staff members and their families. In addition, there were large numbers of visitors from citizens and residents who participated in the activities of the Committee, including volleyball, and basketball.

Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al-Kuwari, member of the National Human Rights Committee, said that the committee’s participation in the national sports day comes within the framework of its keenness to promote the concept of sport as one of the most fundamental pillars of human rights, noting that the culture of sport in any society is indicative of its civilization. Al-Kuwari appreciated the initiative of the wise leadership in designating such a day, pointing out that the leadership is fully aware of what sport can achieve in terms of social, economic and economic values. Al-Kuwari described the State of Qatar as an icon of sport in the Arab world, pointing out that the interest of the leadership in the sport has made Qatar an icon of sport that is difficult to beat, especially after the great victory made by the national team. The hosting of the World Cup 2022, in which the state has made significant strides towards the construction of facilities, make the leadership of the FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) fully confident of the capacity of the State of Qatar to host the world cup and Sets an example of what is required to host and organize the world cup.

Mr. Sultan bin Hassan Al-Jamali, Assistant Secretary General of the National Human Rights Committee, said: “the national sports day coincided this year with the country’s celebrations of the great victory that our national team made by winning the Asian championship. The victory should be a source of pride for every Arab who is jealous of his Arabism. Al-Jamali pointed out that one of the most important benefits of sport is that it promotes ethical principles.

Al-Jamali stressed that the National Human Rights Committee calls on citizens and residents of the State of Qatar to engage in athletic activities regularly. Al Jamali added: “We are keen on the annual participation in this day because we consider our participation part of our keenness to promote human rights and we take this opportunity to raise awareness on the importance of sport because it is an essential component of the right to health and decent life”.

As part of its preparations for the State Sports Day, officials and staff of the National Human Rights Committee conducted a sports session at the Committee’s headquarters. Mr. Abdullah Al-Mahmoud, Head of the Public Relations and Media Unit, said: “The NHRC is used to preparing for the national sports day of the state in this sport hall which was allocated to the employees of the Committee for practicing sports throughout the year.”

Al-Mahmoud explained that since Emiri decree was issued on December 2011 announcing the National Sports Day as an important annual occasion on the second Tuesday of every February with the goal of engaging the local community in Qatar with sports activities and fostering the adoption of a healthy lifestyle, the National Human Rights Committee, represented by its chairman, Dr. Ali Bin Smaikh Al Marri, welcomed this decision and this initiative, which enhances the interest of the wise leadership in health and sports. “sport is a basic human right, so we call upon citizens and residents to participate in the various sports activities organized by the National Human Rights Committee at the Spire Zone Park,” the head of the public relations and media unit said, explaining that the committee has allocated a range of sports activities that suit all age groups.

Doha, February 5, 2019

Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, met with members of the Malaysian Parliament, Noor Al-Azza Anwar and Nur Azreena Bint Serib, on the occasion of their visit to Doha.

The meeting discussed how to enhance cooperation and partnership between the National Human Rights Committee and Malaysia and exchange experiences in the field of protection and promotion of human rights.

Doha: Sunday, February 3, 2019

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee met on Sunday with a delegation from the National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Lebanon on the occasion of their visit to the headquarters of the NHRC. Dr. Ali Bin Smaikh Al-Marri congratulated the delegation on the establishment of the Lebanese National Human Rights Commission recently, stressing the readiness of the National Human Rights Committee in Qatar to cooperate with its Lebanese counterpart in the field of promotion and development of human rights.

“The establishment of the National Human Rights Committee in Lebanon is a real gain for the human rights system in the Arab world and for the Asia-Pacific Forum, which already has a membership of 25 national human rights institutions,” Al Marri said, pointing out that “the Arab world needs to intensify communication and cooperation between human rights institutions, in light of the grave circumstances and challenges facing the Arab region at the present time and its serious repercussions on the human rights situation.”

Members of the delegation of the Lebanese Human Rights Commission expressed their thanks and appreciation to the National Human Rights Committee for the generous hospitality and kind reception. The delegation held a series of meetings with officials of various departments and specialties in the NHRC, in which they stressed the desire to strengthen the partnership with the NHRC in the future in the field of training and exchange of knowledge and experience.

