Global Voices » Mohamed Nanabhay

Sympathy and Support for Qatari student killed in the UK

Mohamed Nanabhay — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 22:06:13 +0000

A 16-year-old Qatari student visiting Britain died as a result of head injuries sustained when he was attacked by local youth. Mohamed Al-Majed was in Hastings, East Sussex, attending an English language course. The circumstances of the death are still under investigation but the police “are treating his death as a murder inquiry, and are investigating it as racially motivated at this time.”

Reactions out of Qatar have been strong. The Al-Majed family has called for justice and his father told the Hasting Observer that “…justice has to be done in all this investigation. All of those involved in committing this crime on a young, innocent 16-year-old boy should be punished.”

Doctora translated and posted a cartoon that was published on 28 August in the Al-Raya newspaper in response to the death - the cartoon showed three “thugs” dripping with blood saying “Welcome people of the world to LONDON's Olympic Games.”

Mr. Q recalled his own time as a Qatari in the UK and how he was treated:

This poor boy was ganged up on, beaten up, and murdered just because he was an Arab. Here is the country that we’re supposed to emulate. Qatari’s travel to England with great honour and strive to acheive when they travel to the UK….When I arrived in the UK, my first obstacle was the airport. The staff there were rude, they treated me like dirt and finally let me through. When I arrived at University, I found out soon enough that the staff didn’t take too kindly to Arabs….

I really hope that the UK government finds whomever did this and brings justice. I hope that the Qatar government will follow this up.

The story quickly made waves in the expatriate community. It was first posted to Qatar Living by britexpat who wrote:

So sad to hear of this and really angry at the moronic element in our society..
Hope the thugs are caught and punished and my prayers for the family..

The post resulted in over 200 comments conveying messages of sympathy, grief and prayers that poured in from both Qataris and expatriates living in Qatar.

Another British expatriate, Qatar Visitor blogged

….While there is plenty of racism in Qatar, a racist attack like this simply wouldn't take place. I have walked through backstreets in Qatar at three in the morning without a qualm. But if it did happen, you would soon be whisked to hospital. Not, as in the case of young Mohammed, spending hours waiting in a police car, then hours again waiting for a hospital bed.

And I can imagine the reaction of the British if a young English boy was killed in an attack by Qatar youths. There would be aggression, a desire for revenge, perhaps some Qataris beaten up.

I have seen none of that. The only interaction with Qatari youths I have had since the incident was at a coffee shop. They were a bit loud and boisterous, but happy to play with my two year old son when he trotted up to them.

I would be spitting for revenge, crying out for the perpetrators to be found and hung, and sod my opposition to the death penalty. The distraught Father of the boy only said it was the will of God.

We British are so proud of our culture, so superior, and so quick to criticize others, but at this moment I can only feel a sense of shame about my country and my people.

Angelwings reminded people that when a British expatriate was killed in a bombing in Doha, the Qatari community showed support to his family by holding a memorial for him - she floated the idea of holding a similar memorial for Mohamed Al-Majed:

It is a terribly tragedy whenever anyone dies needlessly.

But if any of you were around when John, the Producer of the Shakespeare play in the Doha Theatre, was killed during a suicide bombing a couple of years back, then you'll remember that many Qatari people stood for over an hour at a Memorial on the very ground used by the Bomber. It may be nice to show our solidarity and sympathy for this young Qatari boy in the same way. Perhaps on the Corniche, or somewhere where a gathering can take place….

If anyone has similar feelings and would like to show their sympathy and condolences toward the family, perhaps we can name a place and time.

The post became a catalyst for a show of solidarity that was held on Monday, September 8. The event was posted to Qatar Living, I love Qatar and Expat Women where people were urged to “show solidarity with the al-Majed family by gathering at the Doha Corniche wearing something yellow.”

With regard to the tragedy in Hastings UK, recently, we are planning to use this Monday to show our sympathy for the family of the Qatari boy who died, and also make a stand against this kind of meaningless violence. Hopefully the UK government (and others around the world) will take note and give this kind of behaviour ‘zero tolerance'.

We will go to the Corniche on the Monday, exactly one week after the original stand made in the UK….

To be recognised, we will BRING SOMETHING YELLOW. It can be a flower, a balloon, an armband, or even an item of clothing, anything that will distinguish the stand you are making.

