Baha'i International Community HRC46 Item 4 GD Qatar video statement

Statements

Baha'i International Community HRC46 Item 4 GD Qatar video statement

Geneva—15 March 2021

Madam President,

Over the past several years, a number of Bahá’í individuals and families in Qatar have been blacklisted solely because of their adherence to the Bahá’í Faith. This has resulted in the deportation of several of these individuals from the country.

A distressing pattern of behaviour on the part of the Qatari authorities has emerged. Residency permits of non-Qatari Bahá’ís have been deliberately denied or not renewed despite their employers or sponsors wanting them to remain in the country. Most of those facing deportation and blacklisting have been born and raised in Qatar and have no other home, with one family having resided in Qatar for four generations.

Additionally, Bahá’í Qatari citizens themselves have faced displacement, as in the case of the spouse of a Qatari Bahá’í who was denied residency. The entire family was therefore forced to leave the country and to settle elsewhere.

The Bahá’í community of Qatar, known for its honesty and integrity, has tried to raise this issue with government officials but to no avail.

The Bahá’í International Community, in turn, brought this religious persecution to the attention of Qatari officials as well as Qatar’s national human rights institution. Two Special Rapporteurs have also sent a communication to the Qatari authorities. Nothing has changed.

We therefore have no choice but to come to this Council and to appeal to Qatar to uphold its human rights commitments and particularly the freedom of religion or belief for all, including the Bahá’ís.