qatarperegrine | New York Times ridicules Qataris

Today's New York Times published a rather biting article about the conflict between Qataris and non-Qataris in Qatar: Affluent Qataris Seek What Money Cannot Buy.

Qataris' and non-Qataris' stereotypes of each other is something I've been thinking about a lot this summer, between the Lisa Clayton kerfuffle and the recent arguments over on Mimiz Blog about whether Qataris are discriminated against in the workplace here.

So it's nice to see the New York Times addressing something that I think IS a hot issue here (their last article on Qatar having been a little random)... but the way they go about it makes me cringe a little. I think it'd be more interesting for them to have dug deeper into Qatarization and its effects, or the role of nationality in expats' experience of Qatar, rather than just making mocking digs about people's restaurant etiquette.

The main things I've heard discussed about this locally are (a) the unrepresentativeness of the Qatari interviewees, almost all of whom are high school dropouts, and (b) shock that the NYT got these quotes on record. I am completely unsurprised that a director at QSTP would privately feel that "Qataris are very spoiled," but utterly astonished that he would say so to a New York Times reporter. (Some even suspect they might not have known they were on record.)

Threaded | Flat

From: (Anonymous)

Hi Marjorie,

I don't know what the NY Times' problem is lately with Qatar - it seems like it's Qatar bashing season. I doubt that any of the quotes they are getting are in fact what the interviewees said at all. I think the journalists are using very dirty tricks in their campaign against Qatar. I object to the campaign and I suspect that they are trying to make Qataris feel ashamed of their affluence, because frankly Qatar has a lot going for it right now, so time to bring it down a peg or two! Who knows, next week they might be targeting Saudi or UAE. In fact, I don't believe that Qatar or the GCC is any of the NY Times' business if i may be so blunt. I happen to work with some well-educated and hard working Qataris and as for the expat contingent in general, they earn good money working here and I think it is pretty pathetic when they moan all the time. 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? Secondly, i would like to see the NY Times interview the expats who experience respect and hospitality when they come to Qatar. Like any place, there are good and bad, but I challenge anyone to refute that Qataris are, on balance, welcoming and respectful to their guests. I would also qualify this by saying that Qatar has self-awareness, and where there are weaknesses, these are recognised and "on the agenda".

I just wanted to offer my two cents as an alternative voice to the NY times' skewed campaign. I know that I am not the only one that when i am on the plane taking off from Doha I have pangs of regret and count down the days until i touch down again in Doha. So for those who were riding bicycles and hailing taxis to work in their home countries, and are now cruising in their SUVs - let's have a bit of goodwill towards our hosts.

From: (Anonymous)

Don't be too keen to judge Marjorie. Let Qataris be the ones to have that conversation. Taking the moral high-ground is so typically expat.

Thanks for giving a perfect demonstration of what the article is about.

Let Qataris be the ones to have that conversation.

You earlier challenged (your word) anyone to make the case. Then you get upset when someone (Marjorie) takes up the challenge?

From: (Anonymous)

Qataris don't want any expats to express anything but fawning adoration of the amazing progress (and I am sincere about the progress) that has been made in the past decade. The minute someone does, they are just a few steps from the "if you don't like it, leave" line that gets floated around everywhere you see Qataris and expats mixing online.

From: (Anonymous)

The fact that such a short, poorly written and obviously biased article can ruffle feathers to the extent that it has rather proves the point that this culture isn't ready to integrate into the modern world just yet.

Are Qataris upset because they don't like everything that was written? Are they offended that someone has an opinion that runs counter to their own? Do they find it offensive that someone should say anything negative, or at least not overtly positive, about them?

All in all it does point to a culture of person who is spoilt and unused to not getting everything their own way all the time.

Money can't buy you favourable coverage in the New York Times, but mature, grown up people get over it, rather than starting Facebook groups and kicking and screaming (in a virtual, online environment) like petulant brats.

For the record I thought the article was biased, poorly written and not fit for publication in the NYT. But I still did find the overall content interesting and not far from my own experience.

I've been here for 5 years, and intend to stay on longer, and in that time I too have sadly come to the conclusion that on the whole, Qataris do not respect foreign workers. They are discriminated against not just in behaviour, but in the law - exit permits being a prime example of this. There is no meaningful legal protection for labourers and workers whose rights are abused, and seemingly no ethical or moral imperative by bosses to treat them fairly or decently.

From:

barelynoticeable.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)

Tried sending a private email, but seems to be difficult.

Let me just say I enjoy your posts. You always seem to comment on just the things I would like to, but don't have the courage to write about. Maybe I will when I know I'm on the way out and it's not so risky.

Always appreciate your insights and mostly just bringing topics to the forefront that need to be discussed.

I was surprised people living here would actually be quoted with any negatives perspective in the NYT article. It wasn't the best article, but it's always interesting to read something about what's happening here, even though you can't ever find it in the local news. It's unfortunate the only time a real debate can take place here is when it's televised on Doha Debates...and who knows how one ever get to actually be part of the discussion there!

Thanks Marjorie!

From: (Anonymous)

I've lived in Qatar for two years and love living here. Sure there are some things which are very different to London, however, in London I wouldn't have enough disposable income to put one son through university and the other through private school with some left over for fun and even some to put in an investment for a rainy day. To point out a couple of Qatari's who are not working very hard, is like saying in the US or UK there are no lazy people. The Qatari's I deal with on a daily basis are both bright and hard working with good manners to go with it. To knock Qatar as some haven of unhappiness is both unfair and inaccurate. There will always be disaffected people in any country or in professional life, it doesn't mean Qatar is full of resentful people, it isn't.