Mason's Mohammed Cherkaoui explains Qatar's conflict with its neighbors

News at Mason

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Excerpt:

Because of the conflict between Qatar and its Persian Gulf neighbors, George Mason University professor Mohammed Cherkaoui has been in demand by media outlets in the United States and abroad. Cherkaoui, a professor of conflict narrative at George Mason’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, has extensively studied and written about Middle Eastern media, politics and society. Here, he explains factors fueling the conflict. 

Q. What was the reasoning behind the nine Middle East countries imposing restrictions on Qatar?

Cherkaoui: There have been several anti-Qatar narratives, which showcase a tendency toward dominant groupthink among most Gulf nations in seeking a “unified” approach, vis-à-vis Tehran. Qatar remained skeptical about the purpose of further demonizing Iran.

The latent factor is the pursuit of undermining an underdog country whose public diplomacy—through Al Jazeera, the Brookings Qatar and other institutions—has outperformed that of other Gulf-rich nations. Since 1996, Al Jazeera’s discourse has been critical of certain U.S. foreign policy decisions in the Middle East. ...