Salam Laekum everyone.

A heresy is a belief that deviates from some standard, official belief. When religious authorities decide that a belief is heretical, they usually take active efforts to eradicate the belief, usually including the removal of the offending believers (by excommunication or worse). Of course, one man’s orthodoxy is another man’s heresy!

Most Christian heresies centered around the twin issues of the nature of the trinity and, more specifically, the nature of Jesus Christ. The official stand on these issues (according to all the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches) are as follows: God is a trinity, three persons but one essence; Jesus Christ was one person, simultaneously human and divine. That these two statements are not particularly rational was considered irrelevant. The trinity was seen as mysterious and a matter of faith, not reason.

What follows are eight heresies, ranging from sects that see Jesus Christ as purely divine, to others which see him as purely human.

Sabellianism: Sabellianism is named for its founder Sabellius (fl. 2nd century). It is sometimes referred to as modalistic monarchianism. The father, son, and holy ghost are three modes, roles, or faces of a single person, God. This, of course, implies that Jesus Christ was purely divine, without humanness, and therefore could not truly have suffered or died.

Docetism: The name comes from the Greek word dokesis, meaning “to seem.” Along the same lines as Sabellianism, Docetism says that Christ was not a real human being and did not have a real human body. He only seemed to be human to us. In a nutshell…

Christ only (no Jesus)

This heresy taught Jesus only appeared to have a body and was not truly incarnate. Docetists viewed matter as inherently evil, and therefore rejected the idea God could actually appear in bodily form. By denying Jesus truly had a body, they also denied He suffered on the cross and rose from the dead.

Leader(s) in the Heresy: Attributed to Gnostics and promoted by the Gospel of Peter

Corrector(s) of the Heresy: Ignatius of Antioch, Irenaeus, and Hippolytus refuted it was condemned at the Council of Chalcedon in 451AD

Monophysitism: Monophysite comes from the Greek words for “one body.” This heresy says that Jesus Christ was a joining of the eternal Logos with the human person Jesus, which occured at incarnation. He therefore is two separate natures joined in one body. Monophysitism is very much alive in several present-day Egyptian and Middle Eastern sects of Christianity.

Jesus
> Jesus Christ
Christ

Adoptionism: Adoptionism says that Jesus was a human being who was “adopted” by God at his conception, at which point he developed a divine nature. Later versions sometimes suggest that he was adopted later, such as when he was baptized by John the Baptist.This heresy denies the pre-existence of Christ and therefore denies His Deity. It taught Jesus was simply a man who was tested by God and after passing the test was given supernatural powers and adopted as a son (this occurred at His baptism). Jesus was then rewarded for all He did (and for His perfect character) with His own resurrection and adoption into the Godhead.

Leader(s) in the Heresy: Theodotus of Byzantium

Corrector(s) of the Heresy: Pope Victor (190-198AD)

Jesus > Christ

Nestorianism: Supposedly, Nestorius, Patriarch of Antioch (fl. 410), believed that Jesus Christ had two natures — man and God — which remained separate throughout his period on earth. This is not really what Nestor said (although he did deny virgin birth) but the name stuck. You can still find a few Nestorian churches in Iran.

Jesus……
Christ……

This heresy taught Mary only gave birth to Jesus’ human nature. The founder of the heresy, Nestorius, did not even want Mary to be called “Mother of God” but instead wanted her to be called “Mother of Christ”. In essence, the heresy maintained Jesus was really two separate persons, and only the human Jesus was in Mary’s womb. If that was true, then Jesus was not God incarnate while in the womb.

Leader(s) in the Heresy: Nestorius of Antioch (Bishop of Constantinople in 428AD)

Corrector(s) of the Heresy: The Council of Ephesus in 431AD

Apollinarianism: Named for Apollinaris of Laodicea (fl. 350), this heresy says that Jesus Christ was not a real man, but not totally divine either. Apollinarians suggested that he had a human body and a human soul, but his mind was taken over by the eternal Logos.
Je(Christ)sus.
This heresy denied the true and complete humanity of Jesus, because it taught He did not have a human mind, but instead had a mind that was completely Divine. The heresy lessened the human nature of Jesus in order to reconcile the manner in which Jesus could be both God and man at the same time.

Leader(s) in the Heresy: Appollinaris the Younger (bishop of Laodicea in Syria), 360AD

Corrector(s) of the Heresy: The Council of Constantinople in 381AD

Arianism: Arianism is named after Arius (c. 250 – c. 336), a priest in Alexandria. This is considered the most serious heresy. Jesus Christ was thought of as a special creation by God for man’s salvation. Arianism was the form of Christianity that the Goths adhered to, and it was popular in all the areas they conquered, including Italy, Spain, and Africa.
This heresy taught Jesus was a “creature” who was “begotten” of the Father. Only God the Father is “un-begotten”. In this view, only the Father is truly God; He was too pure and perfect to appear here on earth, so He created the Son as His first creation. The Son then created the universe. God then adopted Jesus as a son (because, after all Jesus and God are not supposed to have the same nature in this view). Jesus was worshipped only because of His preeminence as the first creation.

Leader(s) in the Heresy: Arius of Alexandria Egypt (250-336AD)

Corrector(s) of the Heresy: The Council of Nicaea in 325AD. The Nicene Creed was written to respond to this heresy.

Socianism: A version of Arianism called Socianism (from the Latin socius, meaning “companion), simply says that Jesus was an extraordinary man. This heresy still lives on in two very different forms, the Unitarians and the Jehova’s Witnesses.

Jesus only (no Christ)

Other Heresies

Not all heresies focussed on the issues of the trinity and Christ’s nature. Here are the leading examples.

Donatism: Named for its leader, the theologian Donatus the Great (d. 355), Donatism included a group of extremist sects, mostly in North Africa, that emphasized asceticism. They valued martyrdom, found lapses of faith (even under torture or threat of death) inexcusable, and believed that the sacraments required a pure priest to be effective.

See Also: https://knowislam.com.ng/2017/06/12/2433/

Pelagianism: Another group of sects, centered in Gaul, Britain, and Ireland, is associated with the Irish monk Pelagius (fl. 410). He believed that original sin was not transmitted from Adam and Eve to their children (and thereby to us). Baptism was not considered necessary, and people could be “saved” by their own efforts, that is, they did not necessarily require the grace of God. Many modern liberal Christians agee with Pelagius.

Gnosticism: Discussed in my article on Roman philosophy and religion, the Christian versions were, obviously, considered serious heresies. Gnosticism has never entirely disappeared, and can be seen in the traditions of Alchemy and Astrology, and even in modern times in the works of Carl Jung.

Manicheanism: Also discussed in that article, Manicheanism is actually a separate religion which blends Christianity with Gnosticism, Mithraism, neo-Platonism, and even Buddhism. Again, it was considered a very serious heresy. It survived well into the Middle Ages, where it strongly influenced the Bogomils in the Balkans and the Cathars in southern France.

The Bulgarian Heresy: This heresy is worth a few extra paragraphs!

In the 10th century, there arose in Bulgaria a gnostic heresy credited to a priest by the name of Bogomil. The beliefs of the Bogomils, as they were called, were adoptionist, meaning that they considered Jesus to have been “adopted” by God at the time of his baptism, but did not consider him to be a part of a trinity. Neither did they consider Mary in any way the mother of God.

See Also: https://knowislam.com.ng/2017/06/12/gaddafis-prophecy-on-qatars-diplomatic-crisis/

Simplicity and strict adherence characterized their practices, with priests elected from their own groups and congregations meeting at homes rather than churches. Infant baptism was not practiced, marriage was not considered a sacrament, and saints were considered false idols.

The heresy had a strong Manichean flavor to it. They believed that God had two sons, Michael and Satan. Satan created the material world and attempted to create Adam, but was unable to create a soul. God added the soul to Adam, but mankind was bound in service to Satan. Michael came to earth in the form of the holy spirit, which entered into Jesus. As Christ, he broke the original agreement which bound mankind to Satan. But it was Satan who orchestrated the crucifixion, and he is still working to recapture mankind by means of the mainstream churches.

The basic ideas of this Bulgarian heresy spread rapidly west, through northern Italy to Southern France. There, the believers called themselves Cathars, from the Greek word meaning pure. Others called them Albigensians, after the town of Albi, or Bougres, for Bulgarians. This last name is the source of the word bugger, due to accusations of sodomy.

Even stricter than the Bogomils, the Cathars attempted to live simple, exemplary lives, with the most serious believers refraining from sex and other physical pleasures. Many adopted strict veganism. They had only one sacrament, the consolamentum, which was something of a last rites in which sin was removed.

The Cathars believed that the God of the old testament was actually Satan, and that he was responsible for the creation of the material world. Jesus was therefore purely spirit (Docetism), since he would have been tainted if he had had a real body. By purity of living, anyone could cast off the physical body and awaken in heaven. The impure were doomed to rebirth into this physical world. One interesting side effect of this belief was that women were treated as equal to men, since we have all been men or women at some time in our past lives.

The Bogomils and the Cathars were harshly persecuted by the Orthodox church in the east and the Catholic church in the west. By the 14th century, the Bulgarians were absorbed by the Islamic Ottoman Empire, and the Cathars were virtually eliminated by Crusades and the Inquisition. They had laid the foundations, however, for the Reformation.

In our world today, if we bring out 10christians, we will find out that it would be hard to see one agree completely to what the other believes. Don’t be surprised as this article has shown that for centuries, Christians have been confused on whom Jesus truly is which is a failure from the part of the Holy Spirit whom they call the Spirit of Truth.

John 16:13King James Version (KJV)

13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

However, we Muslims are not surprised.

Allah SWT said

وَلَقَدۡ اَخَذَ اللّٰهُ مِيۡثَاقَ بَنِىۡۤ اِسۡرآءِيۡلَ​ۚ وَبَعَثۡنَا مِنۡهُمُ اثۡنَىۡ عَشَرَ نَقِيۡبًا​ ؕ وَقَالَ اللّٰهُ اِنِّىۡ مَعَكُمۡ​ؕ لَـئِنۡ اَقَمۡتُمُ الصَّلٰوةَ وَاٰتَيۡتُمُ الزَّكٰوةَ وَاٰمَنۡتُمۡ بِرُسُلِىۡ وَعَزَّرۡتُمُوۡهُمۡ وَاَقۡرَضۡتُمُ اللّٰهَ قَرۡضًا حَسَنًا لَّاُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنۡكُمۡ سَيِّاٰتِكُمۡ وَلَاُدۡخِلَـنَّكُمۡ جَنّٰتٍ تَجۡرِىۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِهَا الۡاَنۡهٰرُ​ۚ فَمَنۡ كَفَرَ بَعۡدَ ذٰ لِكَ مِنۡكُمۡ فَقَدۡ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ السَّبِيۡلِ

Quran 5:14
SAHIH INTERNATIONAL
And from those who say, “We are Christians” We took their covenant; but they forgot a portion of that of which they were reminded. So We caused among them animosity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection. And Allah is going to inform them about what they used to do.

