The Arab world’s wealthiest nations are doing next to nothing for Syria’s refugees.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/09/04/the-arab-worlds-wealthiest-nations-are-doing-next-to-nothing-for-syrias-refugees/?_e_pi_=7%2CPAGE_ID10%2C3785268814

The world has been transfixed in recent weeks by the unfolding refugee crisis in Europe, an influx of migrants unprecedented since World War II. Their plight was chillingly highlighted on Wednesday in the image of a drowned Syrian toddler, his lifeless body lying alone on a Turkish beach.
A fair amount of attention has fallen on the failure of many Western governments to adequately address the burden on Syria's neighboring countries, which are struggling to host the brunt of the roughly 4 million Syrians forced out of the country by its civil war.
Some European countries have been criticized for offering sanctuary only to a small number of refugees, or for discriminating between Muslims and Christians. There's also been a good deal of continental hand-wringing over the general dysfunction of Europe's systems for migration and asylum.
Less ire, though, has been directed at another set of stakeholders who almost certainly should be doing more: Saudi Arabia and the wealthy Arab states along the Persian Gulf.
As Amnesty Internationalrecently pointed out, the "six Gulf countries -- Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain -- have offered zero resettlement places to Syrian refugees." This claim was echoed by Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, on Twitter:
Guess how many of these Syrian refugees Saudi Arabia & other Gulf states offered to take? 0 http:// /iY0ct3kXBW pic.twitter.com/JI3WTQhlxo
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) September 2, 2015
The way that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states aid Syrian refugees: pic.twitter.com/2i9gcGiRxe
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) September 2, 2015
That's a shocking figure, given these countries' relative proximity to Syria, as well as the incredible resources at their disposal. As Sultan Sooud al-Qassemi, a Dubai-based political commentator, observes, these countries include some of the Arab world's largest military budgets, its highest standards of living, as well as a lengthy history -- especially in the case of the United Arab Emirates -- of welcoming immigrants from other Arab nations and turning them into citizens.
Moreover, these countries aren't totally innocent bystanders. To varying degrees, elements within Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the U.A.E., and Kuwait have invested in the Syrian conflict, playing a conspicuous rolein funding and arming a constellation of rebel and Islamist factions fighting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
None of these countries are signatories of the United Nations' 1951 Refugee Convention, which defines what a refugee is, and lays out their rights, as well as the obligations of states to safeguard them. For a Syrian to enter these countries, they would have to apply for a visa, which, in the current circumstances, is rarely granted. According to the BBC, the only Arab countries where a Syrian can travel without a visa are Algeria, Mauritania, Sudan and Yemen -- hardly choice or practical destinations.
Like European countries, Saudi Arabia and its neighbors also have fears over new arrivals taking jobs from citizens, and may also invoke concerns about security and terrorism. But the current Gulf aid outlay for Syrian refugees, which amounts to collective donationsunder $1 billion (the United States has given four times that sum), seems short -- and is made all the more galling when you consider the vast sumsSaudi Arabia poured into this year's war effort in Yemen, an intervention some consider a strategic blunder.
As Bobby Ghosh, managing editor of the news site Quartz, points out, the Gulf states in theory have a far greater ability to deal with large numbers of arrivals than Syria's more immediate and poorer neighbors, Lebanon and Jordan:
The region has the capacity to quickly build housing for the refugees. The giant construction companies that have built the gleaming towers of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh should be contracted to create shelters for the influx. Saudi Arabia has plenty of expertise at managing large numbers of arrivals: It receives an annual surge of millions of Hajj pilgrimsto Mecca. There’s no reason all this knowhow can’t be put to humanitarian use.
No reason other than either indifference or a total lack of political will. In social media, many are calling for action. The Arabic hashtag #Welcoming_Syria's_refugees_is_a_Gulf_duty was tweeted more than 33,000 times in the past week, according to the BBC.
"The Gulf must realize that now is the time to change their policy regarding accepting refugees from the Syria crisis," writesthe columnist al-Qassemi. "It is the moral, ethical and responsible step to take."

Because Islam is an evil scam for savages!

Good question for the Arab nations.