There is not going to be any formal spot for meeting, other than on the actual Corniche itself, that way we don't have to ask for permits etc. We will not be forming a ‘crowd' in any particular place, so a permit will not be required. Only that we will quietly walk or stand on the Corniche area, with our YELLOW distinguishing marker.

IF YOU CANNOT COME ON MONDAY, PLEASE WEAR OR SHOW SOMETHING YELLOW DURING THE DAY, TO SHOW YOUR SOLIDARITY WITH US. THE TIMING ISN'T IMPORTANT, BUT THE COLOUR WILL SHOW YOU'RE WITH US, AND THE BOY'S FAMILY, THAT DAY.

Photo Credit: Novita Parish

As a result of this online co-ordination, The Peninsula Newspaper reported that over 100 gathered from “different communities” to show sympathy with the Al Majed family. Members of the Al Majed family were also present.

“Qatar's greatest football moment…”

Mohamed Nanabhay — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:25:31 +0000

Football fans in Qatar were ecstatic over the Qatari national teams 1-0 win over Iraq in a World Cup qualifier. Greeker described it as “Qatar's greatest football moment…” writing:

75th minute, Said Bachir heads in a goal.

A moment frozen in time.

QATAR lives its greatest moment in international football.

This crucial victory comes after Qatar Football Association was cleared from any wrongdoing after claims that they had fielded an eligible player in previous matches with Iraq and China.

The fact that Iraq was beaten out of the tournament was not lost on Qatari bloggers. Diamond wrote:

Sorry Iraq. I applaud your courage and determination. If you had beat Qatar I'd be rooting for you guys all the way.

….I so much want that country [Iraq] to succeed…in every aspect. My heart is for Iraq too.

whoami commented

I'm so proud. Both Qatar and Iraq put their hearts into it. Of course I'm happy that Qatar won, but I'd have been equally happy if Iraq won.

Amidsts all the congratulations and “mabhrooks”, tallg was quick to point out that Qatar now has to compete in Round 4 in order to qualify for the 2010 Football World Cup in South Africa.

Qatar: Online Community Comes to the Aid of Workers

Mohamed Nanabhay — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:32:57 +0000

Early this week a fire broke out at a labour camp in Doha, Qatar, which destroyed the belongings of 600 workers. Labour camps in the Gulf states are usually large single sex-segregated dormitories that house hundreds of migrant workers who earn around $220 a month. The Gulf Times broke the story with details of the devastating impact of the fire on the labourers. Within hours of the story being reported, it was posted to the online community Qatar Living by SPEED under the headline “Appeal for QL donations for needy Labourers!” where he made this appeal to site members:

I feel pity for these labourers and wish to help them whatever I can.Humble request to All Qlers: Please if anyone can visit the site and donate whatever you can, New or Used Blankets/Pillows/Bedsheets/Mattress/Clothes/Shoes/Dry Food items such as rice, cereals, grains etc…They are in bad need of donations, they have lost everything and I am sure their sponsor will not provide them with eveything they have lost except few Qatari Riyal …. last time in another incident the sponsor compensated QR. 100 only to each labour !! Do you think this amount will help them to cover their loss ???

His plea generated over 200 responses in two days. It was a powerful example of how an online community organised itself to provide real world assistance to a mostly marginalised offline community. Through the on-going discussion members of Qatar Living rallied to collect supplies and money which they would distribute to the workers affected by the fire.

Gulf Time, the national paper who first reported the story subsequently published another article on the massive community response to the fire:

After Gulf Times highlighted the plight of the 600 workers it triggered a rapid and heartfelt response from Doha residents with one community website being among the first to organise aid donations.

Posting a plea on Qatar Living, the samaritan named ‘Speed’ urged other members to gather blankets, sheets, mattresses, clothes, shoes and food items. His call was immediately answered with pledges of help.

Planning for the aid is still on-going. Users Scarlett, SPEED and PWB have organised drop-off points in Doha where people can leave donations tomorrow. A number of community members will then take the donations to the affected workers.

Editorial Transparency in Qatar

Mohamed Nanabhay — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 22:21:52 +0000

A misunderstanding around the safety of bottle water in Qatar (it's fine!) has led to an interesting conversation about the quality of the English language press in Qatar. Comments were passed back and forth between between a commenter on Qatar Living (tallg) and the Managing Editor of a local English newspaper in Qatar.

In a comment tallg noted that

The press here do have a habit of printing anything they hear without checking the facts. The Peninsula had to run an apology the other day for saying that the museum on the corniche was going to open on the 22nd Feb, when in fact it isn't opening til 22nd Nov. They then went on to blame whoever they heard this information from, rather than accepting that they should have clarified the information themselves. Very amature.

