Qatari regime excludes Qahtan and Bani Hajer from military

CAIRO – 15 November 2017: Qatar excludes Qahtan and the Bani Hajer tribes from military sites after they call for protests on Friday to show their solidarity with the elder of Shaml al-Hawajer tribe, Sheikh Shafi bin Nasser bin Hammoud al-Shafi, whose citizenship was revoked, reported Al-hayat on Monday.

Qahtan and the Bani Hajer tribes are expected to gather on Friday at Dammam and Riyadh cities, Saudi Arabia, to show their solidarity with Sheikh Shafi and his family. Qatar withdrew their citizenships in September after Sheikh Shafi had met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and tribal leaders.

“No good things are expected to come out from the country that is withdrawing nationalities from its people and recruiting army personnel from abroad,” stressed Sheikh Shafi.

This is not the first time that Qatar withdraws nationalities from those opposing the Qatari regime for supporting terrorism and funding extremist organizations. Qatar has most recently revoked the citizenship of poet Mohammed bin Futais al-Marri accusing him of supporting Saudi Arabia at the expense of the Qatari government.

In addition, Qatar has withdrawn the citizenship of head of Al-Murrah tribe Sheikh Taleb bin Muhammed Lahm bin Shraim and put many members of the Al-Murrah tribe in prison without trial, where they were subjected to torture and humiliation.

Qataris are used to the regime’s lies and attempts to distort the tribes of Qatar in order to tear up the tribal social fabric in favor of the minority of Iranians.

In 2005, Qatar revoked the citizenship of about 5,000 to 6,000 members of Al-Ghafran clan of the Al-Murrah tribe and exiled them to Saudi Arabia, allegedly for playing a major role in the failed counter-coup of 1996. The tribe used to hold ministerial positions between 1996 and 2013 until Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani became the emir.

Three months ago, on June 5, the Arab-Qatar crisis broke out after four countries – Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain – severed diplomatic ties with the country for funding and supporting terrorism and chaos in the Middle East.