Dr. Khalid Al-Shafi
Dr. Khalid Al-Shafi | Editor-in-Chief
Huge crowds of nationals and expatriates waited for Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani along the Doha Corniche yesterday, welcoming him with flowers, flags and his pictures. The crowds stretched for more than eight kilometres and they were full of emotion and eagerness to meet the leader and the builder of the state and its glory.
Great passion was visible on the faces of those who received the Emir, whose parade could not move on the Corniche road and HH got off from his car to hug, shake hands and embrace the public from all ages with his usual big smile which expresses his love to his nation and its people.
The spontaneous welcome and the festive spirit have confirmed the sincerity of love to him and gratitude to his efforts to place Qatar among the great nations and put its fingerprint on the world map.
It was an exciting evening and a historical moment that will remain etched forever in the memory of Qataris and all free nations. It was a moral lesson for those who had doubts about the intimate relationship between the leader and his people. Words cannot express what eyes have seen yesterday, with waves of masses gathering in different parts of Doha to receive Tamim Al Majd.
Dignity and pride are part of his character, qualities which he passed to his people which made Qatar a victim of jealousy, allegations and continuous fabrications in an attempt to weaken its political power and make it dependant. These are absolute facts which we need not talk about, as HH the Emir made clear in his speech at the UN General Assembly recently. There is no compromise or dialogue on the political decisions of the State of Qatar. Other than this, Qatar is ready to discuss any issue on the basis of brotherhood without undermining the sovereignty of any country.
Everyone who sees this grand welcome to the Emir will realise that Qatar has written a national epic on the love for their leader.
The spontaneous gathering of the public which stretched from the airport and along the Doha Corniche was the strongest response to those spreading lies and thus discredit our unity.
Lessons on morality, humbleness, good manners and dignity have been learned from the leader H H Sheikh Tamim and will remain imprinted in history. It will remain a model for anyone who lives in Qatar and an example of unity between people and their leader for generations.