It seems that Rachel Morris, the Managing Editor of the Peninsula keeps an eye on the social web in Qatar and responded to the tallg's comment and explained how incorrect facts had come to be printed in her paper:

… Perhaps you may benefit from hearing the full story.

The Qatar News Agency ran an item the day before saying the opening was in February.

Given it came from the OFFICIAL news agency of this nation, it's pretty fair to assume the information is correct. For those who don't know, all official news from the Emiri Diwan down is transmitted to all media here using the QNA (Qatar News Agency).

It turns out QNA had made a mistake in the copy. The information went out on the Arabic wire, was translated into English then re-transmitted.

We picked it up, ran it because it was from QNA. The following day, it was revealed QNA has put the erroneous report out. I have since had a clarification and an apology from the QNA English Editor and ran the clarification so our readers did not think we were misleading them.

In the end was all very maturely dealt with and not as you charge, a case of assigning blame. Having worked in the media in the Gulf and Australia for 17 years, I know mistakes are made. In this case QNA admitted it and we informed our readers.

It always helps to know the full story.

After apologising for calling the actions of the paper “very amature”, tallg explains that he still stands by what he said and that

…My issue was not with the original report being incorrect, and I realise that mistakes will be common in a newspaper which collates most of it's articles from other sources. But I do believe that once a newspaper decides to run with a story it becomes their responsibility. It is good that a correction was printed in this case (and I wish this happened more often), but in my opinion that was all that was needed. To then go on and explain how it was actually someone else who made the mistake in the first place did not read very well to me, and to be honest it sounded like the newspaper was passing the buck.

To write an article about how The Peninsula receives it's news stories would have been informative and interesting, and would have offered a chance to explain why articles sometimes carry mistakes. I think this would have been a better way of informing readers, rather than putting it in a correction column.

I hope you'll understand that my offending comment was borne out of frustration with the lack of quality information in Qatar, a frustration that many people here share…

Ms. Morris replies to tallg in a very honest manner explaining that

We struggle everyday trying to get accurate and informative information to our readers so I appreciate your frustrations.

All your points are valid. The reason I replied is because I do believe journalists have a job to do in terms of educating the public about how we form our news values and stories and sometimes, how mistakes can be made. Despite our view sometimes to the contrary, we journalists are not perfect!!

I am really glad to see a newspaper editor engaging with her audience online - it's a brave step that will help enhance trust amongst an often cynical expatriate audience.

Qatar: Divorce via SMS

Mohamed Nanabhay — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 21:45:29 +0000

PeacefulMuslimah, who lives in Qatar, was just divorced via an SMS text message from her husband. She has: “lots of questions rattling around in my head but not a lot of answers…”

Qatar: Sunbathing in Ramadan

Mohamed Nanabhay — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 13:12:06 +0000

Gypsy was shocked to find someone sunbathing in a bikini in the parking lot of a popular shopping centre in Doha. She writes that “laying out in your bikini in a busy parking lot with labourers and women in hijab and abaya walking by you DURING RAMADAN is the most disrespectful thing I have ever witnessed in Qatar.“

Beyond Borders: Bloggers Face off over Jordanian Treatment of Iraqi Travellers

Mohamed Nanabhay — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 22:14:32 +0000

The treatment of Iraqis at the Jordan's Queen Alia Airport has triggered a storm in the Middle Eastern blogosphere. What at first seemed to be a straight forward story of refugees being ill-treated by their neighbour's security guards has spawned into a Pan-Arab spat (the type of which is normally reserved for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict).

It all started with a post by Mohammed, a 25-year-old Iraqi dentist on his blog “Last of Iraqis“. More of a short story than a blog post, Mohammed describes a story of love, war, deception, agony, humiliation and hope.

He braved Sadr City and lied his way into getting “sick note” from a doctor, then lied to his boss so he could take his wife on a vacation to Amman, Jordan. And that's where our story begins:

“…In the Jordanian airport we waited in hall to meet the intelligence officer, who will decide whether we can enter Jordan or not, I wasn't afraid and didn't worry because I used to go to Amman every summer, and so did my wife.”

