Debate on Qatari vs. Bahraini Support for Terrorism Degenerates into Argument: U.K.-Based Researcher Says Al-Jazeera Acts as Foreign Ministry for Terrorists; Turkish Analyst Says Bahrain Created ISIS, Criticizes Its Support of Israel

On July 15, 2019, Russia Today TV aired an Arabic-language debate about support for terrorism by Qatar and Bahrain. Amjad Taha, the Director of the British Middle East Center for Studies and Research (BMCSR), said that Qatar shelters terrorists and that the Qatari-sponsored Al-Jazeera TV acts as a "foreign ministry" for terrorists. Taha said that Qatar's protection of and support for the Muslim Brotherhood and for terrorists in Kuwait, Libya, and Syria is evidence of its support for terrorism. Turkish political analyst Bekir Atacan argued that Bahrain's support of the "deadly" Israeli regime and of the Arab Spring revolt is evidence that it supports terrorism, and he claimed that Bahrain and the Gulf states created and financed ISIS. The debate degenerated into an argument in which Taha accused Atacan of speaking in an "inciting" fashion. In turn, Atacan wished for somebody like Fethullah Gülen to come to Bahrain, and he said that Bahrain would "commit suicide" if it knew the crimes of which it was guilty. The argument escalated until the RT studio muted it, and the anchor ended the segment while Taha and Atacan were still arguing.

Amjad Taha: "These terrorists are staying in Doha. This indicates that the countries that call to boycott Qatar are correct. The terrorists emerge from Al-Jazeera TV, and they speak from Doha. In other words, the terrorists have their own 'foreign ministry' that speaks for them, and its name is Al-Jazeera TV."

[...]

Bekir Atacan: "Everybody is being accused [of supporting terrorism] whether it is true or not. Therefore, it is important to know the facts... Unfortunately, your guest mentioned something about [Fethullah] Gülen. I pray for Allah to send someone like Gülen [to Bahrain], and then they will know if Gülen is a terrorist or not. Allah willing, He will soon send them someone like Gülen..."

Amjad Taha: "If this is something bad, why do you wish it for us? Mr. Atacan, we are not talking about Gülen or about Turkey..."

Bekir Atacan: "May Allah afflict you with someone like him..."

Amjad Taha: "If this is a bad thing, why you wish it for us?"

[...]

Bekir Atacan: "It is a known fact that Bahrain has for a long time, and not just recently... Bahrain is the country that supports terrorism in most of the Middle East, and particularly among the people who support the Arab Spring, because it is afraid of them. This is a country that still contains and embraces terrorists."

Amhad Taha: "You have no proof! You are no different from Nasrallah, Netanyahu, or Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. This is a speech of incitement. Give me one piece of evidence. Just one!"

Bekir Atacan: "Dear sir..."

Amhad Taha: "You do not have a single piece of evidence..."

Bekir Atacan: "Do you or do you not support Israel's killing of the Palestinians? Don't you open your arms to this deadly regime that kills the Palestinians?"

[...]

Amhad Taha: "The decision to boycott Qatar came because the regime supports terrorism. The regime has the option to stop supporting terrorism or to continue. It has supported the terrorists in Libya, and it continues to do so. It has supported the terrorists in Bahrain and in other countries, and it continues to do so. It continues to support the terrorists in Syria. It continues to finance the Muslim Brotherhood, and the latest example is the cell that was captured in Kuwait. We have all seen where some of the terrorists fled to – they fled from Kuwait to Qatar."

[...]

Bekir Atacan: "ISIS was created and financed by the Gulf states, and first and foremost by Bahrain."

Amhad Taha: "It is well known who supported Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi and others... Shame on you and on your Erdogan..."

Bekir Atacan: "It is well known which country brought [ISIS] and gave them money and weapons.

[...]

"Before answering the question, I would like to quote a very famous proverb to your dear guest who interrupts me every time, and who accused other countries like Qatar and Turkey, of [supporting] terrorism... The proverb says that a camel that sees his hump would commit suicide. If [Mr. Taha] knew what [Bahrain] has done and what it continues to do, he would have killed himself and he would not have even gotten the chance to speak on this show. Anyway, regarding your question..."

Amhad Taha: "You should note that your speech is obsessed with suicide. Your language consists of terminology about suicide, killing, and animals. Are you used to talking to animals and suicide bombers? This is your language and your terminology. This is all you have to offer."

Bekir Atacan: "You have no political or scientific knowledge or any expertise in communication."

Amhad Taha: "You are talking about animals and suicide."

Bekir Atacan: "I'm talking about things you can understand."

Anchor: "Let us move on..."