The Pen and Bachelor

1 Oct, 2008  Annoyances

Besides being a nice name for a pub in England, there are two issues I really want to discuss.
Eid is a day of fun and celebration and a day where children and young men who get their money go out, shop, and have fun.

What would you say if the ‘fair’ management deemed most areas ‘Family Zones’. As we went to the City Center, we sweated as we got closer to the gate. “Are we going to get in?”, my cousin asked. “why won’t we?”, I asked back. “Didn’t you read in the Arabic newspaper? They’ve turned this Eid into a huge Family fest, they might not let us in”. He replied.

We reached the gate and the Indian security guard says “Family day”. I tried to talk to him but he was having none of it. Myself and my cousins sat there, disappointed. My cousin ended up calling his female friend so that we could be deemed ‘A family’.

I can’t believe that this is what is happening in Qatar! What’s worse, there are those who think that Qataris are immune to this rule, but we’re NOT.

Then I read an article in The Peninsula. It was talking about how bachelors weren’t allowed in and how many were annoyed. One man said “Qataris are allowed in”. How the hell can they even bother to include that in the article? It’s absolutely false!

yes there are Qataris in there, however let me explain how they get in, and perhaps ANY nationality should try to be smart enough to do this.

1) Distract a guard
2) Say your mother is inside
3) Say your father is inside
4) You are more likely to slip in if you’re not in a hoard of 60 million guys
5) Bring a temporary woman friend
6) Wait for a woman to walk in and walk by her side

So you see, we Qataris have to figure out ways to get in! Shame on The Peninsula, I’m disappointed at the level of journalism these days.

  • tallg

    Hi there! Thought it was about time I registered so I could comment on some of your great blog entries. Sorry that I’m starting off by disagreeing with you.

    Regarding the quote in The Peninsula – “Qataris are allowed in”.

    I’m afraid that while this is not 100% true, it’s also not “absolutely false” as you state.

    I have seen some Qatari fellows stopped from entering malls on family days, but at City Center yesterday I watched a security guard stand aside and let a few Qatari gentlemen in without them having to say a word to him, and then immediately stop a group of non-Qataris from entering.

    Also, this quote from yesterday’s Peninsula is concerning;

    Mohammed Khan, Villaggio Security Manager, gave a bizarre explanation to The Peninsula of the ‘Families Only’ policy for the holidays. “It is a matter of the mall’s honour. We are not allowing people in from the Industrial Area or those dressed in plastic slippers and wearing shorts. They do not have money to spend in the fashionable shops and if they do have money, they will spend it in Carrefour. Groups of these people tend to create trouble.” He said similar policies were being implemented in other malls as also the Corniche.

    [...] he said nothing could be done about single Qataris being allowed in. As for westerners, he said: “Westerners are good and will spend money.”

    And this article from today’s Gulf Times is extremely worrying;

    http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=245299&version=1&template_id=57&parent_id=56

    So I don’t think you can deny that there’s more to “family days” than just keeping out single men. It’s disgusting, and if this sort of thing continues I think there is going to be a major backlash.

  • Kei

    @tallg thanks for posting on my Blog :)

    I honestly believe that Mohd Khan would never say ‘Qataris aren’t allowed in’ because his name is on the news paper. I also believe that when some Qataris are let in by the security guard, it’s that particular security guard who decided not to let them in.

    I’ll never forget one time on family day. when I wanted to go to the cinema with a bunch of my ozzie friends, they went ahead to get the tickets. As I tried to walk in, and I was not looking like a bum, I was wearing some nice jeans, a very nice shirt, etc.., a small Nepaly security guard said to me “no you can’t go in”. I asked why and even said, why are they allowed in and me as a Qatari I’m not allowed in. I eventually did get in when I flashed my work card and he then thought to apologize.

    It doesn’t make sense. This family day seems to be at the discretion of the security guards.

    I can’t wait until they finish that labour city, those poor labourers will then have malls, shops, sports arenas etc… and we will also be done with this stupid family day.

    I do agree, there is more to this, however to say that ‘Qataris are allowed in’ and put it in the newspaper and use a random (at that time pissed off) person as a source is not professional journalism.

  • tallg

    Yes, I agree that the The Peninsula probably shouldn’t have printed that. We’ve discussed their professionalism before I think ;-)

    The labour city will indeed be a blessing for the labourers. However, even once that’s built the labourers should still be allowed into the other malls if they want to visit them. If they are prohibited from doing so it’s unacceptable discrimination.

  • Kei

    I think that they probably will indeed be allowed in the malls as they won’t be in huge packs, but even then, discrimination is sad.

    The funny thing is, I feel like Qatar doesn’t understand that there needs to be more entertaining places!

    They’re tearing them down for construction faster than they’re building them up!

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    Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which the Qatari Government is a signatory of states: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any medias and regardless of any frontiers.

    The Emiri Decision Number 86 of the year 2007 on the establishment of the Doha Free Information Centre marked yet another step towards establishing a State of rights and freedom of speech. The decision stipulated that the Centre be a non-profit organization, headquartered in Doha City, and have the authority to establish other affiliated centres inside and outside Qatar. It is worth mentioning that His Highness the Emir issued a decision in 1998 annulling the ministry of information, giving birth to a new era of freedom of speech where censorship was removed from local media.