After being question by Intelligence and a long wait he was told that he couldn't enter Jordan

“..then an officer came to us and told us that we aren't going to enter Amman in the most humiliating way of speaking , and walked away I tried to talk to him but he closed the door in my face…..I was so angry of the way he treated us , we are locked in a small room now , and my wife is scared of closed places , she was so scared and she began to cry hysterically I felt that she will die if she staid like this and again there was nothing I can do , this really makes me hate my self when I can do nothing , I knocked on the door many times but no one answered , it's like a prison , I shouted : don't let us in , just let us out , get us back to Iraq , I don't want to be humiliated like this…… there was no answer , they just ignored us again.

…all of us were so scared from the idea that we will sleep in a jail for the first time in our lives for no crime we did , just because we are Iraqis , why does everyone treat Iraqis like this , we are humans , we aren't aliens , we are not animals to be put in jail for no crime”

… all the men had red eyes , they struggled to keep the tears in their eyes , and I was one of them , I don't know why they were so sad may be some of them for the price of the ticket 644$ which was lost , maybe for the business and opportunity they have lost , but for me it's for the humiliation and disrespect I have seen , for the way Jordanians treat Iraqis , for the lost chance of seeing our parents

Mohammed was “jailed” with a mother who was not allowed to get new diapers to change her crying baby, a man who had been kidnapped and ransomed and was trying to flee Iraq, a student trying to visit the US Embassy in order to take up a University scholarship in the US and wealthy Iraqis trying to get their money out of Jordanian banks.

To make matters worse, he recalls times when Iraq had allowed Jordanians to come into the country and prosper:

…Now I remember at Saddam's times when the Jordanian students come to Iraq and study for free and the government gives them flats and pocket money as to encourage the so called “Arab Unity” what a comedy! They have the priority in applying for the universities in Baghdad, Saddam gave Jordan oil and electricity for free, now I was so mad, but I didn't on whom should I be mad; of Saddam or of Jordanians? Saddam wanted good relations with them so he did that, and that's the way the treat us, I wish the time could go back, I wish.

Eventually he gets deported back to Iraq and makes his way to Syria where he is enjoying his vacation. I'm not sure if he realises what a storm he has started…

Soon other bloggers started pointing out similar stories that had previously been posted elsewhere. Iraq the Model had a similar experience visiting Amman where he had need to go to the American Embassy to get his visa in order to take up a scholarship in the States:

“An hour passed before I could absorb what happened to me; locked up in a crowded room and just been denied the rare opportunity I had been working on for a year, for no other crime than being Iraqi. There were about forty or fifty of us there at any point and the number went up and down as new arriving flights brought in more unfortunate Iraqis, or departing flights took some of us back home.

It wasn’t the typical scene of impoverished and suffering refugees, but in it’s own way it was painful to watch educated and professional people, doctors, businessmen and even diplomats with their red passports being treated this way; sleeping on the floor and asking for permission from a guard to go to the restroom.”

Zeyad from Healing Iraq learnt that his sister and brother-in-law were also denied entry to Jordan while his father is soon going to attempt the same trip. While Mohammed was denied a vacation and Iraq the Model higher education, Zeyad says that it would cause the breakup of his family:

If he is denied entry then the breakup of my family would be complete, stranded between four countries, and there would be no hope for resettlement in a third country.

In response to a video of Iraqis in the prison he blogged:

This is what has become of Iraqis: beggars on the gates of nations that used to live on our scraps.

Fyrouz recalled her own ordeal where she was travelling with her siblings and young nephew. After being interogated for three hours they were denied access to Amman and then forced to spend approximately 48 hours in the custody centre where the lights were on 24 hours a day. She called claims that the experience had “tortured us mentally” and wondered:

Isn't it a violation of human rights to keep us in custody for no reason? Is it humanely proper to keep a child in custody for two days without reason? I just wonder.

These stories from Iraqis prompted Silly Bahraini Girl to write a scathing piece on how the Iraqis were treated under the headline “Shame on your Jordan!” saying

This is a story of how one Arab eats the flesh of another Arab.

…And please remember this story every time you see a Jordanian mercenary member of our esteemed police, special guard or defense forces.. for very soon we will be treated with such contempt in our own country…if it isn't already happening that is.

From the bottom of my heart - shame on you Jordan. Thanks for showing your true face!

Commentators on her blog responded saying that it is unfair that she is blaming the whole of Jordan for these incidents and that she shouldn't generalise and “insult a whole country“.

That post kicked off a storm and caused Jordanians to pile in with reactions ranging from embarrassment to Xenophobia (coupled with the type of blind nationalism that makes smart people dumb).

