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Jon Wilks, Arabic Spokesperson of the British government was in Qatar recently to meet with the local media
By Sindhu Nair |
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| |q| What is UK doing to integrate the Muslim and/or Arab-origin citizens? There seems to be continued estrangement, and sermons from the pulpit that instigate violence.
|a| We are proud of the pluralism of British society and the traditions of tolerance that are well rooted in our country. But we recognise that much needs to be done to ensure British Muslims (of which there are some two million) play a full part in our national life. In recent years, the British government has pursued a number of initiatives to open up opportunities for a wide range of voices among all our communities. We hear a much wider range of opinions expressed now, compared to the case five years ago, particularly from youth and women's groups. That is important because the Government is eager to listen and learn from all citizens about how to build the social fabric, ensure that opportunities are spread throughout society, fight deprivation and tackle racism and prejudice that can hold people back.
Yes, the murderous attacks of 2005 and last year have been a great challenge in maintaining community relations. But it is clear that all of us, as citizens, face the same threat of random violence from a small group of violent radicals and that the ideology that lies behind these attacks, which goes against all religious and humane values, goes against the shared values the vast majority of us hold in common. The Government's response is to build a common understanding, challenge any individual or group that attempts to polarise the situation or promote hatred and to encourage co-operation among all citizens and communities to tackle the threat from those willing to commit random acts of murder.
|q| Why was Qatar's chief imam, Sheikh Yusuf Al Qaradawi denied a UK visa?
|a| Out of respect for the privacy of visa applicants, we do not comment on the reasons for decisions on visa applications.
| |q| What are the UK's efforts to promote democracy in the region?
|a| The UK remains committed to working with Governments and civil society in the Middle East to build more accountable and representative political institutions. We do not believe in a 'one size fits all' model of democracy. Nor do we believe democracy can just be imposed from the outside. It needs to come from internal forces for change.
What we see, however, all over the Middle East is a clear and widespread popular desire for better government, more responsive to the wishes and needs of citizens. We are ready to listen to the many voices in the region working for better government and where we can, help them build a better future. | "...In an era of globalisation, our security at home is increasingly linked with the domestic conditions of states all over the world." | This commitment comes from our belief in freedom and democracy in our own country and the possibility of spreading the benefits to the world. And also our understanding that in an era of globalisation, our security at home is increasingly linked with the domestic conditions of states all over the world.
It is in our vital interest as well as from our fundamental values that we want to do more to support political and economic reform in the Middle East.
| |q| Britain is an important partner for Qatar, in various spheres. What are the plans to strengthen this?
|a| Visiting Qatar, I am impressed by the vibrant partnership between Britain and Qatar. The British Embassy has just opened its new building in West Bay, a sign of the scale of its commitment to developing even stronger ties with Qatar politically and economically, in tandem with culture, education and defence co-operation. And there are more than 8,500 British nationals living and working in Qatar. The British expatriates are a dynamic lot that is making an important contribution to the nation's development. I know that the Embassy is expecting a busy period ahead with a number of events and many senior visitors from Britain. So it is an exciting time for the relationship between the two countries. |q| In your capacity as the UK government spokesperson to the region, what are the issues you will deal with?
|a| As a government spokesperson, I get to deal with domestic UK policy issues of interest to an Arab audience, as well as foreign policy issues. For example, I often get questioned about the lives of Muslims and Arabs in the UK, or counter-terrorism issues. And increasingly I get to discuss climate change, which is potentially the biggest issue for all of us. But the regular topics tend to be Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and Sudan.
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BRITISH EMBASSY MOVES INTO NEW PREMISES
THE new British Embassy in West Bay is open for business, the first mission to open in Doha's new diplomatic area, announced Head of Missions Roddy Drummond when he unveiled the Embassy's new facilities to the local media.
Journalists were taken on a tour of the new premises by Drummond and other officials including the Regional Director of visa services for Gulf and Iran, Bharat Joshi, Deputy Head of Mission, Carol Evans, and Director of Trade and Investment,
John Yarrow.
The Embassy project took nearly two years and more than a million man hours to complete and is an investment of around QR85 million.
Drummond said that the old embassy was inadequate for the evergrowing British community, which could not house the staff and facilities necessary to provide the services the embassy wished to offer.
