post doha 02
January 10th 2007 04:06
across the road from bad form restaurant
another fascinating area to look at within the lifestyle of the qataris is how their economy ticks. by being ruled under a monachal system, there is not that many true qataris. a brief history lesson on them shows that they were a nomadic tribe until late in the 19th century, and found that they liked the little area of qatar that they discovered and would settle there. a few good wars later, to settle who rules and owns what, and the mere 100 000 of them sorted it out and settled. the estimate of the population is 839,213 (july 2006 - wikipedia leaving an approximate of 700 000 immigrant workers and settlers. needless to say there is quite a large gap between rich and poor.
the major income for the country comes from their exported gas and oil commodities. when i was there, it was for the 15th asian games, so it was apparent there was a great deal of money floating around, or more accurately being splashed and thrown around. there was a rumour circulating between the ranks that the total cost of the games was 23 billion, and this equated to one weeks worth of income from the gas pipe pumping natural gas to foreign countries. in terms of globe economy, this is quite a large budget, but in reality for these guys they can host a global event on a weekly basis.
busy as a bee... some of them
i thought the people here looked like qataris?
the qataris are paid us$6000 per month just for being qataris (something i want to run past mr howard when next we meet), along with incentive to further their education, and start enterprising. if you are a foreigner and would like to start a venture in qatar, that's ok but fifty percent of the business must be owned by qatar. or you can build yourself some land adjoining to the mainland, and own your business completely (as the hyatt are currently doing). so with all of this wealth, it is quite obvious they strut with attitude, and treat those that aren't qatari with contempt. although they are fun loving, family oriented, relaxed people, they are still very proud. unfortunately, they aren't wise to the ways of the world yet, and are inviting the western world in rapidly, balls and all! one very wise quote i heard whilst talking to a qatari was ' the quicker and higher you go, the harder you fall'. some of them are wise to their situation.
however, as the major gap between rich and poor exhists, and all involved in the situation are happy (apparently). there is no lack of work, and the people are provided for with public services. incidently, i didn't see one beggar, or any buskers. onward does doha surge to build itself into the new dubai...
35 percent of the world's cranes are currently in doha
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Comment by Dave
Comment by Jonathon
Anthroblogogy
i do hope it informs you of lashings of stuff. and thank you for the subscription - i shall forward the fifty bucks to your swedish account tomorrow.
Comment by Kj
Nice blog.. Belated response to Post Doha reflections.
"this is a tradition that is not enforced nor policed by the men, but rather by the women themselves. the mother in law of the woman determines the amount that the woman has to cover, as to preserve the women’s beauty only for their husband"
Interesting thoughts... It may not be enforced or policed by men directly yet the original idea for women to cover up (obviously not specifically with the hijab) was set down in the Qur’an which comes from the male prophet Muhammad and handed to him by 'God' who I am sure is known in this culture to not be of female origin. So I think therein lies a pretty strong male influence.. albeit indirectly.
'And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not show off their beauty and ornaments except what is (ordinarily) visible thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards God, that ye may attain Bliss. '
Surah 24 Verse 31
In my eyes it is still objectifying and controlling women and therefore placing ownership upon them. Even if it is the mother in law's decision, why is the woman in question so disempowered?? Why is it that in 2007 women are still so feared that rather than burning them at the stake they have their rights stripped and are forced to hide themselves?? And most importantly, why aren't the most beautiful MEN covered up all bar their eyes...??? xxx
Comment by Jonathon
Anthroblogogy
i hear ya sister and i agree with you completely. however, this was what i was seeing and feeling whilst being completely submerged in it for a three week stint. and i guess i knew in the back of my mind that shortly i would return to my homeland where the women are basically 95 percent free to do whatever they wish. i guess when the river is flowing, it is eay to jump in and go with the flow - it might land you somewhere you weren't expecting.
i also used my intuitive reasoning to establish that i wouldn't particularly like to be 'objectified' in the way that they are, but moving amongst this culture, i felt as though it does work for them, with the women happy to live in this way, even if it does involve a coxcomb (and think of the meaniing behind that). if that's 'the way', then who are we as a western culture to come in and say 'hey you boy! that's wrong and you should cease it now!' i thought we just tried that in iraq, yeah?
i would conclude this by saying you to kell are looking at this situation through western eyes, and eyes that full well know what liberation for women means - depending on where one sits with feminism. i am not here to play god by saying that either way is right or wrong, nor am i going to condemn one way for being 'wrong'. it also goes back to my initial point of 'it just is' (in all its profoundness). i much prefer for all of these cultures to exhist with their idiosyncrasies, in preference to travelling to a socially constructed little america wherever i might go. i can't say it any better this:
"Feminism is a belief that women and men are inherently of equal worth. Because most societies privilege men as a group, social movements are necessary to achieve equality between women and men, with the understanding that gender always intersects with other social hierarchies"
Freedman, Estelle B. No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women. New York: Ballantine Books, 2002, at 7.
Comment by Kj
Good points and taken. As I wasn't moving amongst the people in the same country you were, it is impossible for me to comment on that place, time, experience etc.
But after spending a little over 3 months (this however does not make me an expert as 3 months is nothing and I am still a foreigner, white, female, 'tourist'... always only ever able to view the culture, never be inside it in this period of time) in India and Nepal and similarly submerged in a society where women are covered - myself included- I also was able to see and feel what was going on around and inside of me. I saw women wearing metal masks over their face as their style of burqa (a little too gimpy for my taste), women in full burqa, women in a simple hijab, women in 1800's styled bibbed and aproned outfits, women in flowing saris and salwar kameezes.
A huge range of responses to the hindu, buddhist, muslim and more cultures that inhabit those 2 countries.
I also saw a women beaten repeatedly by her male boss, in tears and completely afraid to go home and face her husband. I saw women constantly working and taking care of family and home whilst men lazed about on the streets smoking and chatting and very obviously enjoying time. I saw many more female prostitues than male.
I spoke with women where and when I could and where I was propelled to in the face of circumstance. And I heard their stories and their feelings. I have since, thru my work with AFR, also spoken with women in Australia who wear the hijab...
Here and there, Some preferred it and chose to don it, others found it oppressive. In the same vein, some women felt suppressed in general in the culture and others didn't. I also spoke with men. Many men and garnered their responses.
So I say to you Hutch, perhaps you are looking at it thru the eyes of a male. A white, middle class, educated, Western male. I also wonder if you actually spoke to any women about their views? Or did you speak to men?
I also don't believe we have the right to march in and push our western ways on everyone else... but i do believe that every individual, male or female, has the right to be heard and to make healthy decisions for themselves. And to make a change in their immediate situation. To have the power and right as a human being to make an informed choice and actively seek change.
Comment by Jonathon
Anthroblogogy
yes this was all seen and reported on through the exact eyes that you have described earlier. i tried to, and believe i have stated that, in which case obviously shapes the way in which i communicate it. in regards to speaking with the women, this was virtually impossible as they would hardly even make eye contact with me. i'm not sure if that is a male or westerner attribute disfunction, but it certainly cancelled out any potential communication with them. needless to say that all of the information gathered here is from the male gender of the race - who were confident and affirmitive with their responses.
this is, however a large leap 'forward' in liberalisation to their saudi neighbours who still don't allow the women to drive etc. this is something which can be contributed to the forward thinking of the emir Hamad bin Khalifa. this may even be considered an advantage of authoritarian style ruling as opposed to a democratic 'what's best for the people' political system? i do believe in an informed choice, but in this case i simply don't believe the information is there to assist in this informed choice. unfortunately this ability is a time away from the qataris.
boo to india and nepal... that's bad.