Their target is to spread Islam across Europe
Especially Germany, Austria etc.
UK is already down

End time prophecy being fulfilled....

Arabs are like the northerners here. They enjoy their people being down and useless so that they are the only ones said to be demi gods.

Same exact attitude of typical northern nigerian business people and politicians

Op a lay man can't understand what is happening in middle east, there is a long history of disharmony within the Arab world, Syrian crisis just escalate everything..

#lips sealed.

Good question.

Even those wealthy arab countries are those that preventing peace to reign in syria.

They should be able to accommodate tens of thousands of refugees per country.

It's very difficult to offer solution to this massive humanitarian crisis. One have to understand the ethnic composition of the Arabs.

Islam as a religion is only a very thin thread holding the Arabs together, once religion is removed, the whole Middle East is a power keg waiting to explode. There is no love lost between the tribes.

A study of the Arabs before Islamisation will give a good understanding.

If they have such feelings for one another they would have stopped the war in the first place.
If not that it is part of the muslim's religious obligation to visit the Holy land if capable, I would have ruled out visiting that place in my life. If they could be doing this to those they share the same religion, same tribe and same geographical location with how about we the blacks who they consider as slaves? Arabs have disappointed me!

Any well meaning. Country will close its door against muslim !! They bring nothing but DEATH I read there verses in quran and I Realized that this killings Is justified by there quran! Kill kill kill kill every were in the Verses ! OH lord when we get biafra we will build hightech fences in our boarders to keep them almajiri away! Any country with out muslims is peaceful! Do Your research

erikcantona:
Any well meaning. Country will close its door against muslim !! They bring nothing but DEATH I read there verses in quran and I Realized that this killings Is justified by there quran! Kill kill kill kill every were in the Verses ! OH lord when we get biafra we will build hightech fences in our boarders to keep them almajiri away! Any country with out muslims is peaceful! Do Your research

You mean verses like this

Qur’an 9:73—O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination.”


Qur'an (9:29)-"Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued."

Sura 9:5. "When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them."

There are over 100 verses calling muslims to fight or kill non-muslims.

Its appalling. Europe is in trouble.

Almost all the countries in the Middle East are powerful politically, economically and militarilly. There is no nation that can claim absolute power over the region, not even Isreal and Saudi Arabia (their attempt to use religion as a political weapon works only in Africa). Hence, the imbalance of power is causing rivalry among the nations.

Europe will pay for their blind support of America's terrible policy in the Middle East. The mass migration of the Arabs to Europe will destabilize their fragile economy, crimes will increase, jobs will decrease and so many other bad events. The U.K saw this coming and they withdrew from the EU and cut their ties with USA a little bit, cut their military spending in other to save for the rainy days.

Op lets remember one fact, over 4 million Syrians are currently living in places like turkey(1.9m), lebanon, jordan(2.1) and other Middle East countries, hosting these refugees, while under 250000 are migrating to Europe, but this perspective is simply ignored by the indolent haters of Muslims and humanity.

parisbookaddict:


You mean verses like this

Qur’an 9:73—O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination.”


Qur'an (9:29)-"Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued."

Sura 9:5. "When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them."

There are over 100 verses calling muslims to fight or kill non-muslims.

Its appalling. Europe is in trouble.

u dey mind Dem ,killer religion ! This is the only thing that made me support biafra cos am very sure they wiil bring jihad to every one is. Just matter of time!! But there will be no mosque in biafra cos that's were they hide weapons

alaoeri:
Op a lay man can't understand what is happening in middle east, there is a long history of disharmony within the Arab world, Syrian crisis just escalate everything..

^^^But there's the same disharmony between western civilization and the arabs/muslims of the middle-east yet these refugees leave wealthy arab countries like the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and queue up at the gates of Europe and the western world!

One has to wonder why these arabs are ignoring muslim countries with all the 'holiness' they supposedly have and are banging on the doors of 'degenerate' and 'sinful' Western Europe to be let in! Australia, Canada, The USA, etc....countries 'rife' with sin, gays, gay marriage, loose dressing, loose women, promiscuity and all what not are having to contend with thousands of arabs and muslims seeking a free society and christian compassion!