Konfused Kid, an Iraqi living in Jordan, nicely sums up the drama in historical terms [spoiler alert!]:

Jordanian: If you don't like it, get out. This happens everywhere…
Iraqis: We're giving you oil for (10, 20, 100) years and this is how you repay us? We built you.
Jordanian: Who killed Saddam Hussein? You bastards! (few Pan-Arab tears shed here)
Iraqi: You traitors! We are all Arab (national pan-Arab anthem plays here, but the happy commercial does not end on good terms…)
Jordanian: Shut up, ya balad al-Shiqaq wa Nifaq (Land of Discord & Hypocrisy, the favorite Arab slander of Iraqis, thank you Mr. Hajaj)
Iraqi: Shut up, Qawm Lot (the infamous anicent butt-sex freaks people of the Prophet Lot, unfortunately situated near the Dead Sea.)

When the story started taking off (and in response to Silly Bahraini Girl's post) Black Iris felt he needed to give a “Jordanian perspective” and pointed out that the incidents were not

…a public policy, nor is it a social element. It’s like the difference between hating Americans and hating American foreign policy. So “shame on Jordan” entails a whole social aspect to it that is as valid as saying “Zarqawi, the Jordanian terrorist”; he was just a terrorist.

I also want to point out that for those who may be shocked by the “photographic evidence”, that what some have lovingly dubbed a “prison”, well, that’s actually our airport. It’s pretty bad; we know. We have to sit on those same chairs, and don’t even get me started on passport control. If Iraqis were put in a real Jordanian jail, they would have a whole other story to tell.
… I’m sorry that when Iraqis come to Jordan there isn’t a red carpet waiting for them and a palace hall with a golden buffet of exotic fruits. And to expect thousands of people coming in from a war torn country to be given the exact same treatment as that of a tourist, then you must be out of your frikin mind.

He goes on to write that the Iraqis are putting a strain on Jordan's economy:

This is a country of about 5.6 million people that has extremely limited resources. We are in the top 10 list of countries in the world with the least water resources.In 4 years we’ve had just about 1 million Iraqis come into the country. One million.

They don’t live in refugee camps they live in urban areas, predominantly the capital Amman, which is home to about 2.3 million Jordanians. In other words, nearly one third of the city is Iraqi.

Most Jordanians make about 150JDs ($211) per month. With Iraqis in the country (and their high level of consumption) inflation is at a record high for Jordan, with purchasing power virtually eroding that 150JDs to dust. Most Jordanians are poorer than they were 5 years ago before the war started.

Food prices have gone up. The most common staple, tomatoes, have gone from 30piasters to 70piasters in only 2-3 years. Petrol has increased, as has electricity and water (for those who still manage to get it pumped to their home once a week). Natural gas, which pretty much keep Jordanians alive by either heating their bodies or their food, has gone from roughly 2JDs to about 4.25JDs. Universities classrooms are growing larger and larger, as will our public schools this year (which are already ailing), now that Iraqi children will be allowed to enter, regardless of their parent’s residency status.

Not to mention the burden on other infrastructure that includes sewage, waste disposal, health, education, roads, government services and yes, our security apparatus.

Made in Jordan interprets the influx of Iraqi's differently and is “ashamed at their behaviour“:

Shortly after the war, Jordan received an influx of Iraqis, that were estimated at around 750,000 in 2005. These Iraqis have helped revitalize the economy, by bringing in more cash, brains and brawls to the country. More real estate development projects popped up, more jobs were created thanks to the hotels, landscape development projects, design firms and publishing houses that were set up by the Iraqis. But these investments came from a small portion of Iraqis. The Iraqis that you don’t read about in the papers, or see in the news, are definitely not happy campers in Jordan. In fact, some of them believe that the Jordanian police really is an extension of Saddam’s brutal regime.

Acknowledging the opportunities and support that Iraq gave to Jordan previously, he writes:

And we really can’t blame them. And honestly, I am ashamed of myself being a Jordanian at this moment. For years, we have been receiving subsidized oil from Iraq, in turn for providing logistical means for Iraq. Try to go way back, in the 1948 and 1967 wars against Israel. The Iraqi air force and army stood tall to support Jordan. Even during Saddam’s regime, I personally know many Jordanians who finished their Master’s Degree in Iraq, free of charge. Iraq has long been the symbol of strength, vigor and pride for us as Jordanians and Arabs. Yet, this is how we repay the favor. We publicly warn of a Shiite threat. We start an inquisition roller coaster to hunt down Iraqi Shiites and kick them off to the borders. We do not provide displaced Iraqis with at least a full-refugee status, nor do we embrace them to become Jordanians. We leave Iraqis stranded at the airport for hours, and interrogate them as if they’re scum. While in fact, we are the scum. I still do not get it, but am I seeing a pattern here in the way Arabs treat each other?

