Minister praises Qatar’s handling of siege crisis

Qatar has dealt with the crisis arising out of the unjust siege with professionalism, HE the Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Mohamed Abdul Wahed Ali al-Hammadi has said.
This came in a statement made by al-Hammadi during his visit yesterday to Darb Al Saai, where he toured a number of participating pavilions, and was briefed on the events offered by various entities.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister said that Qatar National Day is the day of pride, loyalty, and honour that reflect the greatness of Qatari people, pointing out that this year the day assumed special significance as it came amidst the unjust siege.
The minister stressed that the National Day is an occasion that links the past with the present and provides a chance to look forward to the future, drawing lessons from the sacrifices made by the Qatar’s founder Sheikh Jassim bin Mohamed bin Thani.
The minister urged young people to take a deep look at the country’s history, celebrate and cherish it and the national symbols and draw lessons from it.
Pointing out that the National Day this year is being celebrated under the theme “Promise of Prosperity and Glory”, the minister said that Qatar is now much stronger than it was before the siege and its future looks promising and its diplomatic and economic relations are constantly flourishing.
On the siege, the minister said: “I am pleased to quote what was said by His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in his speech at the opening of the 46th session of the Advisory (Shura) Council. He said Qatar has followed a policy of restraint and moderation in response, in order to respect our values and customs, and in the interest of fraternal relations among the people of the Gulf. Qatar’s political approach and diplomacy have earned the respect of the entire world.”
He said: “We do not forget the active and proactive role of His Highness the Emir, especially his historic speech on July 21, which outlined the roadmap and future options for dealing with and managing the crisis at the political, economic, social, educational and security levels, including food security, water, medicine, etc., as well as his visits to some politically influential countries to hold summit meetings with their leaders, explaining the Qatari view on the crisis and how to resolve it”.
The minister stressed that “all these efforts have been a source of pride for Qatar and Qatari people and residents alike, as the Qatari society totally rejects attempts to harm the country’s sovereignty and interference in its internal affairs, by fully supporting their leadership”.
At the diplomatic level, Dr al-Hammadi said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has clarified and analysed the objectives and goals of the siege, especially during the visits of HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani to politically influential countries in Europe and the United States where he held meetings with officials and the media, as well as lectured at international research centres and universities.
The minister pointed out that the Qatari crisis management team has played a prominent role in presenting objective arguments and proofs to refute the hostile media in the siege countries. The minister also lauded the effective role of the social media.
On the legal level, the minister referred to the National Human Rights Committee’s efforts in documenting all violations of human rights committed by the siege countries and its continued interactions with human rights organisations at the regional and international levels, stressing the illegality of the siege imposed on Qatar.
He stressed that Qatari diplomacy has managed to contain the impacts of the siege and reduce its effects.
This was confirmed by HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, in his interview with Truth (Al Haqiqa) programme on Qatar TV.
In the field of education, the minister said Qatar has continued to achieve superior indicators.
HE al-Hammadi said that the education ministry has been able to accommodate all school-age students in public and private schools, adding that 33 new public and private schools and kindergartens have been started this year, providing 13,080 classrooms. These include 8 public schools and kindergartens of all levels, and 25 private schools and kindergartens of all levels to meet the increasing demand for education, especially in light of the growing population. Besides, a special school for students with mental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder has been opened, and also an evening course has been introduced for adult education at Qatar Technical School.