I hope you all can see the hypocrisy of these closed societies and religion!? Even their own adherents are running away from them and clinging on to the Christian Western World in their time of need!

becoz they jux dont care!

This song sums up what it means to be a proud christian! Anybody that says christianity isn't a loving and compassionate religion is a stranger to the truth!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhgir1K9kSY

IGBOSON1:


^^^But there's the same disharmony between western civilization and the arabs/muslims of the middle-east yet these refugees leave wealthy arab countries like the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and queue up at the gates of Europe and the western world!

One has to wonder why these arabs are ignoring muslim countries with all the 'holiness' they supposedly have and are banging on the doors of 'degenerate' and 'sinful' Western Europe to be let in! Australia, Canada, The USA, etc....countries 'rife' with sin, gays, gay marriage, loose dressing, loose women, promiscuity and all what not are having to contend with thousands of arabs and muslims seeking a free society and christian compassion!

I hope you all can see the hypocrisy of these closed societies and religion!? Even their own adherents are running away from them and clinging on to the Christian Western World in their time of need!

Shi'ites & Sunnis ain't on same page due to different ideologies & their disagreement has started since the period of the 3rd caliphate, few years after the prophet (SWA), most Arab countries affected by internal war have large population of Shi'ites & going to a Sunni country ain't an option. For you to understand what's happening in middle east, you have to read & understand the long history of Shi'ites & Sunnis, how they started? for how long have they gone? the role of EU & America in the crisis over the years, the role of the media etc. What is happening in middle east no be child's play & i doubt if there will be any long lasting peace in that area thy kingdom come.

Religion is a disease to some countries esp. anywhere u found arabic nature. This Islam of a thing is always after religion rather then development. Even here in Nigeria everything is religion. Rubbish.

lexiconkabir:
Op lets remember one fact, over 4 million Syrians are currently living in places like turkey(1.9m), lebanon, jordan(2.1) and other Middle East countries, hosting these refugees, while under 250000 are migrating to Europe, but this perspective is simply ignored by the indolent haters of Muslims and humanity.

Haha, dem dey give them work or send to school?

lexiconkabir:
Op lets remember one fact, over 4 million Syrians are currently living in places like turkey(1.9m), lebanon, jordan(2.1) and other Middle East countries, hosting these refugees, while under 250000 are migrating to Europe, but this perspective is simply ignored by the indolent haters of Muslims and humanity.

All these places you mentioned were pinpointed in the article but the question is why should Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain turn a blind eye to humanitarian issues there but spend billions of dollars arming the rebels in Syria.



Cc gaborone

ECOTERRORS:
All these places you mentioned were pinpointed in the article but the question is why should Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain turn a blind eye to humanitarian issues there but spend billions of dollars arming the rebels in Syria.



Cc gaborone

well the topic suggest arab nations. saudi arabia, uae, etc aint the only arab nations.

lexiconkabir:
well the topic suggest arab nations. saudi arabia, uae, etc aint the only arab nations.

Was it d topic u read or the article. Read the article before commenting.

erikcantona:
Any well meaning. Country will close its door against muslim !! They bring nothing but DEATH I read there verses in quran and I Realized that this killings Is justified by there quran! Kill kill kill kill every were in the Verses ! OH lord when we get biafra we will build hightech fences in our boarders to keep them almajiri away! Any country with out muslims is peaceful! Do Your research

as a Christian don't talk like this you exhibit hatred

I am disappointed though am a Christian these are human lives they are neglecting

erusen:
as a Christian don't talk like this you exhibit hatred

dnt talk until they kill ya person in the north all in the name of jihad !! Only if christians will stand up and defend them selves against islam they will stop killing! Even heaven haven Angel on its gate guiding it from evil powers! I wish I will be a president nt even one muslim will be in my country

Its really worth thinking about. Got me thinking too

ECOTERRORS:
Was it d topic u read or the article. Read the article before commenting.

i read the article, but i'm just giving my opinion, moreover even if saudi arabia isnt letting refugees in, i want to debunk that idea of "their fellow muslims cant help them" and "they are all migrating to the west" that was why i made it known that less than 250k of refugees migrate to the west and over 4m migrate to the neigbouring muslim countries.....gat a problem with that?