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Exclusive: Terrorism and some Afghan lessons: Qatar Optics

2022-06-22 12:23:08Fokus SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Exclusive: Terrorism and some Afghan lessons: Qatar Optics
Mutlaq bin Majed Al-Qahtani
 

A press interview with His Excellency Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar for Counterterrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution Dr. Mutlaq bin Majed Al Qahtani (During His Excellency's visit to the Republic of Albania)

Dr. Mutlaq bin Majed Al-Qahtani is the Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar for Counterterrorism and Mediation in Conflict. Last week he was in Tirana for a Governing Board meeting of the GCERF, a fund that specializes in supporting projects aimed at preventing and addressing violent extremism, which can lead to terrorism. The State of Qatar is a founding member and major funder of this fund and is the only Arab and Muslim state to fund this fund, along with the United States, the European Union, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, and other European countries.

Vox News took the opportunity to have a conversation with Dr. Mutlaq bin Majed Al-Qahtani at this event. He received the "Ambassador of Peace" award in 2015 from the World Peace Federation in Auckland, New Zealand. He also won the "Best Negotiator" award for 2020 from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research "UNITAR", in appreciation of his role and efforts in resolving disputes and achieving peace in the region and the world.

Dr. Mutlaq has played a prominent role in the peace negotiations expected by the State of Qatar between the Taliban Movement and the Afghan Government, as well as with the United States, which concluded with the February 2020 Peace Agreement in Doha.

He has also represented the State of Qatar in Sudan peace talks, held under the auspices of Doha since the 2014 Darfur agreement, in addition to global efforts against terrorism and conflict resolution.

Dr. Mutlaq Al-Qahtani has previously served as Director of the Department of International Organizations at the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has been the Head of the Presidency Office of the Sixty-Sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly from 2011-2012, when the State of Qatar occupied it.

Below the interviews for Vox News ...

- First of all, I greet you and thank you for this interview, and I take the opportunity to welcome you to the Republic of Albania. It is the first time that you visit the Republic of Albania. What is the reason for this kind visit? What is your Excellency's impression of Albania and its people?

Thank you. Yes, this is my first visit to the Republic of Albania, and I am very pleased with it. The Republic of Albania is a friendly country to the State of Qatar and we have distinguished bilateral relations, and we pay great attention to developing these relations and enhancing joint cooperation between us. The State of Qatar has an embassy in Tirana and it is best represented by a distinguished Ambassador. The Albanian people are friendly and welcoming, and these are characteristics and features shared by both the Qatari and Albanian peoples.

Regarding the second part of your question, the capital, Tirana, witnessed a high-level meeting of the Board of Directors of the GCERF, and we thank the Albanian government for hosting this meeting, as the State of Qatar is a founding member and a major donor in this fund, which specializes in supporting projects to prevent violent extremism. In addition, the State of Qatar is the only Arab and Muslim country to support this fund, alongside the United States of America, Japan, Switzerland, the European Union, the Netherlands, and Germany, as well as European countries as the fund's main founders and largest donors.

-How does the State of Qatar see the current global conflicts, particularly what is happening in Ukraine?

What are the Middle Eastern countries' perspectives on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict?

We are opposed to military solutions and always encourage the peaceful resolution of disputes, and we hope that this conflict will be resolved as soon as possible, because we believe that there is no winner in these conflicts, but rather that everyone loses. The consequences of this war are also severe, extending beyond the region's borders and potentially affecting other countries, including those on the African continent, particularly in terms of food security.

I don't want to discuss the positions of other countries, but from what we have seen, the positions on this crisis differ and are based on the political perspectives of these countries on of what is happening there. As for the State of Qatar, we oppose any military operations or military intervention, as well as any interference in a country's internal affairs or threats to its independence and territorial integrity. We always advocate and emphasize the importance of resolving disputes peacefully.

- What is the contribution of the State of Qatar to promoting global peace and stability? Can you provide some examples?

The leadership of the State of Qatar has a strong and clear political will, and its people are eager to work for and contribute to regional and global stability and peace.

We, in the State of Qatar, live in an unstable region and in a geographical location that occasionally witnesses dangerous events. Therefore, we believe in the importance of mediation and good offices as a tool for resolving disputes peacefully. Mediation and good offices are important components of Qatar's foreign policy.