– Dr. Al-Marri assured that the persistence of the UAE in its violations would lead to a threat to peace and security in the region

– How the countries of the blockade claim their support for peace and continue to tear apart the social fabric of the Gulf

– Al-Marri calls on His Holiness Pope to intervene to stop the violations based on his concern for human rights in the world

– The peoples of the Gulf have not witnessed an inflammatory speech similar to that of the countries of the blockade

– Separation of Thousands of families is the worst and most critical consequences of the violations of the blockade

– 20 months of serious and flagrant violations that have torn the Gulf social fabric

– We call on with His Holiness Pope Francis to pressure the UAE and the blockading countries to neutralize civilians and not to involve them in political disputes

– The peoples of the Gulf are the victims of punitive decisions of the countries of blockade that have used the peoples as hostage to resolve political disputes

Doha: 31 January 2019

Dr. Ali Bin Smaikh Al Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, met on Thursday with His Holiness Pope Francis and spoke about the suffering of thousands of separated families and victims of the blockade who raised their complaints to the NHRC asking for ending the grave violations and suffering of thousands of separated families and students who were expelled from their schools as a result of the continuing unjust blockade imposed by the State of Qatar for almost 20 months. On the occasion of his upcoming visit to Abu Dhabi, His Holiness Pope called on the UAE and the rest of the countries of the blockade to neutralize civilians and not to involve them in the political crisis and to let them suffer the grave humanitarian consequences.

Al Marri spoke about the complaints and suffering of thousands of separated families and victims of the blockade

the chairman of the National Human Rights Committee met with His Holiness Pope Francis in the presence of Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the secretary for relations with States of the Holy Vatican.

At the outset of his meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis, Dr. Ali Bin Smaikh Al-Marri gave a brief on the repercussions of the blockade imposed on Qatar since June 5, 2017, warning of the aggravation of human rights violations due to the intransigence of the blockading countries and their refusal to respond to appeals, in a way that can be described as a “dialogue of the deaf” in dealing with the calls of international organizations, reports of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the decision of the International Court of Justice, which calls for engaging in dialogue to resolve the crisis and put an end to human suffering worsening.

Al Marri praised the efforts made by His Holiness Pope Francis to protect human rights in the world, stressing the readiness of the National Human Rights Committee to strengthen partnership and cooperation with the Vatican to support its efforts to protect human rights in the region and the world.

“I come to extend a message to your Holiness, brought to me by thousands of separated families, children and women who have been stranded and deprived of their reunion for almost 20 months because of punitive measures that are not related to morality and human values, by The KSA and the UAE and the Kingdom of Bahrain, leading to violation of the rights of thousands of families that have been torn apart, while forcing parents to move away from their children, under the pretext of political dispute. We call upon you and support your best efforts to bring peace and security in the world. At the same time, we wonder, how peace can be brought in the Gulf region, while Discriminatory and racist measures persisted, such as those practiced by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, with the support of Egypt against the peoples of the Gulf today”, Al Marri said

The call for peace should be preceded by the call for the lifting of the blockade

Al-Marri criticized the twofold position taken by the governments of the countries of the blockade that claim their support for world peace, while continuing to impose the blockade on the people and violate their rights. He said: “How do the countries of the blockade claim their support for peace, and they continue to tear apart the social fabric of the Gulf? Qatar, and even their people have not been excluded from their racist and discriminatory decisions and their deterrent laws that prevent them from communicating and reuniting with their parents and relatives in the State of Qatar. ”

Al Marri added: “The call for peace should be preceded by the call to lift the blockade on the State of Qatar and lift the injustice of the victims. In fact, there is a lack of political will on the part of the United Arab Emirates to bring peace to the region, or how else the government of Abu Dhabi punish the people through taking measures against citizens and residents of the State of Qatar and the UAE, through which families were separated, students were expelled, the right to property, work, movement and residence are violated, not to mention the involvement of UAE officials in encouraging conflict, inciting to hatred in the media and various platforms. Furthermore, We condemn the laws issued by the KSA that criminalize the sympathy of their people with their Qatar while imposing imprisonment and huge fines.”

On the other hand, His Excellency Dr. Ali Ben Smaikh praised the speech of His Holiness Pope Francis on the occasion of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the presence of members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, in which His Holiness stated that the objective of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is to remove barriers to family reunification and support integrated human development.”

“We join our voice to your holiness, and we affirm that the most serious repercussions caused by the blockade of Qatar are those violations that have caused the dispersal of thousands of families due to the measures taken by the blockading states”, Al Marri said.

Partnership in interfaith dialogue and human rights

At the end of his meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis, Dr. Ali bin Samikh gave a book of manuscripts on human rights in Islamic culture to his holiness. He also discussed with him the partnership between the NHRC and the Vatican in the field of interfaith dialogue and human rights. Al Marri briefed him on the activities of the NHRC in this field and its experience in organizing international exhibitions on human rights in Islam. In addition, they discussed the possibility of organizing the Arabic calligraphy exhibition “Human Rights in Islam” at the Vatican in the future, following the success of the exhibition in its previous versions, which was hosted by many countries of the world.

Al-Marri: The people of the Gulf have not witnessed an inflammatory speech similar to that of the countries of the blockade

The visit of the National Human Rights Committee to the Vatican, was also an opportunity to hold a meeting with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the secretary for relations with States of the Holy Vatican. During the meeting, Dr. Ali Bin Smaikh gave a presentation on the National Human Rights Committee and its role in the protection and promotion of human rights, and presented the most prominent developments in the State of Qatar in the field of human rights through the legislative reforms adopted by the Qatari Government for the development of human rights in response to the recommendations of the National Human Rights Committee.”

