Have GCC countries reached reconciliation?

19 April 2014
Source: alarabiya.net

Statements released following the latest meeting between foreign ministers of the GCC countries in Riyadh said the diplomats conducted “an overall review of the procedures in place pertaining to foreign and security policies,” and that the group “agreed to adopt mechanisms to guarantee a collective framework and to ensure that policies of any of the GCC countries would not affect the interests, security and stability of the countries, nor undermine their sovereignty.”

In this regard, the diplomats have confirmed their respective countries' agreement on the ways to implement the Riyadh agreement, which is based on the principles of the GCC statute.
Of course, it is impossible that anyone can truly understand these statements without using an interpreter. Vagueness is our preferred language in the Gulf, relying on signs, and a sign is all that a free man needs to understand.

The stability of the GCC countries is a very important element, not only to its people, but to the region as a whole; a region that’s in desperate need for a safety net and stability. And if these forces, which might look weak and calm, decided to join hands and unify their policies, they could change the face of the region for the better.
Abdulrahman al-Rashed

In fact, decrypting the statement is quite a difficult task. How would someone understand the meaning of “agreeing on the importance of the strict implementation of the commitments undertaken” when the statement doesn’t define what should be implemented and what commitments were made?

Kuwaiti mediation

It goes without saying that Kuwait played a positive role to stop the defragmentation of the GCC council, the last stable entity in the region.

Prior to Kuwaiti mediation, the dispute was quickly slipping into a point of no return after three countries recalled their ambassadors from Qatar in protest and there were plans to impose sanctions, a move which would extend far beyond the previous symbolic and diplomatic measures.

The expression of “strict implementation” shows us that there are specific measures that need to be taken and that there is a team who is responsible for overseeing the implementation. Without announcing the annexes of the agreement, the door will remain open to speculate on the banned and tolerated activities.

Gulf stability

Some of the reasons behind the dispute between Qatar and its three GCC peers, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain, are known and publicly debated, and are possibly the easiest to resolve. Others, however, are less palpable and could lead to the collapse of the GCC and the Gulf front.

The disputes between GCC countries are as wide as the map of the Middle East; from Egypt to Yemen, Syria, Libya and Tunisia, but the hidden disputes can go as deep as sovereignty itself!

Whether the Riyadh agreement represents a true reconciliation between the countries or is just simply pacification, the leaders of the GCC countries have a major responsibility to admit that the value of their council is greater than their trillions’ rich investment funds, established for rainy days. In the days of calm, it’s easy to mess with relations and turn differences into greater disputes and political games, but nobody knows when the dark clouds will accumulate and a storm will hit.

The stability of the GCC countries is a very important element, not only to its people, but to the region as a whole; a region that’s in desperate need for a safety net and stability. And if these forces, which might look weak and calm, decided to join hands and unify their policies, they could change the face of the region for the better.

This article was first published in Asharq al-Awsat on April 19, 2014.
____________________
Abdulrahman al-Rashed is the General Manager of Al Arabiya News Channel. A veteran and internationally acclaimed journalist, he is a former editor-in-chief of the London-based leading Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat, where he still regularly writes a political column. He has also served as the editor of Asharq al-Awsat’s sister publication, al-Majalla. Throughout his career, Rashed has interviewed several world leaders, with his articles garnering worldwide recognition, and he has successfully led Al Arabiya to the highly regarded, thriving and influential position it is in today.

Last Update: Saturday, 19 April 2014

Link:  alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2014/04/19/Have-GCC-countries-reached-reconciliation-.html.

Kuwait to ban Muslim Brotherhood

16 March 2014
Source: Middle East Monitor

The Kuwaiti Administrative Court on Tuesday adjourned till March 25 a lawsuit that calls for banning the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated "Social Reform Association" [Al-Islah], the Al-Arab newspaper said on Wednesday.

The newspaper explained that the objective of this case is to outlaw the Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait, represented by the civil society organisation Al-Islah.

Al-Islah is accused of mixing charity work with politics, both on the local and international levels.
The court case reflects the escalating crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in the Gulf due to its perceived role in the so-called Arab Spring.

Saudi Arabia has recently outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood, labelling it as a terrorist organisation. It imposed a strict ban on all activities supported by the group. However, the Muslim Brotherhood denied having any organization in Saudi Arabia. In a subsequent move, the three GCC countries Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Emirates recalled their Qatar ambassadors in protest of the Gulf nation's alleged support for the Muslim Brotherhood and political Islam.

The recent Gulf escalation against the MB raises questions regarding the future of the group in the Gulf where it mostly engages in public charitable and social activities.

Mohamed Al-Dallal, member of the Islamic Constitutional Movement and defense lawyer in the current case against Al-Islah, said that the Saudi decision would have "repercussions on the entire region", and that the recent decision to withdraw ambassadors aimed at exercising pressures on the MB in order to limit its activities and end its influence in the region.

Link:  https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/10329-kuwait-to-ban-muslim-brotherhood.

Emiratis denounce arrests of activists and renew calls for democracy

http://www.echr.org.uk/?p=1207  

A group of Emirati intellectuals have issued a statement denouncing the detention and torture of political activists, while calling for democratic reforms to allow citizens the right to political participation.

The statement has been issued to commemorate the third anniversary of a petition that was sent to the country’s rulers in March 2011, which called for democratic reform and sparked a crackdown against peaceful political activists.

The authors, who have chosen to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals by the authorities, say that this crackdown will “be marked with shame in the history of the UAE” referencing a recent report by the United Nations (UN) that called for an investigation into torture and described the judiciary as being under the executive’s control.

They explain that the March 2011 petition called for the UAE to meet international human rights standards and implement democratic reforms, saying that the “legitimacy of a government is now measured by the participation of its people in choosing it”.

Although authorities have attempted to silence calls for reform the authors say this will not dampen their spirit: “Emiratis will continue to work toward achieving their full citizenship and dignity, for themselves and the coming generations after them. These demands will continue at all costs. The dignity of a country is the dignity of its people.”

Authorities responded to the petition by arresting and prosecuting its supporters, which has led to more than 100 activists being put in prison and left the UAE with one of the highest per capita rates of political prisoners in the world.

The trials of political prisoners have been roundly criticised as lacking due process and authorities have failed to properly investigate any of the credible allegations of torture made by political prisoners.

The crackdown has steadily expanded to include the targeting of individuals who use social media websites to criticise authorities and barring families of political activists from leaving the country.

While authorities in the UAE have publicly committed to protecting and promoting human rights, by signing the UN Convention Against Torture and through election to the UN Human Rights Council, they have failed to turn these promises into action.

The Emirates Centre for Human Rights calls on authorities in the UAE to engage with citizens who call for political reform and end their crackdown against activists by respecting the human rights of all its citizens.
 

For further information please contact Rori Donaghy on +44(0)7850062105 or at campaigns@echr.org.uk