Funsho Animashaun @ knowislam.com.ng

Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader was deposed and killed on October 20, 2011. That same year, he addressed Qatar. Below is the transcript of his speech;

 

” Our brothers in Qatar, is this the end of it?

Is that the friendship we had between us?

You go against us in everything?

Instead of standing with us, you go against us, for whose benefit? By God, for whose benefit?

You may regret this when it is too late. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

Who are you?”

 

Today, Qatar’s diplomatic crisis attests to the truth in his speech. Below is the video of his speech;

 

Salam alaekum everyone.

Islam honours women greatly. It honours women as mothers who must be respected, obeyed and treated with kindness. Pleasing one’s mother is regarded as part of pleasing Allaah. Islam tells us that Paradise lies at the mother’s feet, i.e. that the best way to reach Paradise is through one’s mother. And Islam forbids disobeying one’s mother or making her angry, even by saying a mild word of disrespect. The mother’s rights are greater than those of the father, and the duty to take care of her grows greater as the mother grows older and weaker. All of that is mentioned in many texts of the Qur’aan and Sunnah Prophetic traditions).

For example, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents”

[al-Ahqaaf 46:15]

“And your Lord has decreed that you wor`ship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour.

And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young’”

[al-Isra’ 17:23, 24]

Ibn Maajah (2781) narrated that Mu’aawiyah ibn Jaahimiah al-Sulami (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allaah, I want to go for jihad (battle) with you, seeking thereby the Face of Allaah and the Hereafter. He said, “Woe to you! Is your mother still alive?” I said, Yes. He said, “Go back and honour her.” Then I approached him from the other side and said: O Messenger of Allaah, I want to go for jihad with you, seeking thereby the Face of Allaah and the Hereafter. He said, “Woe to you! Is your mother still alive?” I said, Yes. He said, “Go back and honour her.” Then I approached him from in front and said, O Messenger of Allaah, I want to go for jihad with you, seeking thereby the Face of Allaah and the Hereafter. He said, “Woe to you! Is your mother still alive?” I said, Yes. He said, “Go back and honour her (lit. stay by her feet), for there is Paradise.”

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah. It was also narrated by al-Nasaa’i with the words: “Stay with her for Paradise is beneath her feet.”

Al-Bukhaari (5971) and Muslim (2548) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: A man came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, who is most deserving of my good company?” He said: “Your mother.” He said: “Then who?” He said: “Your mother.” He said: “Then who?” He said: “Your mother.” He said: “Then who?” He said: “Then your father.”

Can a Woman Who Adheres to Hijab Be Liberated?

Can a religion that considers morality to be a part of faith clearly define the equality of men and women and their rights and responsibilities? The answer is a resounding “yes.” In a day and age when the basic tenets of Islam are being questioned by Muslim and non-Muslim alike, we must be cautious when evaluating Islam.

The general picture that is painted by the media is biased and unsubstantiated. The impression that some Muslims give to the world is often not a true reflection of the religion, one that is the completion of all religions. Islam, the religion for all people in all places and times, which takes the equality of men and women very seriously. It sees the liberation of women as essential and considers modesty, good character, and manners to be the way to achieve such liberation.

Too often, the image of a covered woman is used to represent what much of the world views as oppression. Her very existence is described in terms that convey ignorance and unhappiness. Words like “beaten,” “repressed” and “oppressed” are bandied about by the Western media in a desperate attempt to convince the readers that women in Islam have no rights. Descriptive and intrinsically oppressive terms such as “shrouded” and “shackled” are used to portray an image of women who have no minds and who are the slaves or possessions of their husbands and fathers. In the 19th century, T. E. Lawrence described women in Arabia as “death taking a walk,” and from that time forward, the true status of women in Islam has been shrouded by misunderstanding. The truth about women and Islam is far from this melodramatic portrayal.

Over 1,400 years ago, Islam raised the status of women from a position of oppression to one of liberation and equality. In an era when women were considered possessions, Islam restored women to a position of dignity.

In order to gain a true insight into the real and lasting liberation that Islam guarantees women, we must first examine the concept of liberation as viewed by the West. In Western countries where liberation encompasses unlimited freedom, many women are actually finding themselves living lives that are unsatisfying and meaningless. In their quest for liberation, they have abandoned the ideals of morality and stability and found themselves in marriages and families that bear little resemblance to real life.

What is liberating about working all day and coming home at night to the housework? What is liberating about having babies who, at six weeks old can be deposited in childcare centers to learn their behavior and morality from strangers? Girls as young as 6 years old have been diagnosed with eating disorders, teenage pregnancy is rampant, and women who choose to stay at home to raise their families are viewed as old fashioned or unemployable.

Women in the West are liberated: liberated to the point that they are no longer free to choose the life that is natural for them. They are free only to choose from the selection of consumer goods offered to them by their masters. The so-called liberated women of the West have become slaves. Slaves to the economic system, slaves to the fashion and beauty industries, and slaves to a society that views them as brainless machines, taught to look desirable, earn money, and shop. Even the career woman who has managed to push her way through the glass ceiling is a slave to the consumer society, which requires her to reside in a spacious house, wear only the latest designer clothes, drive a luxurious car, and educate her children at the most exclusive and expensive schools.

Is This Liberation?

The natural inclination of women is to please, comfort, and support their men: their husbands, fathers, brothers, or sons. The natural inclination of men is to protect, support, and provide for the women lawfully in their lives: wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters. Islam, the only true religion and infallible guide to life, requires that we follow such natural inclinations. It allows us to abandon ideas that are intrinsically foreign to human nature and supports us in developing and sustaining natural family relationships that spread out to form part of the wider Muslim community.

A Muslim woman knows her place in society and knows her place in the family infrastructure. Her religion is her first priority; therefore, her role is clear-cut and defined. A Muslim woman, far from being oppressed, is a woman who is liberated in the true sense of the word. She is a slave to no man or to any economic system; rather, she is the slave of God. Islam clearly defines women’s rights and responsibilities spiritually, socially, and economically. Islam’s clear-cut guidelines are empowering; they raise women to a natural and revered position.

Women in Islam have no need to protest and demonstrate for equal rights. They have no need to live their lives aimlessly acquiring possessions and money. With the perfection of Islam as the natural and only true religion came the undeniable fact that women and men are equal, partners and protectors of one another.

“So their Lord accepted from them; Never will I allow to be lost the work of any of you, be they male or female. You are of one another; so those who emigrated or were driven out from their homes, who suffered harm in My cause, and fought and were killed, I will verily expiate from them their evil deeds and admit them into gardens under which rivers flow: a reward from God; and with God is the best rewards.” (Quran 3:195)

“And whoever does righteous good deeds, male or female, and is a true believer in the Oneness of Allah, such will enter paradise; and not the least injustice, even to the size of a speck on the back of a date stone, will be done to them.” (Quran 4:124)

Women in Islam have the right to own property, to control their own money or money that they earn, to buy and sell, and to give gifts and charity. They have formal rights of inheritance. They have the right to an education; seeking and acquiring knowledge is an obligation on all Muslims, male or female. Married Muslim women are completely free from the obligation of supporting and maintaining the family, yet may work if they wish too.

They are in no way forced into marriage, but have the right to accept or refuse a proposal as they see fit. Women in Islam have the right to seek divorce if it becomes necessary, as they also have the right to save their marriages.

Islam teaches that the family is the core of society. In Western cultures, the fabric of society is being torn apart by the breakdown of the family unit. It is in these crumbling communities that the call for the liberation of women arises. It seems to be a misguided and feeble attempt to find a path of security and safety. Such security is available only when the human being turns back to God and accepts the role for which he or she was created.

Liberation means freedom, but not the freedom to do as one pleases. Freedom must never be at the expense of oneself or of the wider community. When a woman fulfills the role for which she was created, not only is she liberated but she is empowered.

The modestly dressed or covered woman you see in the street is liberated. She is liberated from the shackles that have tied the feet of her Western counterparts. She is liberated from the economic slavery of the West, and she is liberated from the necessity of managing a house and family without the support of her husband or the help of a wider community. She lives her life based on divine guidelines; her life is filled with peace, happiness, and strength. She is not afraid of the world, but rather embraces its tests and trials with patience and fortitude, secure in the fact that true liberation is only achieved by full and willing submission to the natural order of the universe.

Oppression is not defined by a piece of material, but rather by a sickening of the heart and a weakening of the mind. Oppression grows in a society that is crumbling because its members have lost sight of the true purpose of their existence. Liberation arises and takes root in a society that is just, cohesive, and based on natural order and divine guidelines. Islam is such a society, and this is what makes a Muslim woman is liberated.

One of the rights which Islam gives to the mother is that her son should spend on her if she needs that support, so long as he is able and can afford it. Hence for many centuries it was unheard of among the people of Islam for a mother to be left in an old-people’s home or for a son to kick her out of the house, or for her sons to refuse to spend on her, or for her to need to work in order to eat and drink if her sons were present.

Islam also honours women as wives. Islam urges the husband to treat his wife in a good and kind manner, and says that the wife has rights over the husband like his rights over her, except that he has a degree over her, because of his responsibility of spending and taking care of the family’s affairs. Islam states that the best of the Muslim men is the one who treats his wife in the best manner, and the man is forbidden to take his wife’s money without her consent. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“and live with them honourably”

[al-Nisa’ 4:19]

“And they (women) have rights similar (to those of their husbands) over them to what is reasonable, but men have a degree (of responsibility) over them. And Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise”

[al-Baqarah 2:228]

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I urge you to treat women well.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 331; Muslim, 1468.

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best of you is the one who is best to his wife, and I am the best of you to my wives.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3895; Ibn Maajah, 1977; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

And Islam honours women as daughters, and encourages us to raise them well and educate them. Islam states that raising daughters will bring a great reward. For example, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever takes care of two girls until they reach adulthood, he and I will come like this on the Day of Resurrection,” and he held his fingers together. Narrated by Muslim, 2631.