Al-Marri called on the Vatican to “mobilize its efforts and movements with international organizations and governments to address extremism, hate speech and incitement, and to avoid repeating the humanitarian tragedy of the peoples of the Gulf who have been the victims of punitive measures.”

Al Marri provided to the Holy See Secretary of State Archbishop Paul Richard all reports documenting the violations of the blockading states, including the “General Report on the blockade of Qatar” issued by the National Human Rights Committee, the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the blockade of Qatar, And the report issued by the National Human Rights Committee on the UAE violations of the ICJ’s decision.

Doha on Wednesday 30 January 2019

The National Human Rights Committee confirmed that the State of Qatar has implemented many reforms in the last two years, which are the result of great efforts to protect and promote human rights, in which the National Human Rights Committee has contributed through its recommendations to the government, including the appointment of four women in the Shura Council.

In a lecture on the “Role of the NHRC in the Protection of Migrant Workers” on the third and final day of the APF SEO Meeting, the National Human Rights Committee stated that the right to work, as well as other social, economic and civil rights are guaranteed to every worker.”

The NHRC has always been able to recommend further reforms; The Committee was the first in Qatar to say that the sponsorship system should be abolished, and we raised the concern that the category of domestic workers are excluded from the labor law, and presented these concerns in our reports and recommendations to the Qatari government, and submit proposals to resolve these problems. The National Human Rights Committee remains satisfied that the products of its work, including the enactment of the Domestic Employment Law, the abolition of the sponsorship system and new laws to protect wages. The role of the National Committee is to follow up on the implementation of new reforms. We have previously conducted a study on the situation of workers including a questionnaire in which 1,200 workers participated, out of which 98% claimed that they paid for their work visas. It is a good practice that the Qatari government has taken a very good step by opening an employment office in Sri Lanka, which ensures Ethical and responsible recruitment of migrant workers. The NHRC will open other offices in other labor-exporting countries to ensure that recruitment is on the right footing” ​​said the National Committee on Human Rights.

The NHRC concluded its paper by saying: “In addition to these gains, we are concerned with the category of persons with disabilities, women and children. The NHRC has monitored some violations of human rights, made recommendations to the competent authority, and has been working to resolve them in practice. We are looking forward to the implementation of our recommendations to the government, including our recommendations to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Individual Migrant Workers and their Families. We also consider women’s rights a priority in terms of participation in public affairs and protection against violence through the development of legislation and special regulations.”

Abdel Basset El Hassan: International conference on migration in the future

Dr. Abdel Basset Hassan, President of the Arab Institute for Human Rights, said that there is an attempt to organize an international conference on migration annually after the success of the Tunis conference which reflected the successful cooperation and coordination between the NHRIs, UNESCO and the Arab Institute for Human Rights. In his speech given during the Asia-Pacific Forum SEO Meeting, Dr. Basit Hassan said that the Arab Institute organized the first training course with the National Human Rights Committee in 2004 and organized several meetings of national committees, programs and books to reform the education process in Qatar. Dr. Basit noted that “over the past three decades, cooperation between civil society organizations and national human rights committees has focused on three main aspects of work: first, the introduction of human rights and their concepts in Arab countries, noting that it was not an easy task, as we have faced resistance with regard to many values ​​such as equality, freedom and others, but we need to continue to disseminate the concepts and values ​​of human rights across the world, even in situations of extremism and radicalism, incitement and intolerance, terrorism and hate.”
Dr. Abdel Basset Hassan discussed the need to develop cooperation and the preparation of policies on human rights, including them in social, economic and cultural policies, and the amendment of laws and legislation, pointing out that national human rights institutions can help civil societies to be an active actor in the formulation of policies and strategy. In many countries, these efforts have succeeded, and we have brought together the parties to change policies and regulations, despite the difficulties, and the shrinking space of civil society in many countries.”

Qatar has provided an important platform to discuss human rights challenges with transparency

While the SEO of the Asia-Pacific Forum concluded at the conclusion of their meeting in Doha that the National Commission for Human Rights has succeeded in providing a forum for frank dialogue, bringing together the largest number of executives to discuss the challenges to human rights in the region, stressing their determination to form a network to exchange experiences on strengthening Human rights in the region. On the third and final day of the meeting, participants gave an overview of their experiences in the development of human rights in Asia Pacific region. They agreed that the National Human Rights Committee of Qatar had successfully gathered the largest number of executives to address the various issues and challenges with transparency. The participants agreed to hold their next meeting in Mongolia. At the same time, they commended Qatar’s hosting the APF sub-regional office of West Asia, which has been actively involved in the implementation of the objectives of the APF, all of which are in the interest of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions.