Domestic violence in Qatar
Nov. 23rd, 2005 03:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
qatarperegrineThis is one of those days that I wish Qatari media were a bit more reliable.
Yesterday and today the Supreme Council for Family Affairs is holding a conference called "Family Violence in the Qatari Society: the Reality and Solution." I think this would be an interesting topic to know more about. I wouldn't be surprised to discover that violence against women was more prevalent here than in the States; I also wouldn't be surprised to discover the reverse. I could see explanations for either one being the case. (The statistics on reporting of domestic violence reported in The Peninsula article are quite low, but given the extreme underreporting of domestic violence I don't think that tells us much.)
The local papers do not have the level of sensitivity we Americans expect from the media (and that's saying something!), and there are a number of unfortunate newspaper passages on this conference. Here's the worst from The Peninsula:
The Gulf Times reporting is, as always, even worse. While the Peninsula reports that uneducated women are more often victims of physical violence and educated women of emotional abuse, the Gulf Times headline proclaims: 'Educated' women face violence from husbands, finds researcher. The leading paragraph repeats this claim that "the more the woman is educated, the more she is subjected to family violence."
Contrary to Western myths, the Arab women I have come to know this year are strong and independent women, and by all accounts women are the strength of the Qatari family. And, again contrary to our stereotype, the advent of Islam probably did more to advance women's rights than any other single event in history. Given that, it's such a shame that the horror of violence against women isn't being explored more competently in public discourse here.
Yesterday and today the Supreme Council for Family Affairs is holding a conference called "Family Violence in the Qatari Society: the Reality and Solution." I think this would be an interesting topic to know more about. I wouldn't be surprised to discover that violence against women was more prevalent here than in the States; I also wouldn't be surprised to discover the reverse. I could see explanations for either one being the case. (The statistics on reporting of domestic violence reported in The Peninsula article are quite low, but given the extreme underreporting of domestic violence I don't think that tells us much.)
The local papers do not have the level of sensitivity we Americans expect from the media (and that's saying something!), and there are a number of unfortunate newspaper passages on this conference. Here's the worst from The Peninsula:
Ameena said incidents of violence against women in Qatari families were on the rise over the past years but there was nothing alarming about it.I suspect she said that the increase is not of alarming proportions, not that there is nothing alarming about violence against women. I hope that's what she said, anyway.
The Gulf Times reporting is, as always, even worse. While the Peninsula reports that uneducated women are more often victims of physical violence and educated women of emotional abuse, the Gulf Times headline proclaims: 'Educated' women face violence from husbands, finds researcher. The leading paragraph repeats this claim that "the more the woman is educated, the more she is subjected to family violence."
Contrary to Western myths, the Arab women I have come to know this year are strong and independent women, and by all accounts women are the strength of the Qatari family. And, again contrary to our stereotype, the advent of Islam probably did more to advance women's rights than any other single event in history. Given that, it's such a shame that the horror of violence against women isn't being explored more competently in public discourse here.
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no subject
Date: 2005-11-23 07:01 pm (UTC)Ibn Warraq disputes the idea that the coming of Islam advanced womens' rights among Arabs. He thinks that Arab women were actually more independent before Islam. His institute has a website:
http://www.secularislam.org
Domestic Violence in Qatar
Date: 2005-11-26 03:42 pm (UTC)I recall the article in Gulf Times. I also remember my outrage as I realised that what this article indirectly implied was that it's safer for women not to be educated!
I am afraid to think that some people might actually see it as a guideline and prevent their daughters from studying "too much". Arghhh
Qatar Cat
Re: Domestic Violence in Qatar
Date: 2005-11-26 04:39 pm (UTC)Unfortunately, this seems to be a theme for the Gulf Times. Did you see the headline a few months ago when they alleged that women were responsible for most of the traffic accidents in Qatar? (As if!)
Re: Domestic Violence in Qatar
Date: 2005-11-26 08:43 pm (UTC)Qatar Cat
Re: Domestic Violence in Qatar
Date: 2005-11-27 07:02 am (UTC)'Women to blame' for Qatar gridlock. The Peninsula's story, though I can't find it at the moment, said just about the opposite.
Re: Domestic Violence in Qatar
Date: 2005-11-27 07:50 pm (UTC)=^..^=
http://qatarcat.blogspot.com