Ibn Maajah (3669) narrated that ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Whoever has three daughters and is patient towards them, and feeds them, gives them to drink and clothes them from his riches, they will be a shield for him from the Fire on the Day of Resurrection.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.

Islam honours women as sisters and as aunts. Islam enjoins upholding the ties of kinship and forbids severing those ties in many texts. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O people! Spread (the greeting of) salaam, offer food (to the needy), uphold the ties of kinship, and pray at night when people are sleeping, and you will enter Paradise in peace.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 3251; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.

Al-Bukhaari (5988) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah, may He be exalted, said to the ties of kinship: ‘Whoever upholds you, I will support him, and whoever breaks you, I will cut him off.’”

All of these qualities may co-exist in a single woman: she may be a wife, a daughter, a mother, a sister, an aunt, so she may be honoured in all these ways.

To conclude: Islam raised the status of women, and made them equal with men in most rulings. So women, like men, are commanded to believe in Allaah and to worship Him. And women are made equal to men in terms of reward in the Hereafter. Women have the right to express themselves, to give sincere advice, to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, and to call people to Allaah. Women have the right to own property, to buy and sell, to inherit, to give charity and to give gifts. It is not permissible for anyone to take a woman’s wealth without her consent. Women have the right to a decent life, without facing aggression or being wronged. Women have the right to be educated; in fact it is obligatory to teach them what they need to know about their religion.

Anyone who compares the rights of women in Islam with their situation during the Jaahiliyyah (pre-Islamic days of ignorance)or in other civilizations will understand that what we are saying is true. In fact we are certain that women are given the greatest honour in Islam.

There is no need for us to mention the situation of women in Greek, Persian or Jewish society, but even Christian societies had a bad attitude towards women. The theologians even gathered at the Council of Macon to discuss whether a woman was merely a body or a body with a soul. They thought it most likely that women did not have a soul that could be saved, and they made an exception only in the case of Mary (Maryam – peace be upon her).

The French held a conference in 586 CE to discuss whether women had souls or not, and if they had souls, were these souls animal or human? In the end, they decided that they were human! But they were created to serve men only.

See Also: https://knowislam.com.ng/2017/06/11/dear-christians-please-ask-yourself/

During the time of Henry VIII, the English Parliament issued a decree forbidding women to read the New Testament because they were regarded as impure.

Until 1805, English law allowed a man to sell his wife, and set a wife’s price at six pennies.

In the modern age, women were kicked out of the house at the age of eighteen so that they could start working to earn a bite to eat. If a woman wanted to stay in the house, she had to pay her parents rent for her room and pay for her food and laundry.

See ‘Awdat al-Hijaab, 2/47-56.

How can this compare to Islam which enjoins honouring and kind treatment of women, and spending on them?

Secondly:

With regard to the changes in these rights throughout the ages, the basic principles have not changed, but with regard to the application of these principles, there can be no doubt that during the golden age of Islam, the Muslims applied the sharee’ah (Islamic law) of their Lord more, and the rulings of this sharee’ah include honouring one’s mother and treating one’s wife, daughter, sister and women in general in a kind manner. The weaker religious commitment grew, the more these rights were neglected, but until the Day of Resurrection there will continue to be a group who adheres to their religion and applies the sharee’ah (laws) of their Lord. These are the people who honour women the most and grant them their rights.

Despite the weakness of religious commitment among many Muslims nowadays, women still enjoy a high status, whether as daughters, wives or sisters, whilst we acknowledge that there are shortcomings, wrongdoing and neglect of women’s rights among some people, but each one will be answerable for himself.

References:

Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid (Islam Q&A)

Aisha Stacey (How Islam truly liberates women.)

Funsho Animashaun @ knowislam.com.ng

The latest news after Arab Gulf countries cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and suspended Doha-bound flights.

Summary

• Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Yemen, eastern government of Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, and Senegal cut diplomatic ties with Qatar
• Jordan and Djibouti downgrade diplomatic relations with Qatar
• US: No change planned for military base
• Qatari aviation, exports, banks affected

The latest developments since four Arab countries cut ties with Qatar on June 5. (All times local.)

To jump to the first update on Monday morning, click here

9:00 am: Qatar finance minister says economy can survive sanctions

• Ali Sherif al-Emadi told CNBC that the economy of gas-rich Qatar, which has significant reserves and investment funds, will not be harmed by sanctions.
• “We are extremely comfortable with our positions, our investments and liquidity in our systems,” he said.
• He explained that the countries sanctioning Qatar would also lose money because of damage to business in the region. “If we’re going to lose a dollar, they will lose a dollar also,” he said.

8:00 am: Pakistan PM heads to Saudi Arabia

• Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is travelling to Riyadh on Monday in context of the “situation among GCC countries”, his office announced.

• On Thursday, Pakistan’s lower house of parliament expressed “deep concern”, calling on all parties “to show restraint and resolve all differences through dialogue”.

• On Sunday, Pakistan’s Foreign Office denied reports that Pakistani troops had been deployed to Qatar to support a Turkish troop contingent as “part of a malicious campaign aimed at creating misunderstanding between Pakistan and brotherly Muslim countries in the Gulf”.

5:30am: Qatari human rights organisation denounces blockade

• Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) says the moves against the country by Arab countries constitute human rights violations.

• “The NHRC adds that the siege of Qatar constitutes international human rights crimes and is not only a gross violation of the rights of Gulf citizens [both Qatari and non-Qatari], but also the rights of expat residents in the state of Qatar.”

03:00am Monday: Qatar denounces Gulf states’ ‘policy of domination’

• A senior counter-terrorism adviser to Qatar’s foreign minister has hit out at the diplomatic squeeze on Doha by several Gulf states, calling it a “policy of domination and control”.

• Mutlaq al-Qahtani, a special envoy to Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said the decision to sever ties by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt – as well as other allies – over Qatar’s alleged funding of armed groups would not prove successful.

11:50pm: Qatar inaugurates direct maritime service between Hamad Port and Oman’s Sohar Port

• Qatar Ports Management has launched a new direct service linking Hamad port in the Qatari capital with Sohar Port in the Sultanate of Oman.
• At a press conference held at Hamad Port, Qatar Ports Management said: “In light of the recent developments in the region, Mwani Qatar (Qatar Ports Management) and its partners have ensured the business continuity of its ports and shipping operations in and out of Qatar to mitigate the impact of any action that would affect the imports and exports to and from the country.”
• The service will operate three times a week and journey’s will take up to one and a half days.

10:20pm: FIFA President says Qatar World Cup is not under threat

• FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said he does not believe the diplomatic crisis which involves 2022 World Cup host nation Qatar will threaten its hosting of the tournament.
• In an interview published in Swiss newspapers Le Matin Dimanche and Sonntagszeitung, Infantino said he expects the diplomatic situation will be back to normal by the time the tournament is played in five and a half years time.
• Infantino said that FIFA was watching the situation and was in regular contact with the Qatari authorities.

9:55pm: Qatar allows residents from boycotting states to stay

• Nationals of countries that cut diplomatic ties with Qatar this week are free to remain in the Gulf state.
• There is no change in policy towards the nationals of “brotherly and friendly countries which cut or reduced diplomatic relations following the malicious and hostile campaigns against Qatar,” Qatar’s state news agency (QNA) reports.

8:35pm: Iran sends warships to Oman amid Gulf dispute

• Iran is sending two warships to Oman before they start their mission in international waters near the coast of Yemen, the country’s navy says.
• The two ships, an Alborz destroyer and a Bushehr logistics warship, will go to the north of the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.
• The Gulf of Aden is a strategic shipping lane which connects the Indian ocean with the Red Sea and Suez Canal.

8:20pm: Iraq: Qatari ‘ransom’ money with us, not armed groups

• Iraq’s prime minister has rejected Saudi and UAE media claims that a $500m ransom was paid by Qatar to Shia Muslim armed groups in Iraq to secure the release of 26 kidnapped Qatari hunters.
• Haider al-Abadi said the money was received by the Iraqi government and that the sum was still in the Iraqi central bank.
• He added that the money was “never cashed out.”

7:45pm: Qatar’s NHRC: Hotline for mixed-families a face-saving act 

• Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee has called a Saudi, UAE and Bahrain initiative to assist mixed-citizenship families who face the prospect of being split up, a “face-saving” exercise.
• It said a hotline set up by the three countries to assist mixed Qatari families who faced the prospect of deportation and expulsion was “too vague to have any practical impact” and was “void of a mechanism to be of assistance to those affected.”
• It called for an end to the blockade on Qatar and urged the countries to abide by international human rights treaties.

4:55pm: US and Russia call for dialogue over Qatar-GCC dispute

• US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov call for dialogue over Qatar-GCC dispute.
• Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the two leaders spoke on the phone and “discussed the consequences of the decision by a number of Arab countries to break diplomatic ties with Qatar.”
• It noted that “Sergey Lavrov and Rex Tillerson pointed to the need of resolving disagreements through negotiations and expressed their willingness to contribute to such efforts.”

4:35pm: Qatar hosted Taliban ‘at request of US government’

• Qatar hosted the Taliban at the request of the US government, the special envoy on counterterrorism for Qatar’s foreign minister told Al Jazeera.
• Mutlaw Al Qahtani said the Gulf country hosted the Taliban “by request by the US government” and as part of Qatar’s “open-door policy, to facilitate talks, to mediate and to bring peace”.
• He added that Qatar “was facilitating the talks between the Americans, the Taliban and the government of Afghanistan”.
• The Taliban opened its “political office” in Qatar in 2013.

3:13pm: Inside Story – Blockade on Qatar ‘toying’ with people’s lives

• Human rights group Amnesty International has condemned the blockade taken by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain against Qatar, saying the countries are toying with the lives of thousands of Gulf residents as part of their dispute with Qatar.
• On Monday, the three Gulf countries ordered Qatari nationals to leave their countries within 14 days.
• Their citizens were also given the same time to leave Qatar. As a result, hundreds of mixed-families are facing the grim prospect of being separated from their loved ones.
• The US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has urged Saudi Arabia and its allies to ease their blockade on Qatar, saying it is causing unintended humanitarian consequences.
• So, how can human rights be protected in the political crisis? Watch Inside Story here.

2:55pm – Kuwait: Qatar ready to heal Gulf rift

• Kuwait on Sunday said that Qatar is willing to hold a dialogue with Gulf Arab countries that cut ties with it and was ready to listen to their concerns, in the latest twist of a major diplomatic rift.
• “(Kuwait) affirms the readiness of the brothers in Qatar to understand the reality of the qualms and concerns of their brothers and to heed the noble endeavours to enhance security and stability,” Kuwait’s state-run KUNA news agency quoted Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah as saying on Sunday.

