Qatar comes under scrutiny when the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights received a letter on Monday regarding discrimination from the Qatari Regime. The tribe is not just a small group but rather a well known, powerful and large tribe residing in Qatar.

The Al Ghurfan tribe filed an official complaint to the Arab Federation For Human Rights and requested the federation to refer the complaint to UN Human Rights council about the violations committed by the Qatar regime against its very own members.

The tribe then approached the UN to charge the Qatari Authorities with Human Rights violation because they have been subject to torture, racial discrimination, treated as prisoners, put to death and even denied of their rights to Qatari citizenship and denied to return their homeland when they travelled outside.

The tribe ( Al Ghurfan clan ) have substantial proof of such arbitrary acts to more than 54 members of their tribes. The members of the clan claimed they started facing such treatment ever since they opposed the Qatari regime’s destabilising policies and in relation to the dispute between Qatar’s neighbouring states. They estimate this behaviour from the Qatari authorities to

Qatari authorities had revoked citizenship of another tribe called the Al Murrah tribe, while 6000 members of Al Ghurfan were forcibly displaced, confiscated properties, called for systematic persecution against all clans that belonged to larger tribes such as senior members of the Shaml al-Hawajer tribe and famous poet Mohammed al-Marri belonging to the al-Murrah tribe, majority of the members were deprived of national rights.

The delegation that is representing the tribe has said “Through your unique mandate to promote and protect human rights, we ask your esteemed commission to see and stand up to the suffering of our citizens who have been deprived of their citizenship in Qatar and to the crimes committed against them and to alleviate the conditions and suffering of our displaced people in the villages and deserts of border areas in neighboring countries”

Support from neighbours

Hearing the case of the Al Ghorfan Clan, EOHR also known as the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights announced solidarity in regards to their case and said that the Al Ghorfan tribe makes up about 40 percent of the people of Qatar and are indigenous to the country.

EOHR stated that they believe in universality of human rights principles and need to establish and maintain those rights in the Arab region. With the country’s support they addressed the letter to United Nations High Commissioner the President of the Arab Federation informed the commission to protect the members of the tribes and pursued to restore their lost rights and punish the Qatari regime for the misconduct with their own citizens.

The Tribe received support from the World Aid Organization in New York when they adopted their case and declared their solidarity with the tribe;s case.

The World Aid Organization collectively sought to raise the awareness of the international community and shoulder the tribe with humanitarian support and that it will follow up with them on the status .

The Head of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, Hafez Abu Seada “The Egyptian Organization calls upon the High Commissioner for Human Rights, her excellency Mrs. Michel Bachelet, to open an extensive investigation into this tragedy. EOHR also calls upon Mrs. Bachelet to assist it in its efforts to restore the rights of the clan of Al Ghofran as indigenous inhabitants who have been robbed of their nationalities and forcefully displaced enmasse for political reasons, in violation of all international human rights instruments. Finally EOHR expresses its readiness to provide any documents or evidence that the honorable Commission may need in any of the efforts we hope it will take to stop the suffering of the people of forgiveness.”

Dating back to 2017…

The matter on deprivation of unfair detention and unscrupulous behaviours towards tribes was the agenda of the conference held by Qataris that were exiled in London, September. At that time the tribe called on the United Nations Commissioner’s Office and tried to regain their rights.

The tribe described their ordeals to the High Commission and requested them to stand up against the suffering of the citizens who were denied the right to their own homeland and that they would alleviate the conditions of suffering and help them regain their displaced villages.

The requested the council to not only resolve the matter at hand but also create a path where people of the clan did not fear the government and tolerate oppression in silence to protect their parents, relatives back home in Qatar.

The tribe at that time also said the National Human Rights Commission of Qatar was doing more harm then good and becoming an obstacle in receiving justice as the commission of Qatar mostly covers up evidence and spreads false information