"I doubt that any of the quotes they are getting are in fact what the interviewees said at all."
I agree with you that the article has a hostile slant, but I don't see any reason to think they made up the quotes.
"It is Qatar's money that they are banking and sending home to loved ones, so i think gratitude and a sense of perspective should be the order of the day, don't you?"
Frankly, no. I have enjoyed my years in Qatar and feel generally positive about what this country is doing, but I don't think I ought to feel "gratitude" that I get paid. I earn my pay; it's not charity. I think immigrants ought to be free to be frank about the things they love and the things they dislike about their adopted country; that should be true for Moroccans who are upset about the burqa ban in France, and it should be true for Americans who are upset about the family day policies in Qatar.
"I challenge anyone to refute that Qataris are, on balance, welcoming and respectful to their guests.
If by "guests" you mean skilled Western expats, I agree. However, if you include Indian laborers and Indonesian nannies, then I think Qataris are on the whole very VERY far from being welcoming and respectful.
Re: Infantile NY Times
I agree with you that the article has a hostile slant, but I don't see any reason to think they made up the quotes.
"It is Qatar's money that they are banking and sending home to loved ones, so i think gratitude and a sense of perspective should be the order of the day, don't you?"
Frankly, no. I have enjoyed my years in Qatar and feel generally positive about what this country is doing, but I don't think I ought to feel "gratitude" that I get paid. I earn my pay; it's not charity. I think immigrants ought to be free to be frank about the things they love and the things they dislike about their adopted country; that should be true for Moroccans who are upset about the burqa ban in France, and it should be true for Americans who are upset about the family day policies in Qatar.
"I challenge anyone to refute that Qataris are, on balance, welcoming and respectful to their guests.
If by "guests" you mean skilled Western expats, I agree. However, if you include Indian laborers and Indonesian nannies, then I think Qataris are on the whole very VERY far from being welcoming and respectful.