…Because, when Iraq was good to us, we were good to them. But when Iraq became weak, we just kicked them while they’re still on the floor. That, is the most purest form of capitalism you could ever get.

Meanwhile, Moey picks up from where Black Iris left off and provides a classic and time tested schoolboy response to a disagreement “If you don't like it, LEAVE!”. He sends this message to those sympathising with the treatment of the Iraqis in Jordan:

A Message to Iraqis and their fans (sorry, It might be harsh a bit): If you don’t like the way Jordan treats you then get the hell out of it! Yes, you can… there’s Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and many other countries that you can consider home. Help youself!

We are not guilty, we are not disgusting, you need to get a life! and I will never be ashamed to be a Jordanian. God bless jordan, and god bless our security forces, Jordan still has men who will give up their life for our security.

and the question goes to you Silly Bahraini Girl (quoting Batir Wardam), What would happen if we direct 750,000 Iraqis to Bahrain instead of Jordan…

Jordan, I will be back is more tempered and thinks that it is hypocritical for other Arabs to attack the Jordanian security apparatus when they are treated just as badly in their own countries:

It is just amazing to me how we Jordanians always try to be the only ones who are politically correct! I bet that this journalist was strip searched in Iraq, I bet that before he enters the “green zone” his family will be strip searched, but NO, if Jordanians ask him a couple of questions and put them in a room they are low level people (Jordanians)”

Most disturbing was the Facebook group discovered by Konfused Kid which is called I hate Iraqis (152 members so far!) which has a running discussion on “how to kick Iraqi's out of Jordan” with suggestions such as “any iraqi u c in the street kick thier ass so they can maybe hve a lil respect”.

Of course, other Jordanians were not happy with the way the Iraqis were treated at the border or by the responses from bloggers. Qwaider was one of them and wrote:

I'm really shocked by so many of the responses I'm seeing on this matter. From both sides of the isle. On one side, people are bashing Jordan and Jordanians beyond hell. On the other, Jordanians are being so juvenile and uncivilized in the way they treat the whole matter. Some are in scattered in the middle but those are really a minority.

…If anything, people claiming to talk about Human rights, and Freedom of speech should be ashamed of their positions on what appears to be a very basic violation of human rights.

…That's where I stand. I'm saying, what happened is sad, and I call for a fact finding committee to conduct a full and open investigation. (And I assure you, my sources tell me that it will happen). We should probably apologize for it, and make it better. Make sure it's not going to happen again.

…Another extremely outrageous argument is the “Do you expect to be received on a Red carpet or with Rose petals?” and the obvious answer to that is NO, we don't expect to do that to Iraqis, what they're asking for is simply to maintain their dignity. And to be treated like human beings. Nothing more, nothing less!

…There you have it! I'm a Jordanian, and I apologize for the Iraqi people for what happened. I hope I represent a segment of the society that has it's value and not only represent my self.

SugarCubes symapathises on a personal level that the Iraqis had to go through the ordeal at the airport but does not believe Jordan was at fault.

For Natasha Tynes the reactions are an indication of the “tension between these two Arab nations on an individual level seems to be on the rise” and thinks that the international community needs to help Jordan find a way to deal with the influx of refugees. Khalaf from What's Up in Jordan is also embarrassed at how the issue was dealt with and notes that a polite system for dealing with people who you don't want already exists - “Consulates and Visas” but

“If it is impossible to establish an embassy or consulate in Iraq, then this situation can not be avoided. Given the problems in Iraq, no responsible government in the world will allow people in without thorough security screening. It is sad, but not as sad as the reality in Iraq.”

Catholic Sunni Shia also provided a blow-by-blow coverage and commentary of the saga.

It seems appropriate to end with the view of an Iraqi who is living in Jordan who tells his own story of moving to Jordan

I was warned by many friends that Jordanians ‘hate our guts', judging from personal experience, my homeland (and all Arabs, as I found out) exaggerate in terms of racism, so while I tried hard to shrug this off, I nevertheless embraced Jordan with a huge feeling of self-consciousness, eventually I found out that you basically can get your way around here pretty much okay in terms of day-to-day interaction if you respect people and be pleasant with them. It's hard to exactly describe the love-hate relationship between Arabs of different countries, but it's best summarized by the Bedouin saying: ‘Me and my brother on my cousin, me and my cousin on the enemy.'