12:25pm – Ethiopia support Kuwait’s mediation initiative

• Ethiopia said it backs Kuwait’s mediation efforts to end the Qatar-Gulf diplomatic dispute, adding it will play a constructive role for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
• In a statement carried by state media on Saturday, Ethiopia’s foreign ministry said it did not support any kind of negative media reports that incite instability in countries.
• The ministry also said it will continue working together with countries to fight against the “global threat of terrorism”.
• Kuwait and Oman, also members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, did not join Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in severing ties with Qatar. In recent days, Kuwait’s emir, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, has held talks with Gulf leaders as part of an initiative to resolve the crisis.

11:45am – Qatar’s charity body denies ‘terrorism’ allegations

The official overseer of Qatar’s charities rejected allegations that charitable groups in the country supported “terrorism” following the release of a blacklist by four Arab countries.

“The Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities (RACA) deplores the accusation that Qatari humanitarian organisations support terrorism,” the body said in an official statement on Sunday.

RACA has succeeded in protecting NGOs based in Doha “from the risk of being exploited to launder money and finance terrorism”, it said, adding that it is prepared to take legal action against the Arab states to protect the humanitarian work its charities do.

10:21am – Iran Air says five planes of food have arrived to Qatar

• Iran’s national carrier says that five planes of food exports, including fruit and vegetables, have been sent to Qatar, which has been hit by a land, air and sea blockade imposed by three Arab Gulf countries.

• Each aircraft carried around 90 tonnes of cargo, “while another plane will be sent today,” Iran Air spokesman Shahrokh Noushabadi told the AFP news agency on Sunday.
• Three ships loaded with 350 tonnes of food were also set to leave an Iranian port for Qatar, the Tasnim news agency quoted a local official as saying.
• Food imports were affected after Saudi Arabia ordered the closure of Qatar’s only land border.
• Qatar, which relies heavily on food imports, assured residents it has taken measures to ensure that normal life continues.

8:49am – Gulf countries announce hotline for mixed Qatari families

• Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which have cut ties with Qatar, announced via state media on Sunday the creation of hotlines to help families with Qatari members.
• The statements carried by their official news agencies did not specify what services the hotline would provide.
• The moves against Qatar include a land, air and sea blockade, as well as a ban on Qatari citizens from entering the three countries. Qatari nationals were also ordered to leave within 14 days, leaving hundreds of mixed-citizenship Qatari couples with the grim prospect of being split from their families.
• Amnesty International criticised the measures as sweeping and arbitrary and said they had split up families and destroyed peoples’ livelihoods and education. Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee has also said that the Saudi-led move went far beyond a simple diplomatic dispute and will break up families and disrupt young people’s education.

7:37am – Turkish PM warns of global consequences

• Binali Yildirim, Turkey’s prime minister, said on Saturday the diplomatic crisis in the Gulf could turn into a global problem if tensions flare.
• “A new problem area that may be created here [in Qatar] would not be limited inside the region,” Yildirim told a fast-breaking dinner in Istanbul.
• “The risk of this issue becoming a global problem is very high due to the geostrategic nature of the region. We call on the parties in the tension to act responsibly and contribute to reducing the tension rather than increasing it”.
• Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has previously requested the full removal of a Saudi-led blockade of Qatar and has approved the deployment of Turkish troops there.

7:25am – Qatar to hire international law firm to seek reparations for those hit from blockade

• Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) is working to hire an international law firm to handle cases related to Qatari and Gulf Cooperation Council citizens who sought legal help after being affected by the blockade and embargo imposed on Qatar.
• Ali bin Sumaikh Al Marri, NHRC chairman, said the law firm will sue and request damages from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain at national courts, Qatar News Agency reported.

2:17am – Reported blocking of Qatari pilgrim at the Holy Mosque condemnded

• The Al Sharq newspaper reported Qatar’s National Commission for Human Rights (NHRC) received a complaint from a Qatari citizen that Qatari pilgrims were barred from entering the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca.
• Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri, the NHRC head, called the reported incident a flagrant violation of the right to practise religious rites as permitted by human rights conventions.

1:40am – Qatar will not expel nationals from countries that cut ties

• Nationals of countries that cut diplomatic ties with Qatar this week are free to remain in the Gulf state in line with existing regulations, according to a statement carried by Qatar state news agency.
• The statement, attributed to the Ministry of Interior, said there was no change in policy toward the nationals of “brotherly and friendly countries which cut or reduced diplomatic relations following the malicious and hostile campaigns against Qatar”.

1:10am – Qatari Foreign Minister: Hamas is a legitimate resistance group

• Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, foreign minister of Qatar, has said Hamas is a “legitimate resistance movement” and “not a terrorist organisation as viewed by the US”.
• “We do not support Hamas, we support the Palestinian people,” he said.

12:48am – Sunday, June 11 – Hamas: Arab differences are internal affairs

• Musa Abu Marzouk, senior Hamas leader, commenting on the Gulf diplomatic crisis, has said that “Arab differences are internal affairs”.
• “The Hamas focus will remain directed towards Palestine and Jerusalem, and towards national unity and the cohesion of the Palestinian people,” Marzouk, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, told a press conference in Beirut after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
• Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain on Monday cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar accusing Doha of supporting “terrorists” – a charge Qatar denies.
• “It is supposed that no one should differ over supporting the Palestinian cause,” he said, adding that “our weapons will remain directed solely at the Zionist enemy [Israel] which we will continue to resist”.

6.59pm – Russia calls for dialogue to solve Gulf dispute

• Russia called Saturday for dialogue to resolve the dispute between Qatar and its Gulf neighbours.
• “We cannot be happy in a situation when the relations between our partners are worsening,” Lavrov said.
• “We are in favour of resolving any disagreements through … dialogue.”
• Russia is “ready to try to do everything in its power” to help resolve the crisis.

6:24pm – German FM warns Gulf crisis could lead to war

• The dispute between Qatar and other Arab states could lead to war, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told a newspaper on Saturday, adding that he still saw a chance to defuse the tension.
• “There is a danger that this dispute could lead to war,” Gabriel told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, citing what he called a “dramatic” harshness in relations between allied and neighbouring countries in the Gulf.
• The minister said personal talks this week with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, and phone calls with the foreign ministers of Iran and Kuwait underscored his concerns.
• “After my talks this week, I know how serious the situation is, but I believe there are also good chances to make progress.”

4:13pm – Turkey: Qatar military base for the security of entire Gulf region

• Turkey’s military base in Qatar is aimed at contributing to the security of the entire Gulf region and not aimed at a specific Gulf state, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday.
• In a joint news conference with Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Khalid bin Al Khalifa, Cavusoglu said Turkey would continue its efforts to resolve the Gulf dispute.
• Cavusoglu also said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the Bahraini foreign minister that the dispute between Qatar and other Arab states should be resolved by the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

3:30pm – Qatar Petroleum says business as usual despite diplomatic rift

• Qatar Petroleum (QP) said on Saturday that it was conducting “business as usual” throughout its upstream, midstream and downstream operations, despite rising diplomatic tensions with its Gulf neighbours.
• QP was prepared to take any “necessary decisions and measures, should the need arise, to ensure that it honored commitments to customers and partners”, the statement said.
• Qatar is the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer and accounts for more than 30 percent of global trade.

3:22pm – Egypt’s Sisi praises Trump’s stance on Qatar

• Egypt President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has praised US President Donald Trump for his role in “the formation of a united front to combat terrorism”.
• Sisi’s praise-filled phone call Saturday came after Trump echoed accusations made against Qatar by a Saudi-led group that cut diplomatic ties with Qatar earlier this week.

• Sisi thanked Trump for his participation in a counterterrorism summit in Riyadh last May, in which he vowed to “fight terrorism in partnership with Middle East leaders”.

2:17pm – Niger recalls ambassador to Doha

• Niger announced it had recalled its ambassador to Qatar following the latest developments in the Gulf.
• The foreign ministry issued a statement expressing “its solidarity” with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their allies, which on Monday severed diplomatic with Doha, accusing it of supporting “extremists” – a charge strongly denied by Qatar.

1:05pm – Qatari FM in Moscow for talks with Russian counterpart

• After holding talks in Germany on Friday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s foreign minister, met with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow.
• The two diplomats are not expected to hold a press conference after the talks, but spoke briefly in front of cameras at the start of their meeting.
• Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said only dialogue will resolve the dispute, adding that “the Gulf Cooperation Council is the right platform to achieve this”.
• For his part, Lavrov also called for talks to end the crisis. “We call for all contradictions to be resolved at the negotiation table through a mutually respectful dialogue,” the Russian foreign minister said, adding that Arab states should unite to effectively fight “terrorism”.
• “As a matter of policy we do not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries or their bilateral relations with each other. But it does not give us joy when relations between our partners deteriorate,” Lavrov said.
• “The position of Russia and the moment seems to be ‘yes, we’ll listen to you but we don’t want to take sides,'” Al Jazeera’s Rory Challands, reporting from Moscow.

11:33am – Saudi Arabia welcomes Trump’s remarks, does not respond to Tillerson call

• With the US administration sending mixed signals in regards to its stance to the crisis, Saudi Arabia, via a statement on its state media, welcomed US President Donald Trump’s call on Qatar and other countries to increase their efforts against “terrorism”, but did not respond to a state department request to ease pressure on its neighbour.
• Just minutes before Trump’s speech on Friday, Rex Tillerson, the US secretary of state, had urged Saudi Arabia and its allies to ease their blockade on Qatar, saying it is causing unintended humanitarian consequences and affecting the US-led fight against ISIL.
• Tillerson also said that Qatar has a history of supporting groups across a wide political spectrum, including those that engage in violence, and that the emir of Qatar had made progress in halting financial support for “terrorism” but that he must do more.
• A separate report on Saudi’s state-run news agency SPA acknowledged Tillerson’s call for Qatar to curtail support for “terrorism”, but did not mention his remarks that the crisis was hurting ordinary Qataris, impairing business activities and harming the fight against ISIL.

10:50am – Qatar row ‘no impact’ on global oil pact

• Khalid al-Falih, Saudi Arabia’s energy minister, said the decision by the kingdom and some of its allies to severe ties with Qatar this week would not affect a pact by global oil producers to reduce output.
• “I don’t expect the diplomatic and political issues that have surfaced with Qatar to have any impact whatsoever on the oil production agreement,” Falih told reporters in Kazakhstan.

