Qatar Is Repressing Religious Minorities — and Washington Knows It

Remy Rowhani, a 71-year-old Qatari citizen, found out on August 13 that he will be spending the next five years of his life in prison. His crime? Posting content on social media that allegedly “cast doubt on the foundations of Islam.”

Rowhani is the former head of Qatar’s Chamber of Commerce and the chairperson of the National Assembly of the Baha’i in Qatar. Qatari authorities arrested Rowhani in April for posts on the Baha’i community’s X and Instagram accounts that prosecutors said “promoted the ideas and beliefs of a religious sect that raises doubt about the foundations and teachings of the Islamic religion.”

The Baha’i are a religious group with fewer than 8 million followers worldwide. Baha’i communities are oppressed in many Middle East countries, most notably in Iran, where the faith is outlawed. Following Rowhani’s sentencing, Qatar’s International Media Office stated, “Qatar’s Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of worship for all,” but “this must be exercised in accordance with the law and must not threaten or violate public stability and security.”

UN Warns of Systemic Religious Discrimination in Qatar

Two weeks before Rowhani’s sentencing, UN human rights experts warned that his “alleged arbitrary arrest and detention” is “part of a broader and disturbing pattern of discrimination against individuals based on their religion or belief.” Rowhani himself has faced “spurious” legal action before, including a month-long imprisonment in January 2025. The UN experts also drew attention to Wahid Bahji, a Qatari-born Baha’i who received deportation orders from the Qatari government in January 2025. “It is reported that his [Bahji’s] case follows a series of deportations and blacklisting of Baha’is of various nationalities — British, Malaysian, American, and many others — by Qatari authorities for over 20 years,” the experts said. Ironically, the UN General Assembly elected Qatar to the UN Human Rights Council last year. Qatar will sit on the council until 2027.

Qatar’s Poor Human Rights Record

Qatar’s human rights abuses extend beyond targeting religious minorities. The rights of laborers are of particular concern in Qatar, which is home to more than 2 million migrant workers — less than 15 percent of Qatar’s population are full citizens. In the run-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, for example, thousands of migrant workers died because of unsafe working conditions while preparing Qatar for the tournament, according to the European Parliament. The European Parliament likewise condemned Qatar’s abuses against the LGBTQ+ community and called on Doha to “strengthen gender equality measures.”

New State Department Human Rights Report Acknowledges Qatar’s Shortfalls

The State Department on August 12 released its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. The latest edition covers 2024 and is the first released under the second Trump administration. Compared to previous editions, the 2024 report is pared down and does not include an introduction from the secretary of state. Still, the section on Qatar aptly notes “credible reports” of “disappearances; arbitrary arrest or detention; [and] serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, including censorship” in Qatar. Last year’s report, prepared under the Biden administration, reached similar conclusions.

Rowhani’s case would certainly come under the heading of “freedom of expression,” if not under “freedom of religion.”

Despite Washington’s sober assessment of human rights practices in Qatar, successive administrations have continued to hold Doha in high regard. Instead, the Trump administration should bring its policies into alignment with its latest findings, reining in its praise and reassessing Qatar’s Major Non-NATO Ally status. Washington should also leverage its influence at the United Nations to spotlight the folly of granting Qatar a seat on the Human Rights Council.

Natalie Ecanow is a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Natalie and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Natalie on X @NatalieEcanow. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on foreign policy and national security.