Based on this belief and through good offices, the State of Qatar has been able to present itself as a credible mediator on the regional and international arena, and has achieved great success in various files, whether in Sudan or Lebanon, as well as between Djibouti and Eritrea, and between Somalia and Kenya, as well as in Afghanistan, and is currently mediating between the Chadian parties.

There are numerous reasons for Qatar's success in these mediations, including: Qatar’s credibility and professionalism, maintaining confidentiality, maintaining a same close distance from everyone, and abiding by international law during its diplomatic efforts, as well as working within strategic alliances and international and regional partnerships to achieve security and stability international and regional peace.

-What role did the State of Qatar play in concluding the Peace Agreement in Afghanistan?

Since the beginning of the Afghan conflict, we have worked to find a peaceful solution through negotiations. And, in my opinion, what has happened in Afghanistan in recent years has proven the correctness of The Qatari vision in this regard.

We have said from the beginning that there is no military solution to what is happening in Afghanistan, and after 20 years of war and fighting, the process of stability and peace came only through negotiations between the conflicting parties on one hand and the United States of America on the other, with Qatari mediation, where these negotiations took place in Doha, which resulted in the signing of the peace agreement between the United States of America and the Taliban. And, in addition to the other factors mentioned above, I believe that Qatar's awareness of Afghan cultural sensitivity aided us in the successful mediation in Afghanistan.

In my opinion, there are two factors to consider when acting as a mediator to resolve any conflict: The first is that imposing external solutions is not a good or beneficial method. The second is that if you want to mediate and settle between the conflicting parties, you must consider the social and political fabric.

- Do you believe the West failed in Afghanistan?

Some may interpret the Taliban's return as a failure of the West, but the question, in my opinion, is not whether the West failed in Afghanistan or not, but rather what lessons have been learned from the twenty-year war in Afghanistan.

The answer is that the lessons learned are many, the most important of which is that solutions from outside do not work, and the solution must be found from within, rather than imposed from outside. The other lesson is that any efforts or initiatives undertaken by states are to take into account the cultural sensitivity of these societies. The most important lesson is that there are no military solutions to these conflicts.

- The Republic of Albania hosted people who left their countries due to conflicts, specifically Afghan refugees, as many of these Afghans arrived in Albania through Doha. What are your thoughts on Albania hosting them? Could their presence in Albania endanger the country's security?

Hosting Afghan families who have chosen to leave Afghanistan is a humanitarian act, and many countries, including the Republic of Albania, have welcomed Afghan refugees. There is no doubt that the decision to host refugees from conflict zones is a sovereign decision for each country, and if these refugees pose a security risk, it is at the discretion of the host country's competent authorities.

-Do you believe that terrorism is still the world's most serious threat today?

Terrorism is still and will continue to be a threat to international security unless its root causes are addressed, such as the spread of wars and armed conflicts, are addressed. The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Strategy states that the primary and main cause of terrorism is wars and conflicts.

These wars and armed conflicts around the world create a political and security vacuum that is exploited by extremist groups to achieve their own agendas, which leads to the emergence of terrorist movements that threaten international peace and security.

-When the word terrorism is mentioned in Western countries, there is a widespread belief that it is linked to Islam. Is this a stereotype, or is there evidence to support this widely held belief in the West?

I understand this question, and I do not want to make a comparison between terrorism that is attributed to the Islamic religion and that which is attributed to the right-wing extremism right in the West. The established and unquestionable truth is that terrorism has no religion or affiliation, and confusing Islam with terrorism is a very dangerous matter. Islam rejects terrorism and categorically forbids killing the other as well as killing oneself.

It is true that the majority of conflicts and wars occur in the Islamic world's geographical area. Furthermore, approximately 60% of today's conflicts take place in Islamic countries, giving the impression that there is a link between this religion, these societies, and terrorism. On the other hand, we frequently hear in Western countries that a variety of practices, such as racial discrimination against a specific group, lead some people to seek vengeance and commit violent acts. If we consider the war against the terrorist organization ISIS, statistics show that there are 45 thousand foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq, hailing from approximately 100 countries around the world. This indicates that the challenges in combating terrorism do not only come from the region, but also come from abroad, which means that terrorism is a global rather than a regional problem. Therefore, the international community must unite and cooperate in order to combat this phenomenon, and everyone must adopt a comprehensive and integrated strategy on how to combat terrorism and counter violent extremism.

- I appreciate this interview and your thoughtful responses.

Interviewer: Erion Habilaj


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