Published on 22 April 2013, by M. Tomazy.
Amid a heavy security presence, around 10 protesters gathered Saturday in front of the Qatari Embassy located in Giza’s Dokki district to protest what they described as the Gulf country’s "meddling" in Egyptian affairs.
The protesters chanted against the Muslim Brotherhood and its supreme guide, accusing Qatar of being a strong ally to the Islamist group and President Mohamed Morsi.
“Here are the conditions of investment: hunger, humiliation and a rise in prices,” chanted the protesters who later burned both the Qatari and Israeli flags.
Since the January 25 Revolution in Egypt, the oil-rich Gulf nation has granted cash-strapped Cairo $5 billion, including a $1 billion grant and $4 billion worth of deposits in the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE).
On 10 April, Qatari Prime Minister Hamad Bin Jassem revealed that Qatar would extend $3 billion to Egypt in the coming days in the form either of Egyptian treasury bonds or CBE deposits.
The modest but vocal protest was later joined by a few Sudanese who voiced their opposition to Qatar’s emir "interference" in Sudan's internal affairs.
Comment:
Prof. As'ad AbuKhalil (aka Angry Arab) is right when he tweeted: "The 'Arab Winter' will scatter the Napoleonian dreams of Emir of Qatar"