He even blogs a story of respectful Jordanian security:

…the last time I entered Jordan was September 2006 with my grandparents, for the first time I was nervous because of the many rejection stories I have heard, amazingly, it wasn't me who was the problem but my 84-year old grandfather, who had a FAKE passport, my grandfather's passport was done in Iraq through a connection, who brought it to him with somebody else's fingerprints on it, being a stalwart man of principle, Grandpa insisted that he get a clean passport so he can put his own print on it, sure enough, the passport comes a week later, what we didn't know is that the man who did it (either the connection or the passport officer) had simply ripped the page and replaced it with a new one. Anyway, after being held by intelligence officers for about 15 minutes, they gave him a two-weeks admission notice based on his old age, another thing which might have helped was his serving in the Palestine 1948 war, anyway, my grandfather said that the Jordanian officials were ‘very respectful'…

Finally, putting the whole thing into a pan-Arab perspective he says

…in the larger world, we are all insignificant if we continue to squabble like this. I hope there would be one improbable day when Iraqis, Jordanians, Kuwaitis, Palestinians and all realize that those phony classifications are drawn by a map based on a British-French treaty held in 1916.

Child killed in Egypt

Mohamed Nanabhay — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:00:58 +0000

Abdulrahman Mansour was horrified to report that Egyptian police brutally tortured and killed 12 year old Muhammad Mamdooh Abdulrahman who they “arrested” for petty theft.

Documentary on Workers Rights in the Gulf

Mohamed Nanabhay — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 15:33:41 +0000

Jane in Doha points us to a documentary (in Arabic) produced by AlJazeera on the condition of workers in the Gulf States. She is happy that the regional media is paying attention to this problem since there are “17 million foreign workers in the Gulf. Most are from Asia and Egypt”.

Morad and the Crashing ATM machines

Mohamed Nanabhay — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 01:04:53 +0000

Morad keeps on crashing ATM machines in Qatar every time he puts in his debit card. To his surprise, the ATM machines are running on Windows XP Professional.

Traffic Points System for Qatar

Mohamed Nanabhay — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 01:04:20 +0000

Paul R writes that a new traffic law has been introduced in Qatar. Every time you disobey a traffic law, you lose a few points which could lead to your license being suspended or revoked. He speculates that if the system is implemented “the roads of Qatar will be traffic free very soon !”

Nepali Student Tells of ‘Nightmare Experience in the Gulf”

Mohamed Nanabhay — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 15:23:09 +0000

Tulsi Bhandari, a Nepali student returning from the US relates his “Nightmare Experience in the Gulf” where he was verbally abused, detained and fined in Bahrain after asking airline staff to treat Nepali workers returing home from Qatar with some respect. He says “The experience that I have gone through made me think hard if an educated person like me had to go through such a terrible treatment what the other poor Nepalis who are forced to leave the country might be going through…we are treated like animals.”

Qatar: It's getting hot in here

Mohamed Nanabhay — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 17:38:23 +0000

The arrival of summer in Qatar usually means an exodus of both locals and expatriates who can afford a vacation somewhere with a more welcoming climate. As temperatures rise above 45 degrees Celsius (over 110 Fahrenheit) bloggers in Qatar are discussing how to deal with the heat (and humidity).

Jane in Doha sums up the weather with a Jane Austin quote (noting that she could have been describing a Qatar summer): “What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance.”

Jane has no idea how people survived in this weather before there were air-conditioners everywhere. She tries to explain what it is like to live through a Qatar summer:

It's 11pm and I've just taken a shower. The sun has been down for about 5 hours now. When I turn on the cold water tap the water that comes out is uncomfortably hot. That's right - this is not water coming out of the water heater - this is water from the cold water tap. It's so hot from the sun that boiled the tanker that it stays in during the day (5 hours ago!)
If I walk out of an airconditioned lobby with my sunglasses on they will immediately steam up (you won't believe it until you experience it!)
If I walk from the car park to the office block I feel as if I just took a shower - I'll be drenched in perspiration.
If I walk outside right now (at 11pm) it is hotter than any English summer midday I've ever experienced (even the heatwave)
I have four airconditioners on in the house and I am still breaking a sweat.