6:58am – Merkel calls for regional cooperation

• German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her concern about the situation in Qatar, saying that all Gulf countries, and also Iran and Turkey, should work together to end the regional crisis.
• “We have to see that the political solution of conflicts … such as the situation in Syria, such as the situation in Libya or the situation in Iraq, won’t happen if certain players are no longer even included in the conversation, and that includes Qatar, it includes Turkey, it includes Iran,” said Merkel, speaking alongside Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto during a visit to Mexico City.
• Merkel said she wanted the balance of power to be maintained “sensibly” in the region, and that security would be on the agenda when G20 leaders meet next month in the German city of Hamburg.

4:20am – Saturday, June 10 – Eritrea rejects severing Qatar ties

• Eritrea declined a request by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.
• The African nation’s foreign ministry said in a statement it “rejected” the demand to cut ties “with brother Doha”.
• It said Eritrea had “strong ties with the brother people of Qatar”, and it was “impossible to cut ties”.

11:30pm – Erdogan says Turkey won’t leave Qatar isolated

• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed his backing for Qatar in its dispute with other Gulf nations, saying Turkey would never leave the country isolated.
• Delivering a speech at a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner in Istanbul, Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey would provide food and medicine to help Qatar ease its isolation despite the other nations “displeasure”.
• He called on Saudi Arabia and other countries of the region to end their sanctions, rejecting accusations by these countries that Qatar supports “terror groups”.
• Referring to a statement by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson calling on the Arab nations to immediately ease their blockade of Qatar, Erdogan said: “I say let’s lift it entirely”.
• On Wednesday, Turkey’s parliament passed legislation permitting the deployment of troops to a Turkish military base in Qatar.

11:15pm – Amnesty condemns actions taken against Qatar

• Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE are toying with the lives of thousands of Gulf residents as part of their dispute with Qatar, splitting up families and destroying peoples’ livelihoods and education, Amnesty International said on Friday.
• The organisation’s researchers have interviewed dozens of people whose human rights have been affected by a series of sweeping measures imposed in an arbitrary manner by the three Gulf countries in their dispute with Qatar.
• “These drastic measures are already having a brutal effect, splitting children from parents and husbands from wives. People from across the region – not only from Qatar, but also from the states implementing these measures – risk losing jobs and having their education disrupted. All the states involved in this dispute must ensure their actions do not lead to human rights violations,” said James Lynch, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Global Issues Programme, who was in Doha last week.

Read the full statement here 

10:45pm – Rights committee present reports on effects of the blockade

• Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee presented 300 international and regional organizations with detailed reports that reveal the humanitarian conditions of the citizens of GCC countries as a result of the blockade in Qatar.

10:00pm – Trump accuses Qatar of ‘funding terrorism

• US President Donald Trump accuses Qatar of “funding terrorism” at “very high level” when speaking at the White House on Friday, where he was holding a joint news conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.

Read the full story here 

9:40 – Blockade ‘hindering’ planning for long-term operation – Pentagon

• A blockade against Qatar by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states was not affecting current operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group, but was “hindering” the ability to plan for long-term operations, the Pentagon said on Friday.
• “While current operations from Al Udeid Air Base have not been interrupted or curtailed, the evolving situation is hindering our ability to plan for longer-term military operations,” Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement.
• Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar is home to more than 11,000 US and coalition forces and an important base for the fight against ISIL. He did not explain how exactly it was affecting planning for longer-term operations.
• Davis said Qatar remained critical for air operations against ISIL.

9:30 – Trump, Egypt’s Sisi discuss Arab unity, fighting terrorism

• US President Donald Trump spoke on Friday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and emphasised the importance of maintaining unity among Arab countries, the White House said in a statement.
• It was the fourth call Trump has had with a regional leader since Gulf allies severed diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday.

8:40pm – US secretary of state makes statement on Gulf diplomatic crisis

• Rex Tillerson calls on Saudi Arabia, Egypt and UAE to ease the blockade against Qatar.

• Tillerson says US urges no further escalation in Gulf crisis with Qatar.
• Tillerson: Blockade hindering US military action against ISIL.
• US expectation is that Gulf countries would immediately take steps to de-escalate situation in region – Tillerson
• Read the full story here

4:30 – UN’s response to the ‘terror list’

• The United Nations (UN) said it is bound only by the list of sanctions adopted by the organs of the United Nations and the Security Council.
• This came in UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric response to a question about the list, made by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE and Bahrain, of so the called “terrorist organizations and entities” featuring the name of Qatar Charity.
• Dujarric said that the UN has signed significant work with Qatar Charity in Yemen , Iraq and Syria and said that they are coordinating the aid work together.
• The spokesman said that in principle, the UN relies solely on the list of sanctions adopted by the UN Security Council, and the UN is not obliged to take into account any lists other than that.

Read the full story here 

4:20pm – UAE Central Bank asks banks to adopt ‘terror list’

• UAE banks and other financial institutions have been instructed to search for and freeze any accounts or deposits or investments held by individuals or entities that are in the “terror list” issued by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt late on Thursday.
• In another circular, the Central Bank advised banks and other financial institutions operating in the UAE to apply enhanced customer due diligence for any accounts they hold belonging to six Qatari banks.
• A bank press statement said the two circulars were issued based upon a UAE cabinet resolution designating 59 individuals and 12 entities as “terrorists or terrorist organisations”.

2:15pm – Saudi Arabia bans Al Jazeera channels in hotels

• The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage issued a circular in the early hours of Friday, ordering all “tourist facilities” to remove satellite channels that include religious, political or moral violations, including the Al Jazeera Media Network.
• The circular read: “All tourist facilities must commit to choosing the appropriate TV channels in line with the official Saudi TV channels … and not to operate channels deviant to the Islamic religion or the state’s policies, or morals.”
• It added: “The authority ensures the importance of removing all the ‘Al Jazeera channels’ from the list of available channels in rooms and other tourism accommodation facilities in order to prevent anyone who violates this circular from facing penalties, which could amount to 100,000 Saudi riyals ($26,600) or the revocation of their license, or both.”

1:28pm – Germany calls for end to Qatar blockade

• German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel called for an end to the land, sea and air blockade imposed by Arab countries on Qatar after a meeting with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Wolfenbuettel, Germany.
• Gabriel also called for increased diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis.
• “We are convinced that now is the hour of diplomacy and we must talk to each other,” he told reporters
• “Along with our American colleagues but above all our colleagues in the region, we must try to find solutions, especially lifting the sea and air blockades,” he said.

12:15pm – Saudi-led bloc list ‘arbitrary’

• The UK-based Arab Organisation for Human Rights (AOHR) called the Saudi bloc’s list “arbitrary”, saying it “was clearly made up arbitrarily, to serve political agendas, without relying on any evidence or an impartial judicial authority”.
• AOHR also said: “The exact legal definition and crime of ‘terrorism’ needs to be determined by a neutral judicial authority, which is not available in these countries [Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain].”
• The independent group also warned that the list violated clear laws against defamation, as the reputation of individuals and charitable organisations is put at risk.

11:45am – Qatar FM calls blockade ‘violation of international law’

• Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Friday said the blockade of his country is a violation of international law.
• “These procedures that were taken have clear violations of international law and international humanitarian law. They will not have a positive impact on the region but a negative one,” he said during a joint press conference with his German counterpart during a visit to Germany.

11:30am – Qatar rejects Saudi-led bloc’s ‘terror’ list 

• Qatar on Friday rejected allegations of supporting individuals and groups blacklisted as “terrorists” by a bloc of Arab neighbours that has imposed an economic blockade on it amid a major diplomatic fallout.
• The Qatari government said the list of 59 people and 12 groups, with ties to Qatar, “reinforces allegations that hold no foundation”.

10:15am – Five days on, five things to know about the Qatar-Gulf rift

• Despite mediation efforts led by Kuwait, the standoff continues five days into the dispute between Saudi and its allies, and Qatar. We look at some of the key points of the ongoing rift.
• Economic blockade: Along with the severing of diplomatic ties, a Riyadh-led blockade was imposed against Doha. Saudi, which shares the only land border with Qatar, shut the crossing and halted transport of goods into its gas-rich neighbour. Saudi, UAE and Bahrain also close their airspace to flights from and to Qatar. Qatari citizens were ordered out of the three countries and sea links were cut.
• Turkey sending troops: Following the threats made against Qatar, its close ally Turkey voted to to accelerate the deployment of troops to its base in the peninsula.
• Media attacks: As accusations heated up, Saudi signalled that it was escalating the row in the media sphere – first by shutting down the local office of the Doha-based Al Jazeera Media Network. Days before the diplomatic spat boiled over, Al Jazeera’s websites were already blocked in Saudi, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt.
• Trump’s tweets: In the first hours of the diplomatic scuffle, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said it is important that the GCC members remain “unified”. Tillerson’s assurances, however, were thrown in doubt after US President Donald Trump wrote a post on social media referencing Qatar when he said leaders of the Middle East had stated that they “would take a hard line on funding extremism”. He later made a phone call to Qatar’s leader to offer help in resolving the crisis. Instead of diffusing the already heated situation, Trump’s tweets only led to more discord.
• ‘Terror list’: On Thursday evening, a joint action by Saudi, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt placed 59 individuals and 12 organisations on a “terror list”. It includes the Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Yousuf al-Qaradawi and 18 prominent Qataris. On Friday, Qatar dismissed the list as “baseless” allegations that “hold no foundation in fact”.
• Read the full story here.

7:15am – UAE minister calls Qatar to ‘change course’

• Anwar Gargash, minister of state affairs for the United Arab Emirates accused Qatar of escalating the crisis by seeking help from Turkey and Iran.
• “The request for political protection from two non-Arab countries and military protection from one of them could be a new tragic and comic chapter,” he wrote on Twitter late on Thursday.
• Gargash also called Qatar to “change its course” and “abandon its stubbornness”.

5:30am – US senators push for strategy amid crisis

• “We’ve got to be concerned about putting our thumb too heavily on one side of the scale when we are dealing with people in the region we want to maintain a relationship with,” Senator Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Al Jazeera.

1:20am – Arab nations add Qatar residents, charities to ‘terrorism’ lists

• Four Arab countries that cut ties with Qatar designated dozens of people with alleged links to Doha as “terrorists”, intensifying a row that threatens the region’s stability.

• Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain said in a statement published by the Saudi state news agency that 59 people – including Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Yousuf al-Qaradawi – and 12 entities, among them Qatari-funded charities, were named on the “terrorism” list.

