Mohamed Fahmy - CC via Wikimedia Commons - Chatham House
CAIRO – 30 May 2017: A reading into Mohamed Fahmy, former Al Jazeera reporter and an award-winning journalist's, defaming article on Qatar goes long way in linking Qatar and the Qatari royal family to the spearheads of terrorism; Al-Qaeda, IS, Al-Nusra Front, Taliban, Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood and other groups.
The Egyptian-Canadian journalist has repeatedly referred to the Qatari royal family's support and funding of terrorist groups, whether on his Twitter account or in his published articles.
In light of the growing campaign against Qatar, sparked by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani's controversial statements, a look into Fahmy's article "Qatar behind state-sponsorship of terrorism" helps explore the context of this intense situation.
Fahmy's article, published in April in the Canadian “The Star”, starts with a cry to the U.S. to include Qatar on the list of states sponsoring terrorism. "It is not negligence or turning a blind eye. It is blatant state-sponsorship of terrorism," Fahmy wrote, recalling events and incidents leading all the way to masterminding the 9/11 attacks.
The article lists two Qatari citizens who have been designated as terrorists by the United States:
Qatari citizen Abdul-Rahman Bin Umair al-Nuaimi was named a “Special Designated Terrorist" by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2013. Based on vetted and proven evidence, Nuaimi had been financing Al-Qaeda affiliates in Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Yemen and Lebanon with millions of dollars for years, the article reads.
Another Al-Qaeda Qatari financier Khalifa al-Subaey funded the mastermind behind 9/11 attacks, Fahmy states.
"Those two dangerous men, Al Nuaimi and Al Subaey, are strolling freely in Qatar’s malls and posting photographs of their expensive cars flanked by rare falcons and tigers."
Fahmy's article also accuses the Al-Thani ruling family of Qatar of giving legitimacy to murderers and terrorists, when it opened an office for the Taliban in 2013.
In his article, he explains the lack of punitive actions by world powers against Qatar by relating to the millions worth investments and donations offered by the royal family and the oil-rich small Arab state.
"Indeed, how do you deal with the Al-Thani rulers who donate $100 million to the victims of Hurricane Katrina one day, then turn around and donate $31 million to pay the salaries of Hamas, a Palestinian militant group," the article reads.
Fahmy concludes his article by confirming that Hamza bin Laden, the youngest son of Osama bin Laden, also designated as a terrorist, is "safe and sound in Qatar," quoting the wife of Bin Laden's eldest son.
"If the U.S. is serious about combating terrorism and arresting Hamza, who has released a number of audio recordings from unknown locations calling on his disciples to stage terrorist attacks on Western nations, then maybe they should be looking for him in Qatar — the first Arab country slated to host the FIFA Soccer World Cup in 2022," the article concludes.
About the Author
Fahmy is an Egyptian-born Canadian, award-winning journalist, war correspondent and author. He has worked extensively in the Middle East and North Africa, and reported for CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera English.
In 2013, Fahmy was arrested in Egypt, along with two colleagues working at Al Jazeera English, and they were found guilty of supporting terrorism, among other charges. In February 2015, Fahmy renounced his Egyptian citizenship and was deported to Canada. A few months later, he was pardoned by President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, who later on restored the journalist's Egyptian citizenship.
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