Egyptian - Qatari problems
Egypt-Qatar, Politics, 12/24/1997

Officials in Doha said the Qatari government refused to renew work licenses for 28 Egyptians and deported them, with their families, back home. A source in the Egyptian Embassy in Doha who refused to be identified said the 28 Egyptians who work in the Qatari Ministry of Public Employees and Affairs, arrived Cairo on Monday.

The Egyptian daily al-Ahram quoted the Egyptian ambassador in Doha, Muhammad Muneisi, as saying that the Qatari authorities declined to answer his inquiries on the reason for expelling the Egyptian workers and their families.

Relations between the two countries deteriorated drastically following Egypt's boycott of the MENA economic conference held in Doha. However, the two countries reconciled in December, following a Saudi mediation.

Afterwards Cairo decided to ask for entry visas from the Qataris, in reply to the decision enacted by the Qatari government to stop issuing visas to citizens of seven Arab countries, including Egypt, under the pretext of taking security measures before convening the economic conference.

Two Qatari citizens were sent back after arriving at the Cairo International Airport as the Egyptian authorities informed them about the resolution.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said that the decisions are part of the arrangements in consular affairs which imposed regulations on Qatari citizens' entry to Egypt.

The Sheikhood (Higher Council of Sheikhs) of Al Azhar issued a statement in which it strongly criticized the attack of the Qatari Watan Newspaper on the leading Sheikh of Al Azhar, Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, for meeting with the leading Israeli Rabbi Lau in Cairo last Monday.

The Qatari Watan newspaper contained a caricature showing Tantawi is taking out of his pocket a handkerchief on which a sentence was written Sanya Shakhla "Sanya the Belly Dancer," which ridicules the Sheihk for meeting with the Jewish Rabbi.

Qatar is trying to pacify the tensions with Egypt for fear of escalation which will harm Qatari Arab interests. Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad Bin Gassem said to Egyptian journalists, "I am personally against this caricature and had I known about it, I would not have agreed on its publication. I have the caricature in my pocket so that I will not forget to question those responsible for it in Al Watan Newspaper."

The Qatari Foreign Minister is the owner of the newspaper which published the caricature and Egypt holds him accountable for the caricature and attacks. The Qatari Foreign Minister said, "Though Qatar stopped the media campaign against Egypt after the reconciliatory meetings in Riyadh, we noticed that the Egyptian media did not stop the campaigns against Qatar."

The Qatari Foreign Minister hugged the Egyptian journalists and asked them to stop ridiculing him and Qatar. He informed them that he will visit Egypt after the campaigns against him stop.

Previous Stories:
  Qatar says no differences over Damascus Declaration meeting   (12/10/1997)
  Moussa: all is is well with Qatar. Regional comments   (12/5/1997)
  New diplomatic crisis between Qatar and Egypt   (11/10/1997)

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