Al-Raya: Ramadan Comes Upon Islamic Nation While People of Qatar Deprived of Visiting House Of Allah

Doha, May 17 (QNA) - Al-Raya Qatari newspaper expressed happiness on the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, denouncing at the same time the continued intransigence of the Saudi authorities to deprive the people of Qatar and its residents for the second year in a row from visiting the House of Allah and performing Umrah, especially during Ramadan. The newspaper said in an article by its Editor in Chief that Saudi's politicization of the holy rituals is a precedent in the Islamic history, and that its use of Hajj and Umrah as a political leverage on countries that disagree with its opinion and compete it in politics, as is happening now with Qatar, is an irresponsible approach and requires accountability and condemnation. Al-Raya criticized the Saudi authorities' ban on the people of Qatar and their non-compliance with concerned officials, contractors and campaigners to facilitate the procedures of those wishing to visit the holy sites for performing Umrah or Hajj, pointing out that Qataris, even if the Saudi Kingdom's authorities allowed them during the holy month of Ramadan to perform Umrah without guarantees, facilities and under a Qatari control, are not at all assured of what will happen to them within the territory of Saudi Arabia. In Conclusion Al-Raya said that the State of Qatar has proved by its positions and its good management of the crisis and its call for a responsible dialogue to resolve it, that it is a State with wise policies and orientations and is committed to the principles of peaceful coexistence and dialogue as the only way to resolve differences away from the language of threat. (QNA)