(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Qatar has distanced itself from the recent remarks made by noted Doha-based Islamic scholar Dr Yousuf Al Qaradawi against the United Arab Emirates, saying the scholar's views don't represent the official views of the country
Speaking to Qatar TV, Dr Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, Qatar foreign minister, said the UAE-Qatar relations are deep-rooted and will not be affected by what Qaradawi said. He said such statements would not affect the historic ties between the two sister countries
Qaradawi reportedly criticised the UAE in a Friday sermon for supporting the military-led government in Egypt. Dr Al Attiyah's statement is regarded as the first official response by Qatar to Qaradawi's seditious remarks, which he delivered during last Friday's sermon in a Doha mosque. Qaradawi said the UAE stands against each Islamic regime, and hosts Ahmed Shafiq - one of ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak's right hand men
Dr Mohammed bin Huwaiden, Assistant Professor of International Relations and Political Science at the UAE University, said the UAE reacted to the "unfamiliar act" of a GCC country, which allowed a person living on its land to distort the country's image, "particularly this person, who belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood group"
Dr bin Huwaiden said the UAE suffered because of this group, their thoughts and covert actions, referring to the widely-known sedition case of 94 persons
Qaradawi frequently made seditious remarks against the UAE, yet the country exercised self-restraint, "but it will not let anybody to trespass on its sovereignty", Dr bin Huwaidan said
"We deem Qatar as a brotherly country, with which we share political, security, and social relations, and our destiny is one," he said
The UAE, he said, dealt with the situation in a positive manner, and did not take hasty decisions. The country did not blame Qatar officially. Even the UAE local press slammed Qaradawi in his individual capacity, and not Qatar, which is based on the GCC code of honour and ethics
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