In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our esteemed guests,
First, I would like to welcome you to Doha, wishing you a pleasant stay.
This forum holds great significance today as the world faces more heated divides resulting to tension, conflict, and instability in several regions around the world.
Mutual interests between the United States and the Islamic world have successfully entrenched mutual understanding and unique relationships which, at their core, underscore the importance of deepen those relationships once again. We must achieve this on the basis of communication, understanding, and stronger cooperation across many fields, along with establishing a proactive partnership between the Islamic world and the United States. This particularly applies to issues in which the United States plays a special role, such as bringing about international peace and security, which serves the mutual interests of both parties.
Divine laws have hallowed dialogue, citing it as one of the most important moral concepts; it forms an essential part of the continuity of human life and achieving good for all peoples. The Holy Quran contains several verses on this topic, such as: “O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another” True are the words of Allah the Almighty.
In this context, Qatar has worked and continues to work on encouraging cultures and civilisations to adopt dialogue, creating a means to deepen understanding and achieve peace between nations. This can be realised through constructive dialogue and discussions of chronic and contemporary issues and future challenges, to reach outcomes that satisfy nations’ aspirations for safety, stability, and sustainable development. Our forum is evidence of this.
Dialogue should not just be aimed at abandoning differences and aligning views. It should adopt a higher standard of constructive cooperation to confront pressing issues facing the peoples of the world such as climate change, terrorism, global peace and security, water scarcity, desertification, and abolishing poverty, illiteracy, and hunger, in addition to achieving sustainable development.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The ongoing Israeli occupation of Arab lands still stands at the very core of the problems of Arab and Islamic nations. The will to bring about peace is a feeling and an aspiration of all peoples of the world. The United States can make significant contributions to a real and just peace in the Middle East.
We can agree that the stalling of the peace process is a result of the Israeli government’s intransigence. The correct path would guarantee Israel’s security and acknowledge the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, most importantly Palestinians’ right to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Instead, Israel ventures further into violations of international law and legitimate international resolutions, attempting to enforce a status quo policy by continuing to occupy Arab land, ‘Judaize’ Jerusalem, and increase colonising settlements in Palestinian lands. Most recently, Israel announced the construction of 90 new colonising units south of Jerusalem.
In this regard, Israeli settlements are one of the most dangerous aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as it causes the Palestinian side to wonder what is left of the constantly shrinking Palestine to negotiate for. Thus, Israel has no serious intention of reaching peace.
Therefore, the international community, led by the United States and the United Nations Security Council, should abandon its selective bias and double standards which violate international legitimacy, stand against the occupation decrees issued by the Israeli government, and take serious steps in pressuring Israel to comply to international will to attain peace with the Palestinians. This means ending its occupation in accordance with legitimate international resolutions and Arab initiatives through the adoption of the two-state solution as agreed upon by the international community through a binding UN Resolution under Chapter VII. Without this resolution, we will remain in standstill before the empty words of the law, dispelled by a de facto policy.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The ongoing suffering of the Syrian people in search of their freedom and rights worsens as the international community remains in a stalemate, especially following the UN Security Council’s failure to decisively address what is happening in Syria.
It is now necessary that the international community addresses this unfortunate deterioration of the situation in Syria through a different approach. We must take a firm stance and provide international protection for the Syrian people. The international community must enable them to defend themselves against the atrocities committed against them, and bringing together efforts to find a satisfactory political outcome that allows the Syrian people to determine their own fate, ensure Syria’s sovereignty and unity, restore prosperity to its lands, and heed the legitimate calls of its people.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Terrorism has come to form a danger to all nations, and acts of terror continue to test the international community’s will to combat it. We reiterate Qatar’s condemnation of both of the criminal explosions which occurred within the last two weeks, targeting Al-Qutaif mosques and Al-Enoud mosque in Dammam in our friend, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We emphasise Qatar’s stance in supporting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in whatever measures and preparations it may take to preserve its safety and prosperity.
There is no doubt that areas of tension and conflict have contributed to the presence of terrorist organisations, in addition to the international community’s inaction in addressing these areas, creating an environment conductive to the implementation of terrorist acts.
In this regard, terrorism has cast its dark shadow on nations and peoples in the form of dangerous political, security and economic challenges. These require the international community to cooperate, combine efforts, and take the measures necessary to combat terrorism, describing it as a danger to individual and global security which violates human rights.
It is important in this regard to reiterate that
no religion calls for terrorism. All religions call for noble values, tolerance, cooperation, and constructive dialogue for the benefit of human society. It is irrational to burden all Islamic nations with the actions of a few of their individuals.
Finally, I would like to thank you for your audience. I hope that discussions that will take place in this forum act as an important help strengthen the existing ties between the Islamic world and the United States in service of our mutual interests and core issues.
May peace and mercy of Allah be upon you.