Qatar's UNESCO candidate accused of anti-Semitism

CAIRO – 10 October 2017: UNESCO’s Executive Board cast secret ballots for seven candidates to replace the organization’s director-general Irina Bokova, whose tenure expires at the end of 2017.

Egyptian human rights advocate Moushira Khattab received 12 votes, while Qatar’s Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari garnered 20 votes.

Observers have been nervous about Kawari’s candidacy, as he is highly believed to be anti-Semitic.

Kawari, who served as Qatar’s culture minister from 2008 to 2016, headed a set of programs that used to promote anti-Semistic ideas.

According to Shimon Samuels, international relations director for the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC), Kawari allowed his country to display a stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair with texts that “fomented conspiracy theories against Jews.”

Samuels told

Algemeiner

that the Qatari Ministry of Culture published a book in 2013 entitled ‘Jerusalem in the Eyes of the Poets’, which included a preface written by Kawari himself; the book is loaded with anti-Semitic statements.


‘Jerusalem in the Eyes of the Poets’ - book cover

Moreover, the book quotes late French Holocaust denier, Roger Garaudy, in terms of dismissing the historical connection between the Jewish and Israel.

Under Kawari’s tenure, the Qatari Ministry of Culture permitted the prominent display of anti-Semitic literature at the Doha Annual Book Fair for 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Samuels added that SWC has been keeping track of Kawari’s anti-Semitic statements and activities for several years now.

Samuels also said Qatar’s energetic lobbying for the post had involved financial incentives to other countries to win their support. “They’ve been handing out cash all over the place, throughout Africa especially,” Samuels said.