Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund now owns part of New York City’s famed Empire State Building. On Wednesday, multiple outlets reported that the Qatar Investment Authority purchased a 9.9% stake in the building for $622 million USD from the Empire State Realty Trust Inc.
So how did Twitter react? Many on the social media site criticized the purchase, alleging that Qatar has ties to militant groups.
Terror State Qatar Buys Chunk of Empire State Building: Photo: Photo above: The Empire State building lit in ... https://t.co/fin2pofaKn
Qatar, which just bought a stake in Empire State Building (https://t.co/6LBCYbyb0e), backs:
Pamela Geller is an activist who is often labelled Islamophobic. Jonathan Schanzer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, on the other hand, is more mainstream.
Qatar has been widely viewed as having ties with Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (formerly Nusra Front) in Syria, a group with known Al-Qaeda connections.
Not everyone on Twitter was up in arms, though. Most people simply tweeted the news, and others poked fun at the situation.
Nothing says 2016 like an American icon being controlled by...Qatar? "Qatar buys stake in Empire State building" https://t.co/QoM9elEz1L
#قطر تشتري ١٠٪ من المبنى الذي عانقه "كينج كونج"! في #نيويورك pic.twitter.com/oxOgc84tLQ
Qatar buys 10% of the building King Kong hugs in New York
The Empire State Building is often lit in different colors to commemorate a variety of local, national and world events. Will it now be lit maroon and white like Qatar’s flag?
AL