She suggests taking a holiday to escape the heat. This is exactly what LotusGem and Camper's families have done. Camper blogs that he's home alone and that it's like being at university again (movies, junk food, card games and sports). He explains why his family left Qatar:

Lots of people who do not live in Qatar find the exodus of our families during summertime strange and a bit weird. You'll often get “you wife is gone for HOW long!?” as if they are trying to figure out if you are having marital problems

Of course, the reason most our families go home during these months is simple : HEAT and HUMIDITY. The current climate in Qatar is almost unbearable. It's okay since our homes, cars and offices are airconditioned. But if you're a kid, this place is a nightmare. You can't play outside for months. Now imagine being a parent of a child who is going mad being inside the house for extended periods…

So, the solution is simple. Usually our wives and kids pack off to Jordan/Egypt/UK and stay with the grandparents for a month or two. The kids love it since they are back home with family and friends. The parents gets a break and some help.

This seems like a perfect solution apart from the fact that he is already missing them!

And we get to relish in the fun of being alone…for a couple of days until we realise how much we miss our families and wish they were here!

On the practical side of things, xtian001, Caryle and Marjorie all describe how their cold water taps flow with boiling hot water. Marjorie explains

I got in the shower a little after middday yesterday (since I'd spent the morning cleaning the apartment) and turned the tap entirely to “cold.” The water that came out was almost too hot to shower in comfortably.

When I lived in the States I never thought about the fact that “cold,” in this context, really just means “the ambient temperature.” Or rather, in the States tap water is only predictably cold because it's coming into your house from underground pipes. Here in Qatar, “cold” water comes from the water tank sitting in full sunlight right outside your apartment. At this time of year, that water can in no way be described as “cold.”

Some people switch the hot and cold taps during the summer. Turning off your water heater converts your hot water tank (which is indoors, and thus air conditioned) into a reservoir of cold water. That “hot” water can then be used to cool down the actually-hot water that comes from the tap marked “cold.” It gets confusing to remember which tap is which, though.

If all of this still hasn't convincved you of how unpleasant the weather is at the moment, LotusGem decided to try a little “experiment” to provide proof:

I spent the hours between 11AM and 2:30PM under the sun, with degrees around 40-45c. In and out of the water, laying on my chair and floating on a mattress in the sea. Needless to say I was starting to feel a little heat beneath my skin, in the flesh, so I decided to spend sometime in the Jacuzzi, which now I know isn't a very good idea. Not that I was clueless before doing it, which puts “deliberate idiocy” above in context.

Towards the late afternoon, I moved under the shaded area near the pool which wasn't as bad. But I could feel the heat of the sun roasting my shoulders and legs through the holes in the canopy above. And though it wasn’t really doing that, but in my mind here is it what it all looked like: A blindingly bright laser penetrating through my skin and scorching the flesh and making “fizzzz” sounds as it moves slowly leaving a line of destroyed human flesh in its wake.

The result:

…I was so red that night that I was glowing in the dark. Literally. No Really!

I turned off the lights and I could see my body pulsating with a red glow. I was like a just-put-out match stick with that fading red glow….

Felt horrible, couldn't sleep at all that night. I applied a small cow’s worth of daily yogurt production on the “glowy” areas, tried burn creams from the Dr. and even regular deep moisturizers. But nothing seems to help; it took a few days before I could sleep with any comfort.

This all reminded him of the martial arts concept that “the best defense is not to be there”! Colt45 agrees with this sentiment and suggests we spend more time online in this ode:

Temperature soaring… work so boring,
All you loosers… get on those computers,
Stay with QL… until you hear the end of work bell

If you do have to go out, remember the sunscreen!

Turkey Makes The Right Choice

Mohamed Nanabhay — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 02:41:49 +0000

Abdurahman believes that Turkey made the right choice by electing the AK Party. He writes that the “election was widely followed in the Middle East” and that “in the last few years, in every fair election, an Islamic-leaning party won or were denied a clear victory. Hamas in Palestine, Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Algeria in the early 90s. People are fed up with corrupt regimes and perceive Islamic parties to be clean, and the AK party is a good example.”

Israeli Security at a South African airport?

Mohamed Nanabhay — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:33:06 +0000

Walton Pantland is outraged that Israeli security police are operating in South Africa where they detained, interrogated and strip searched Xolile Nxu, the Vice-President of the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) at O R Tambo Airport (formally Johannesburg International).