01:10am – Qatar urges citizens to take high-road on social media

• Qatar’s communications office issued a statement urging citizens and residents to mind “Islamic and Arab values” on social media during the standoff with Gulf neighbours.

• “Based on the principles of our true Islamic religion, our humanitarian values and our authentic Qatari culture, we call on all those who live on this good land to rise and continue to avoid responding similarly to the abuses that spread in various means of mass communication. We also call upon you to show more responsibility, of which you are well known, and not to insult countries, their leaders or peoples,” the statement said.

00:55am – UN chief wades into Qatar-Gulf dispute

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says he is ready to support diplomatic efforts to resolve tensions between Qatar and other Gulf Arab states “if desired by all parties”. Guterres’ spokesman said in a statement the secretary-general urged countries in the region to avoid an escalation, adding he is following the situation with “deep concern”.

00:41am – Friday, June 9 – Turkey’s president ratifies Qatar military deals

• Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late on Thursday ratified two deals on deploying Turkish troops in Qatar and training the country’s military, according to the Turkish leader’s office. The deal on sending soldiers was signed in April in Doha. “The move aims to contribute to regional and world peace,” Anadolu news agency quoted the Turkish presidency as saying.

10pm – Saudi FM holds talks in Oman

• Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir has travelled to Oman’s capital Muscat to hold talks with Omani officials, according to Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television.
• No details have emerged about their discussions.

8:30pm – UAE forecasts ‘new tragic and comic chapter’ in Gulf row

• Anwar Gargash, the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, has said on Twitter that Qatar is seeking help from Turkey and Iran for dealing with the diplomatic rift in the Gulf and it could bring “new tragic and comic chapter” in the crisis.
• “The great escalation from the confusing and confused brother country and the request for political protection from two non-Arab countries and military protection from one of them could be a new tragic and comic chapter.”

7:15pm – Shell diverts US LNG cargo to Dubai after Gulf rift

• Royal Dutch Shell has sent a replacement cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States to Dubai, shipping data shows, after a diplomatic row disrupted typical trade routes from Qatar.
• Shell has a deal to supply the Dubai Supply Authority (DUSUP) with LNG which it typically sources from Qatar because of its proximity.
• But bans on Qatari vessels entering ports in the United Arab Emirates, imposed after top Arab powers severed diplomatic and transport links with Qatar on Monday, meant it had to source the LNG from elsewhere.
• The Maran Gas Amphipolis tanker, carrying around 163,500 cubic metres of LNG produced in the US, was initially headed toward Kuwait’s port of Mina Al-Ahmadi but made a U-turn on Wednesday to head for Dubai’s port of Jebel Ali.
• The tanker is currently unloading at DUSUP’s floating import terminal at Jebel Ali, data showed.

7pm – Two Qatari LNG ships change course

• Two Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers have changed course in the Gulf of Aden away from their expected destination of Britain, according to shipping intelligence firm Kpler and shipping data.
• The Al Mafyar tanker, carrying about 262,000 cubic metres of LNG from Qatar, is no longer heading towards the Suez Canal, shipping data shows. Its new destination is unknown.
• The Zarga tanker, with a capacity of 262,000 cubic metres, executed a U-turn and appears to be heading back in the direction from which it came, shipping data shows.

6pm – Sudan says it will not take sides in Gulf rift

• Sudan has said it will not take sides in the diplomatic crisis in the Gulf amid calls from Sudanese legislators to back Qatar.
• Responding to questions from lawmakers on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said he expected Gulf Arab states to overcome the crisis given the “strong relations and blood ties” between them.
• Sudan also offered to mediate to defuse tensions, according to its state news agency.

5pm – Qatar’s FM: ‘We are not ready to surrender’

• Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said the Gulf rift is threatening the stability of the entire region.
• He also said diplomacy was still Doha’s preferred option and there would never be a military solution to the problem.
• Qatar had never experienced this type of hostility, even from an enemy country, he said.
• “No one has the right to intervene in our foreign policy.”
• “We are not ready to surrender, and will never be ready to surrender, the independence of our foreign policy.”
• He also said the Emir of Qatar would not travel to Washington for GCC crisis talks suggested by US President Donald Trump because he did not want to leave his country while it is “in blockade”.

3:45pm – Chad recalls its ambassador from Qatar

• Chad has recalled its ambassador from Qatar with the country’s foreign ministry calling involved in the Gulf diplomatic crisis to use dialogue to resolve the dispute.

2pm – Bahrain bans showing sympathy to Qatar

• Bahrain is warning the island’s media outlets not to “publish or circulate anything that condones or justifies Qatari policies by any means”.
• Bahrain’s Information Affairs Ministry said on Thursday that those who do publish material sympathetic to Qatar “will be held responsible”.
• “Any expression of sympathy with the government of Qatar or opposition to the measures taken by the government of Bahrain, whether through social media, Twitter or any other form of communication, is a criminal offence punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine,” the ministry statement said.

1:50pm – UAE blocks access to Qatar Airways website

• The United Arab Emirates has blocked access to the website of Qatar Airways. It began on Thursday and follows the UAE blocking access to a series of Qatari media websites, including those of Al Jazeera media network.

1:25pm – Bahrain FM demands Doha shun Iran

• Bahrain has reiterated on Thursday a demand that Qatar distance itself from Iran and stop support for “terrorist” groups. “Qatar has to redress its path and has to go back to all previous commitments, it has to stop media campaigns and has to distance itself from our number one enemy, Iran,” Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa told Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. “It has to realise its interests are with us, not with another country that conspires against us, wants to dominate and divide us. It has to stop supporting terrorist organisations, Sunni or Shia, and its policy has to be for the benefit of its people.”

12:32pm – Pakistan to continue LNG imports from Qatar

• Pakistan’s government says it will continue to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar under a 15-year $1bn deal signed last year.
• Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Pakistan’s federal minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, said since no sanctions have been imposed on Qatar by the UN, Islamabad and Doha were bound to abide by the agreement.

11:44am – Qatari stock market rebounds

• Qatar’s stock index has rebounded in early trade after losing 9.7 percent since the start of the diplomatic crisis earlier this week.
• The market was up 2.5 percent with all 17 companies that have a market capitalisation of over $1bn rebounding.

10:15am – UAE postal group suspends all services to Qatar

• Emirates Post Group has halted postal services to Qatar from all of its postal offices in the United Arab Emirates until further notice, the country’s state news agency reported. All as yet undelivered items will be returned with the corresponding postal fees according to procedures and regulations.

8:00am – France’s Macron calls all sides to ‘pursue dialogue’

• For the second time in 24 hours, French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday held a phone conversation with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to discuss efforts to solve the crisis in the Gulf. Macron expressed France’s readiness to act as a mediator and stressed the importance of dialogue in order to preserve stability in the region. The French president also spoke to Saudi King Salman and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and “invited all parties to pursue dialogue”.

5:25am – Qatar’s defence ministry plays down border report

• A news report that Qatar’s military was put on high alert on the country’s southern border with Saudi Arabia is downplayed. “The ministry of defence is always on alert to protect the borders of the state of Qatar from a 360-degree approach – land, sea and air – 24 hours a day, every day of the year,” said a ministry statement sent to Al Jazeera.

3:40am – Trump calls UAE’s crown prince over crisis

• US President Donald Trump spoke with Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates, a White House statement said. “Most importantly, the leaders agreed on the importance of implementing agreements reached in Riyadh to counter extremism and to combat the funding of terrorist groups. Additionally, the president emphasised the importance of maintaining a united Gulf Cooperation Council to promote regional stability, but never at the expense of eliminating funding for radical extremism or defeating terrorism.”

2:30pm – Pakistan expresses concern

• Pakistan’s parliament has expressed its “deep concern” over the Gulf diplomatic rift, but government stops short of taking a side.
• A resolution, passed by parliament on Thursday, called “upon all countries to show restraint and resolve all differences through dialogue”.
• Nafees Zakaria, the Pakistani foreign office spokesman, also said on Thursday that “Pakistan believes in unity among Muslim countries and has made consistent and serious efforts for its promotion … We are therefore concerned at the situation.” Zakaria refused to comment on whether the country had taken any steps to mediate the crisis or was also considering severing ties with Qatar.
• Pakistan’s relationship with Saudi Arabia and the UAE is based on close diplomatic ties, but also deep economic relations. In the past it has resisted pressure to wade into regional conflict in the Middle East.
• Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also holds close ties with the ruling families in both Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
• “Of all Muslim nations, Pakistan is probably in the most difficult position,” James Dorsey, a specialist on Pakistan’s relations with Gulf countries, told Al Jazeera
• Read the full story here.

2:30am – Thursday, June 8 – US talking to all sides involved in Gulf crisis

• “We are continuing to talk to multiple members in the region. We’ll continue to do that and monitor it,” Sarah Sanders, deputy White House press secretary, told reporters aboard Air Force One.

11:50pm – Kuwait’s Emir departs from Qatar after a brief visit

• Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah has departed from Qatar’s capital Doha after meeting Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to discuss the GCC crisis.

11:15pm – Bahrain foreign minister says all options open on Qatar

• Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, Bahrain’s foreign minister, said according to the Saudi newspaper Mecca: “The emir of Kuwait is a messenger of good, but the policies of Qatar have not granted his endeavours success. We will not hesitate to protect our interests and the road is open to any options to protect ourselves from Qatar.”

9:30pm – Kuwait’s Emir arrives in Qatar

• Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah has arrived in Qatar’s capital of Doha after a short trip to Dubai in an effort to mediate a solution to the Gulf diplomatic spat.

8:25pm – Media watchdog condemns Saudi closure of Al Jazeera office

• Reporters Without Borders has condemned Saudi Arabia’s decision to close the Riyadh office of Qatar’s Al Jazeera media network.
• The media rights group, also known as RSF, said Al Jazeera was a “collateral victim of (the) diplomatic offensive against Qatar”.

8:20pm – Qatar’s National Committee for Human Rights demands end of sanctions

• The government body said: “Such decisions violate the private ownership rights since thousands in the GCC own residences, factories and business within the GCC and the travel ban will prevent them from attending to their business and carrying out their business and access to their properties. These sanctions also violate the citizens within the GCC their rights to health and work access.”
• It also said: “National Committee for Human Rights in Qatar warn of more violations that may take place that can affect the peace and security of the GCC as a whole and the dangerous repercussions that these sanctions will lead to.”

