When politicians can't make it happen, soccer comes to the rescue. The World Cup Soccer brings together people like nothing else.
Yesterday I got to read up a little bit on the Qatar situation. I have become a little more informed.
This rupture is unnecessary. And I think the Gulf countries ought to mend fences.
When the Arab Spring happened, that was a big event. It would be natural for a news channel like Al Jazeera to give it wide coverage. That is what TV stations do. They cover street protests, and earthquakes, and big events.
The Gulf countries on the two sides of the rupture have remarkably similar political systems. But just like no two countries in Europe have the exact same political system, it is not surprising the Gulf countries have some variations. But I can't imagine the Emir of Qatar wanting to topple the regimes in other Gulf countries.
I also came to learn for the first time that there was a chance Qatar and Bahrain could have been part of the UAE. That is interesting. I think the Gulf countries should mend the rupture and normalize relations and then work towards a Gulf economic union of sorts. That would also require engineering peace in Yemen. I am for peace. Peace is a precondition to prosperity.
I keep learning new things about the political system in the UAE. For example, I thought I guess the monarch of the UAE prefers the title of president. But no, that is a duly elected position.
Just from watching I have become a huge fan of the Arabian headgear. I think I would like to see that on my head.
Talking about political systems, I was recently stunned by the cutting edge nature of the anti-sexual harassment law the UAE has passed. The #metoo movement has been rocking the USA for years, and the US Congress has yet to come up with something like that. That made me ponder. How did this come to be? What was the process that brought the law into existence? Before that when the de facto ruler of the UAE decided just like that that half the parliament in the UAE is going to be female. I did not see the UAE population suffering from hiccups in the aftermath.
I am imagining the president of the UAE has a great listening mechanism. There are great advisory councils. How else do you explain the cutting edge stuff on gender? Also, compare the monarchies in the Gulf to the monarchy in Britain. Queen Elizabeth is not ready to hand over the throne, and she is past 90. Whereas two major countries in the Gulf are run by their crown princes. Saudi Arabia is the big power. And the UAE is the agile power.
I probably know at least 20 times more about the USA than I do about China, and China is right next door to Nepal. I would not be surprised if by now I know a little more about the USA than India. And so when I have tried to learn more about the Gulf, I have found it an exotic experience. But then you keep digging and digging and you come to realize Bollywood is big in Dubai. Ends up Dubai is not some foreign land. It is a homecoming.
I just hope soccer mends fences and the Gulf countries all find a way to come together again. Countries that can tackle the Qatar rupture can hope to bring peace in Yemen. And can tackle Syria and Iran. I would like to see peace between Saudi Arabia and Iran. And if Saudi Arabia and Iran can see peace, they can solve the Palestine problem with ease.
I think peace is possible. It is definitely worth striving for.
Thoughts On The Middle East
Formula For Peace Between Israel And Palestine
The Stupidity Of The Ayodhya Dispute
Saudi-Iran: Imran Is The Only One Who Can
Gulf Cup 2019 https://t.co/SjFPhC7lDX @MKHabtoor @KhalafAlHabtoor @TalalAlMurad @SaifBZayed @JassimAlseddiqi @MustafaKheriba @HamdanMohammed @HazzaBinZayed @wballaa @CICSaudi @SaudiEmbassyUSA @SaudiVision2030 @KSAmofaEN @BadrFAlSaud @sattam_al_saud @Fahd_Alshelaimi #Saudi #Qatar
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) December 5, 2019
Gulf Cup 2019 https://t.co/SjFPhC7lDX @aitmit @jalammar @MOISaudiArabia @KingSalman @AlArabiya @HHShkMohd @mustafa_agha @farisf9 @AlHadath @TamimBinHamad @dubaitourism @dubaiexpo2020 #Saudi #SaudiArabia #Qatar #GulfCup #UAE #Dubai #Expo2020 #princesalman
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) December 5, 2019
NEOM: Governance