The building's design incorporates environmental features, including the use of a grey water irrigation system, solar panels, brise soleil and a polished stone exterior to reduce sand and dust accumulation. "We are also measuring our carbon footprint," Drummond said, "And looking into ways of reducing it, as we believe environmental concerns are very important."
Speaking a bit on the history of the British Embassy in Doha, Drummond said, "The British Government established a permanent presence in Doha in 1949, and it was initially a one-room office-cum-residence for the first political agent. The decision was made soon to move into a traditional Qatari building and then later, in the year 1963, we shifted to the new site in Rumeila and this building has been home for the Embassy for 44 years."
"By the turn of the century, the British community in Qatar has grown to over 8, 500, making huge contributions to almost all sectors of economy and UK exports to Qatar are expected to reach 600 million pounds a year in 2007," he said.
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|q| Will UK step up support for a Palestine state?
|a| The UK wants to see a viable, independent Palestinian state living peacefully alongside its neighbours. We have stepped up our support for the Palestinian people since the Annapolis conference, pledging over £300 million to support Palestinian institutions and the Palestinian economy, based on progress in the peace process. We are also, as part of the European Union, part of the biggest aid donor to the Palestinian people. We are extremely concerned by the humanitarian situation in the Occupied Territories, particularly Gaza, and urge all sides to agree urgently on reopening all the crossings into Gaza.
|q| Debts have been written off, and a fresh pledge of funds has been made to help Palestine avoid bankruptcy. How will UK ensure that funds are used for the right purpose? What is the on-ground support available?
|a| The UK has played a leading role among donor countries in ensuring that international aid reaches the people it is meant to help. We are working closely with the Palestinian authority to ensure efficient implementation of the Palestinian development plan announced at the Paris conference last December. A vital step will be for all Palestinian institutions to implement strong safeguards to prevent corruption and ensure proper accountability for all public funds.
| 8, 500 British Nationals in Qatar
2 Million British Muslims in UK
4.5 Million Palestinian refugees in the region
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|q| What about the conditions of Palestinian refugees? How can the UK contribute to a settlement in this regard?
|a| The issue of refugees is, of course, one of the most important issues in the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. We are ready to support any agreement acceptable to the two sides. Meanwhile we have always been very aware of the pressing needs of the Palestinian refugees and remain a major aid donor to them through UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East), a relief and human development agency, providing education, healthcare, social services and emergency aid to over 4.5 million refugees living in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic.
|q| Though the US itself has accepted that Iran threat was over played, the possibility of war hasn't fully been written off. Would UK support another US invasion?
|a| The UN Security Council remains very concerned about the lack of transparency and co-operation that Iran has displayed over its nuclear programme.
That has not decreased in recent months. As the head of the IAEA said in his latest report, we know less about current Iranian nuclear activities than before. That is why the Security Council is discussing a further resolution reinforcing sanctions against Iran to make its concern clear. The UK is focused 100 percent on diplomatic action and we want to resolve this issue peacefully.
The international community has given Iran a clear message: suspend the enrichment of uranium and this will open the way to suspension of sanctions and generous help in developing Iran's civil nuclear power. The US has also offered dialogue on all other outstanding bilateral differences.
The UK, along with its European partners France and Germany, will continue to play the leading role in the diplomatic negotiations aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution of this dispute.
|q| How do you assess the performance of British troops in Afghanistan and Iraq?
|a| As the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said, we are immensely proud of the performance of our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, under extremely difficult circumstances. We remain committed in both countries to supporting their elected governments against the threats they face from illegal armed groups, terrorists and criminals.
Our strategy is to build the capacity of the local security forces to take the lead in ensuring security. As we make progress in achieving that, British troops can move to more of a support and training role, as happened successfully in Basra last December. In Helmand in Southern Afghanistan, British troops are engaged in heavy fighting against the Taliban. We have made some progress, for example, taking back Musa Qala, the last major town in Helmand in Taliban hands. But more troops are needed and we call on our NATO allies to increase their fighting presence in the South to build on our recent gains | |
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This article is reproduced with special permission from Qatar Today - Qatar's only news, business and lifestyle magazine |
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