8:15pm – Trump holds a phone conversation with Qatar’s Emir

• US President Donald Trump has spoken by telephone with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, expressing readiness to participate in the efforts to resolve the crisis in the GCC.
• The White House statement: “The president emphasised the importance of all countries in the region working together to prevent the financing of terrorist organisations and stop the promotion of extremist ideology. The president reiterated that a united Gulf Cooperation Council and a strong United States-Gulf Cooperation Council partnership are critical to defeating terrorism and promoting regional stability. The president offered to help the parties resolve their differences, including through a meeting at the White House if necessary.”

8pm – Turkish parliament approves troop deployment in Qatar

• Turkey’s parliament has approved a legislation allowing its troops to be deployed to a Turkish military base in Qatar.
• The bill, first drafted in May, passed with 240 votes in favour, largely with support from the ruling AK Party and nationalist opposition MHP.

7:50pm – Top Emirati diplomat says leaked emails were true

• Anwar Gargash, the UAE foreign minister, has acknowledged that leaked emails published by news outlets from Emirati ambassador to the US were true.

7:40pm – Kuwait’s Emir meets two top officials in the UAE

• Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah met in Dubai with Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to try and mediate a growing diplomatic rift over Qatar. No details have emerged about their discussions.

7:30pm – Senegal cuts diplomatic ties with Qatar

• Senegal’s foreign ministry has recalled its ambassador from Qatar, saying it was acting in solidarity with other countries in the Gulf who had cut diplomatic ties with Doha.

7pm – Turkey debates law for military support for Qatar

• Turkey’s parliament has begun debating legislation for increased military cooperation with Qatar in an apparent move to support the country amid its dispute with Saudi Arabia and other regional nations.
• Separate bills for the training of military personnel and the deployment of troops to a Turkish military base in Qatar were moved up parliament’s agenda on Wednesday.

5:10pm – Qatar brings stranded passengers from Saudi via Oman

• Qatar Airways has chartered three flights on Oman Air to bring passengers from Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah to Qatar’s Doha. All passengers arrived safely home via Oman’s capital Muscat late on Tuesday, the airline said on Wednesday.
• The airline has also organised a flight with Kuwait Airlines on Wednesday to transport remaining passengers from Saudi Arabia to Doha via Kuwait. The flight will depart at 19:15 local time on Wednesday.
• Qatar Airways said it is supporting its staff affected by the situation in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the Kingdom of Bahrain and Egypt due to suspension of operations in those countries.
• All passengers booked on affected flights will be provided with alternative options, including the option of a full refund on any unused tickets and free rebooking to the nearest alternative Qatar Airways network destination.

5pm – Emirati diplomat: ‘Nothing to negotiate’ with Qatar

• Anwar Gargash, the foreign minister of the UAE, has said “there’s nothing to negotiate” with Qatar, signaling Arab countries trying to isolate Doha won’t back down.

4:15pm – France urges Qatar to answer neighbours’ questions

• Christophe Castaner, the French government spokesman, said his country was not taking sides in the Gulf spat, but said “Qatar must be completely transparent and answer precisely the questions that have been asked notably by its neighbours”.

4pm – Turkish exporters ready to meet Qatar’s food, water demand

• Mehmet Buyukeksi, chairman of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), has said that exporters stood ready to fill the gap after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia cut trade ties with Qatar.

1:50pm – UAE port ‘eases restrictions’

• Abu Dhabi Petroleum Ports Authority has eased restrictions on cargoes going to and from Qatar, Reuters news agency reports.

• A new circular states all vessels carrying the Qatari flag and vessels owned or operated by Qatar are not allowed into its petroleum port, removing a reference to vessels arriving from or destined to Qatar.

1:30pm – UAE wants change in Qatar’s policies

• The UAE wants to change Qatar’s policies, not “its regime”, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said citing a government official.

12:30pm – Kuwait emir heading to Abu Dhabi

• Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah has flown to Abu Dhabi to continue talks on resolving the Gulf crisis.

WATCH: Kuwaiti Emir returns from Saudi

11am – Moscow: No proof Russian hackers involved in Qatar crisis

• Moscow has dismissed allegations that Russian hackers helped spark the diplomatic crisis around Qatar, after CNN reported that US officials believed they planted a false news story.

• “We’re getting tired of reacting to unsubstantiated banalities,” Andrei Krutskikh, a Kremlin advisor on cybersecurity, told the Interfax news agency.

• “Whatever happens it is hackers. It’s a stale claim and as ever there is zero evidence, and conclusions are drawn before the incident is even investigated,” he said.

9:50am – Etihad Airways: Qataris barred from travel/transit via UAE

• Abu Dhabi state-owned Etihad Airways said all travellers holding Qatari passports are currently prohibited from travelling to or transiting through the United Arab Emirates as part of government instructions.

• Expatriates residing in Qatar and in possession of a Qatari residence visa will also not be eligible for visa on arrival in the UAE, Etihad spokesman said in an email.

8:30am – UAE bans show of sympathy towards Qatar

• “Strict and firm action will be taken against anyone who shows sympathy or any form of bias towards Qatar, or against anyone who objects to the position of the United Arab Emirates, whether it be through the means of social media, or any type of written, visual or verbal form,” Gulf News quoted UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi as saying.

• Offenders could be punished with a jail term of up to 15 years and a fine of at least 500,000 dirhams ($136,000), Gulf News reported.

7:40am – Hamas ‘shocked’ by Saudi comments on Qatar

• Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters in Paris on Tuesday that Qatar must sever ties with Hamas and its historic parent, the Muslim Brotherhood.

• Hamas said in a statement early on Wednesday that Jubeir’s remarks “constitute a shock for our Palestinian people and the Arab and Islamic nations.”

6:30am – Qataris banned from Qantas flights to Dubai

• Qatari nationals will not be allowed to board Qantas flights to Dubai because the UAE has banned them from passing through its airports, an executive at the Australian airline has said.

• The UAE had already said Qatari nationals would not be allowed to enter the country or cross its points of entry, although the practical effects on airline passengers had been unclear until now.

5:10am – Mauritanians protest in front of Qatar embassy

• In a show of solidarity with Qatar, people in capital Nouakchott demonstrated outside of the Qatari embassy against its government’s decision to severe ties with the Gulf state.

4:05am – Qatari ambassador to US discusses crisis

• “All these issues are based on fabricated allegations. There is no proof,” Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani told Al Jazeera’s Shihab Rattansi.

• “There’s proof that Qatar is combating terrorism. In Riyadh, Qatar was commended on that. Our commitment to the US is a solid commitment, and our commitment to the region is also solid, so this is not a question,” the ambassador said.

1:56am – Qatar’s gas exports unaffected

• ExxonMobil Corp says production and exports of liquefied natural gas from Qatar have not been affected.

• The growing diplomatic rift has raised concerns about global access to Qatar’s LNG, especially after some regional ports in the Gulf said they would not accept Qatari-flagged vessels.

1:48am – Trump talks to Saudi King Salman

• “The two leaders discussed the critical goals of preventing the financing of terrorist organisations and eliminating the promotion of extremism by any nation in the region,” according to a White House statement.

• “The president underscored that a united Gulf Cooperation Council is critical to defeating terrorism and promoting regional stability.”

1:35am – Mauritania breaks diplomatic ties with Qatar

• “The state of Qatar has linked its policies … in support of terrorist organisations and the propagation of extremist ideas,” said a statement from the ministry of foreign affairs of the West African country, a member of the Arab League.

1:10am – Pentagon chief speaks to Qatar’s defence minister

• US Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis has spoken by phone with his Qatari counterpart. No details of the talks were given, Reuters news agency quoted a source as saying.
• The Pentagon earlier renewed praise of Qatar for hosting a vital US air base and for its “enduring commitment to regional security”.

00:30am – Moroccan airline halts Doha transit flights

• Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has announced that it had to suspend transit flights via Doha to and from UAE, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Egypt due to the cancellation of flights from Qatar to these countries.

• RAM’s direct flights continue to operate to and from Qatar to Morocco.

To jump to the first update on Tuesday, click here.

11:51pm – Erdogan criticises Qatar sanctions, wants stronger ties

• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said “the sanctions taken against Qatar are not good”.

• “Turkey will continue and develop our ties with Qatar, as with all our friends who have supported us in the most difficult moments,” he added in reference to last year’s failed coup.

11:20pm – Jordan downgrades relations with Qatar

• Jordan has said it will downgrade its diplomatic representation with Qatar after examining the “cause of the crisis” in the Gulf.

• The country also revoked the license of Al Jazeera media network, Jordan’s government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said.

10pm – Kuwaiti Emir departs for Saudi

• Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah flies to Saudi Arabia to meet King Salman.

• Al Sabah had asked Qatar’s emir to postpone speech, to give time to solve the crisis.

WATCH: Kuwaiti Emir returns from Saudi

9:13pm – Saudi Arabia: Qatar must ‘change policies’

• Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has said the damage caused by economic measures taken by some Arab states against Qatar should convince it change its policies.

• Qatar must end its support for Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, the foreign minister said.

• “We believe that common sense and logic and will convince Qatar to take the right steps,” Adel al-Jubeir said in Paris.

• “The decisions that were made were very strong and will have a fairly large cost on Qatar and we do not believe that Qataris want to sustain those costs.”

8:30pm – IATA calls for restoring air links with Qatar

• The International Air Transport Association has called on the countries that acted against Qatar to restore air links with the country, warning of major travel disruptions.

• “Of course, we accept that countries have the right to close their borders,” said IATA director general Alexandre de Juniac. “But connectivity with Qatar must be restored as quickly as possible.”

7:25pm – French president keen to seek resolution of Gulf spat

• The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, has told Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in a phone conversation that he plans to seek ways to reduce tensions between Qatar and its neighbours.

7:22pm – Pentagon grateful to Qatar

• Pentagon has said the US military is grateful for Qatar’s support of US army presence in the country and “enduring commitment to regional security”.
• The spokesperson declined to comment on US President Donald Trump’s tweets.

4:45pm – Trump tweets on Qatar again

• US President Donald Trump on Twitter: “So good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off.”
• “They said they would take a hard line on funding extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!”

3:45pm – Philippines bars workers travel to Qatar

• The Philippine government temporarily has suspended the deployment of Filipino workers to Qatar, the labour secretary said. Silvestre Bello said there was no plan yet to repatriate more than 200,000 Filipino workers in Qatar.

3:06pm – US President Donald Trump tweets

• For the first time since the crisis unfolded, Trump has weighed in. His tweet: “During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar – look!”

12:20pm – Saudi suspends Qatar Airways licence

• According to the Saudi press, transport authorities in Saudi have cancelled Qatar Airways’ licence to operate in Saudi Arabia.

