A salute to Sarmad Qazi

10 Mar, 2009  Random

After a bit of a silent spell, I’m back and it’s with a bit of some positive recognition.

I think it’s time to give a salute to Sarmad Qazi, a journalist that works for Gulf-Times and has his heart set into doing things right.

I remember the first time I met him was at the ‘Wear Something Yellow’ event. He passed by and asked me a few questions but our conversation slowly shifted into what he was doing in Qatar.

K: So how long have you been in Qatar?
S: I was born and raised here
K: So you’re Qatari!
S: I really hope to be (he said with a smile)

He started telling me that he now worked for the Gulf Times and that he had great aspirations for making it the best newspaper that it could be. He wanted to talk about real issues and he shared my views to the dot. If you’re going to talk about something, say it in a way that may stir up some rational thoughts and encourage others to act on those thoughts.

We met a couple of times after that and discussed how Qatar used to have a lot less back in the day, but some could argue it had more character back then. He told me how he hoped that through his articles he’d be able to bring important issues to light and that he felt that his words stood as the only way to get a message out in the open. After all, there are those that complain for the sake of complaining and those who do it with an aim of making the world a better place.

Nowadays, everytime I read the title of something he’s written, I know it’ll be good. Oh! and the best thing is that this guy uses spell check!

  • Namma

    you are very right.I salute him too for his dedication to such great cause. he has given voice to the issues of minorities living in doha and he write about their rights. i Like his spirit. and i hope he will bring a good change in the lifes of the people he is living with.

    Sarmad keep up the good work. May God bless you.

Freedom of Expression

    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.