Stories from Quick Reads and Qatar
Qatar: Paper Apology
‘The local paper, The Peninsula, has just had to issue an apology for a news headline last week which referred to people with Down Syndrome and other genetic disorders as “the ‘lesser people'”‘ writes Marjorie in Qatar.
Qatar: Tent needed for Animal Shelter
The Qatar Animal Welfare Society (QAWS) is in urgent need of a tent. “As the temperature is rising daily we are in desperate need to get some kind of structure up over the runs to provide the animals with air conditioning,” writes Chelsea on Qatar Living.
Qatar: FIFA World Cup bid makes friends on Facebook
More than 57,000 fans have so far joined a Facebook group in support of Qatar's bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup (football).
Qatar: Al Jazeera Blogs
Qatar-based Al Jazeera has launched an all-English blog which can be accessed here.
Qatar: The Sudanese “Sin”
Intlxpatr, self-described as an expat currently living in Doha, Qatar, comments on the case of a Sudanese UN female employee Lubna Hussein, who has been sentenced to 40 lashes for the “sin” of wearing trousers in Khartoum.
Arab World: Berkman Launches New Arab Blog Study
Harvard University's Berkman Centre for Internet and Society has released a study of the Arabic blogosphere entitled Mapping the Arabic Blogosphere. About 35,000 active blogs were covered. “The goal for the study was to produce a baseline assessment of the networked public sphere in the Arab Middle East, and its...
Qatar: Log Book for Bar Patrons
Paraglider, at the UAE Community Blog, reports: “The Qatar Tourism and Exhibition Authority and Ministry of the Interior (!) requires that access to any bar shall be on production of a valid ID or Passport. Originals only, no copies. But it is not enough just to flash the card. The...
Qatar: Online Resources
Marjorie in Qatar links to a number of essay collections about Qatar's history and culture that are available online.
Qatar: Abaya, Yes or No?
Qatari blogger Amal Almalki writes about the dilemma she faced when deciding whether to continue wearing the abaya: “I had to question and convince myself of what it means to me. Is it a religious or a cultural symbol? Is it used as a cover-up or a statement?”
Qatar: Kingdom, Sultanate, Emirate?
Marjorie in Qatar asks, “Is there any real difference between a kingdom, a sultanate, and an emirate?”
Qatar: Royal spending $10m a year on a drag racing team
At Qatar Living, OfMyHeartShape links to an article which says that 22-year-old Qatari Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani will be spending $10 million a year on a drag racing team.
Qatar: Media Contradictions
The Qatar Visitor blog discusses the media environment in Qatar, finding that there are contradictory forces at work.
Qatar: A Snow City in the Desert?
The Qatar Visitor blog reports today: “The Qatar Supreme Desert Development Council is planning its most ambitious project yet – a snow city to be located in the heart of the Qatar Desert…as the snow will be generated via solar-nuclear energy the project will actually run best in the searing...
Qatar: Rain and Hail
Qatar had rain and hail. Here's the latest buzz from Qatar Living.
Qatar: Lost in the Carpark
Christian San Juan, a Filipino based in Qatar, reminds us how easy it is to forget where your car is in a large carpark.
Qatar: The Museum of Islamic Art
Bint battuta in bahrain visits the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha and offers her observations and photographs here. Dubai-based The Bohemians also visited the museum and posted this photograph.
Qatar: Cooking for Purim
Jocelyn is an American living in Qatar, who loves cooking: “There's just something about living in a Muslim country that means the Jewish holidays seem to sneak up on me… so of course, I just realized today that tonight was Purim. A trip to the grocery store and a hurried...
Qatar: Unpeg the Gulf Currency from the US Dollar
Qatari Ali Al Jaber has formed a Facebook group entitled Unpeg the new Gulf currency from the dollar (Peg it to gold).
Qatar: Thoughts on the Fourth Al Jazeera Forum
bint battuta in bahrain attended the Fourth Al Jazeera Forum in Doha, Qatar, and registers her impressions in this post.
Qatar: www turns 20
The World Wide Web turned 20 on Friday. Mohamed Nanabhay, based in Doha, Qatar, reminisces on the occasion. Click on the link to see his interview with Al Jazeera.
Qatar: The Job Interview
Qatari blogger Aisha describes her experience at a job interview – where she was offered the job, turned it down, then changed her mind.
