Dr Shamlan Al Essa
Anyone who believes that the Gulf countries have achieved a victory by announcing the end of Operation Decisive Storm and the initiation of steps to restore hope is mistaken. This move will ensure the resumption of a political process in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2216 and the Gulf initiative to save Yemen from forceful seizure of power by supporters of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Houthis, and whoever is behind them.
The Gulf has new responsibilities, the most important of which is to reconsider our relations with some states, political parties and movements that have adopted a negative stand towards the Gulf and its people and accused us of having political ambitions in Yemen.
We have to prove to the world, Arab intellectuals, the parties and political movements in favour of the “mandate of the jurist,” and sectarian Arabs that we do not have political aspirations in Yemen. All we want is security, stability and reconstruction of the country so that its people enjoy the blessings of prosperity and no longer suffer underdevelopment.
We need to launch political and media campaigns against those who promote rowdiness on Arab streets using religious, nationalist and sectarian slogans, and also against those who trade with Arabism and religion to achieve the interests of partisan movements.
We Gulf Arabs should focus on humanitarian assistance to our brothers in Yemen, especially those who live below the poverty line. It is estimated that between six and seven million Yemenis live in difficult economic circumstances. The Gulf States have provided massive aid to the Yemeni people, but it was diverted by corrupt Yemeni politicians and did not reach those in need.
We have to show the world and all opponents of the Gulf what we are giving to Yemen, and compare it with what the Iranians have given to help the vulnerable people of Yemen except weapons of war and destruction, which have increased the pace of the civil war in the country.
The Gulf states can boast of having the support of the superpowers in the UN Security Council, led by the United States, which was quick to send the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt to join nine other ships to intercept any Iranian vessel carrying weapons for the Houthis and Saleh’s supporters in Yemen.
Events have shown that Tehran wants to promote instability and conflict in the Arab region. Our Shia brothers who are in favour of the “mandate of the jurist” and are anti-Arab should know that it is neither in their interest nor the interest of their countries and peoples to be hostile to the Gulf states and Arabs.
We are all citizens and brothers living side by side in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and the Gulf states, including Yemen. Think twice before you and your countries declare enmity against the Gulf, where hundreds of thousands of Shias with their families are working and sending millions of dollars to their families in their homelands.
Finally, the Gulf states should fortify themselves internally by promoting national unity and the loyalty of all segments of society, especially the minorities, to the state, and not exclude any category of people because of their religion, creed or nationality.
We shouldn’t marginalise any citizen, who could then be exploited by those who want to interfere in our countries and create sectarian strife.
The author is a researcher and political analyst