• The authorities have also decided to close all Qatar’s Airways offices in the kingdom.

11:50am – BeIn sports network appears blocked in UAE

• Authorities and telecommunications companies did not provide further details. BeIN acquired Al Jazeera’s sports channels in 2013.

11:20am – UAE demands guarantees before mending Qatar ties

• “We need a guaranteed roadmap to rebuild confidence after our covenants were broken,” UAE State Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Twitter.

• Gargash accused Doha of turning to “money and media and partisanship and extremism” in a series of tweets early on Tuesday. Qatar has denied the allegations.

10:00am – Qatar stocks rebound in early trade

• Qatar’s stock market rebounded in early trade on Tuesday after plunging 7.3 percent on Monday.
• The Qatari stock index was up 2.7 percent after half an hour of trade; it rose as much as 3.2 percent at one stage.

9:20am – Aluminium exports from Qatar blocked

• Exports of aluminium from the Qatalum metals plant in Qatar have been blocked by the UAE, Norway’s Norsk Hydro said.

• Norsk Hydro owns a 50 percent stake on the Qatalum joint venture, which produces more than 600,000 tonnes per year of primary aluminium to customers in Asia, Europe and the United States.

• “Most Qatalum shipments normally go through the large Jebel Ali port in UAE, but this port looks to be closed for all Qatar shipments from Tuesday morning,” Norsk Hydro said in a statement.

8:23am – Qatar Airways suspends flights to UAE, Egypt, Bahrain

• Qatar Airways has cancelled flights to Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates from Tuesday until further notice, the airline said on its website, a day after it had suspended flights to Saudi Arabia.

• The airline said passengers holding a confirmed Qatar Airways ticket to any of the four countries between June 5 and July 6 are permitted to rebook their flights up to 30 days after their current departure date.

• Qatar Airways said its offices will continue to operate as normal in affected countries until further notice.

8:00am – Erdogan holds talks on lowering tensions

• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with the leaders of Qatar, Russia, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia on lowering tensions, presidential sources said.
• “The importance of regional peace and stability was underlined in the talks, as well as the importance of focusing on the path of diplomacy and dialogue to lower the current tension,” according to the sources.

1:30am, Tuesday, June 6 – Qatar’s foreign minister interview

• “For us, the strategic choice of the state of Qatar is to solve any dispute through dialogue,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani tells Al Jazeera.

• “Regarding the reasons for this escalation, honestly, we don’t know if there were real reasons for this crisis,” Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani tells Al Jazeera.

• “There were no indications [of a crisis] whatsoever” in the latest GCC meeting, or the American-Islamic-Arab summit.

• He said the emir of Kuwait was travelling to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to assist in “containing the crisis”.

• Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will give a speech to the nation on Tuesday to address the situation.

• He added there’s a big question mark over the future of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

• “There was an unprecedented escalation from the [Gulf] mass media … but Qatar has not met this escalation with escalation.”

10:40pm – Kuwait calls for restraint

• Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah has called Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and “urged him for restraint and not to take any measure that could escalate” the situation in the Gulf, according to the state-run KUNA news agency.

8:30pm – Saudi banks asked to sell Qatari Riyals

• Saudi Arabia’s central bank asks local banks to sell Qatari riyals and not to buy any more, local media and Reuters report.

8:30pm – Turkey is seeking to resolve Gulf spat

• Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is “actively involved” in efforts to resolve the diplomatic spat between Qatar and its neighbours, according to Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus.

8pm – US military has ‘no plans’ for change

• The US military’s Central Command says it has “no plans to change our posture in Qatar” amid a Gulf diplomatic crisis. Major Adrian JT Rankine-Galloway said in a statement that US military aircraft continue to fly missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria from Qatar’s Al-Udeid airbase.

7:30pm – Egypt airspace to close on Tuesday

• Egypt’s ministry of civil aviation has announced that the country’s airspace will be closed to Qatari flights starting Tuesday 04:00 GMT.

6:30pm – Israel praises anti-Qatar moves

• Avigdor Lieberman, Israel’s defence minister, has praised the measures against Qatar, saying: “There is no doubt that this opens very many possibilities of cooperation in the struggle against terror.”

6:25pm –  Saudi shuts Al Jazeera office

• Saudi Arabia has shut down Al Jazeera Media Network’s local office, according to Saudi state media

5:40pm – No Qatari vessels allowed in Saudi ports

• The Saudi Ports Authority has notified shipping agents not to receive vessels carrying Qatari flags or ships owned by Qatari companies or individuals.

5:10pm – Egypt suspends air and sea links

• Egypt’s foreign ministry said in a statement the country was suspending air and sea links to Qatar, citing national security.

4:40pm – Turkey expresses ‘sorrow’

• Turkey is ready to help however it can to bring the disputes to a manageable level, said Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, speaking at a joint news conference in Ankara.

• Cavusoglu also said: “Turkey sees the unity and solitary among Gulf states as our own unity.”

4pm – Iran’s food ‘can reach in 12 hours’

• Food shipments sent from Iran can reach Qatar in 12 hours, said Reza Nourani, chairman of the union of exporters of agricultural products.

3:30pm – UAE port to turn away Qatar-bound vessels

• UAE’s Port of Fujairah says all vessels flying the flag of Qatar or destined for Qatar will not be allowed to call at the port.

3:30pm – Iran calls for dialogue

• Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi was quoted on the ministry’s website as calling for a “clear and explicit dialogue” among the feuding nations. Iran says rising tensions among its Arab Gulf neighbours threaten the interests of everyone in the region.

3:15pm – Maldives cuts ties with Qatar

• Decision made because of the Maldives’ “firm opposition to activities that encourage terrorism and extremism”.

3:10pm – Egypt recalls ambassador

• Egypt’s foreign ministry says it has given the Qatari ambassador in Cairo 48 hours to leave the country and has ordered its own envoy in Doha to return home, also within two days.

2:50pm – Libya’s Haftar cuts ties with Qatar

• The faction led by Khalifa Haftar, one of three rival governments in Libya, announced it is cutting ties with Qatar.

• Haftar’s foreign minister accuses Qatar of “harbouring terrorism”.

2pm – Saudi closes border with Qatar

• Saudi Transport authority confirms immediate border closure with Qatar by land and by sea.

1:30pm – Saudi border line up

• Reports of trucks being lined up across the border in Saudi Arabia unable to enter Qatar.

1:20pm – Updates from FIFA

• Football’s world governing body says it remains in “regular contact with Qatar”.

• FIFA issued a short statement saying it has spoken with “the Qatar 2022 Local Organizing Committee and the Supreme Committee for Delivery Legacy handling matters relating to the 2022 FIFA World Cup”.

• It said: “We have no further comments for the time being.”

1:15pm – Air Arabia flights suspended from Tuesday

• Air Arabia, a low-cost airline based in the United Arab Emirates, said it is suspending flights to Qatar along with other Emirati airlines over a growing diplomatic crisis.

• Air Arabia says its flights will be suspended from Tuesday “until further notice”.

EXPLAINED: How diplomatic rift affects air travel

12:10pm – Saudia flights suspended from Monday

• Saudi Arabian Airlines says it is suspending flights to the Qatari capital, Doha.

• The airline, also known as Saudia, posted on Twitter that it would be halting flights from Monday morning, without elaborating.

11:05am – FlyDubai flights cancelled from Tuesday

• Dubai’s budget carrier FlyDubai says it has cancelled its flights to Qatar amid a diplomatic dispute between it and other Arab countries.

• The carrier said on Monday that, starting Tuesday, all flights would be suspended. It offered no other details.

• FlyDubai’s decision follows that of Emirates and Etihad in cancelling flights to Doha.

10:45am – Yemen cuts ties with Qatar

• Yemen’s internationally recognised government has cut relations with Qatar and says it supports the decision by the Saudi-led coalition to end Qatar’s participation in the war on the Houthis in Yemen. Qatar has been part of the coalition since March 2015.

• The government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi says it severed ties with Qatar in part over its support of extremist groups in Yemen “in contradiction with the goals announced by the countries supporting the legitimate government”.

10:20am – Emirates flights cancelled from Tuesday

• The Dubai-based airline Emirates says it is suspending flights to Qatar amid a growing diplomatic rift.

• Emirates said on its website on Monday that flights would be suspended until further notice starting Tuesday.

10am – US urges GCC unity

• US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters in Sydney: “It is important that the GCC remain a unified [front]”.

• Tillerson does not expect the rift “to have any significant impact, if any impact at all, on the unified fight against terrorism”.

• Qatar hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East.

9:55am – Qatar’s official reaction

• Qatar says there is “no legitimate justification” for four Arab nations to cut diplomatic ties.

• Qatar also says the decision is a “violation of its sovereignty”, vowing to its citizens that it will not affect them.

READ: Qatar’s reaction in full

8:35am – Etihad suspends flights from Tuesday

• Abu Dhabi-based airline Etihad said it is suspending flights to Qatar from June 6 “until further notice”.

• Etihad said its last flights would leave early Tuesday morning.

• Etihad gave no reason for the decision. It is the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates.

6:10am – UAE, Egypt cut ties with Qatar

• The United Arab Emirates and Egypt have cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.

• Both the UAE and Egypt made the announcement on their state-run news agencies within minutes of each other.

6am – Saudi cuts ties with Qatar

• Saudi Arabia says it is cutting diplomatic ties to Qatar and it has pulled all Qatari troops from the ongoing war in Yemen.

• Saudi Arabia made the announcement via its state-run Saudi Press Agency early on Monday. It appeared to be timed in concert with an earlier announcement by Bahrain similarly cutting ties.

• The dispute between Qatar and the Gulf’s Arab countries escalated recently over a hack of Qatar’s state-run news agency. It has spiralled since.

5:50am, Monday, June 5 – Bahrain cuts ties with Qatar

• Bahrain says it is cutting diplomatic ties to Qatar amid a deepening rift between Gulf Arab nations.

• Bahrain’s Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a statement early on Monday saying it would withdraw its diplomatic mission from the Qatari capital of Doha within 48 hours and that all Qatari diplomats should leave Bahrain within the same period.

2:30am Thursday, June 1 – US talking to all sides involved in Gulf crisis

• “We are continuing to talk to multiple members in the region. We’ll continue to do that and monitor it,” Sarah Sanders, deputy White House press secretary, told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies

 

The ISIL attack that left 16 people dead in Tehran may have grave implications at home and abroad

 

Source: Al jazeerah news