BY AZMAT HAROON
The debate about preserving Qatari culture against a surge of cultures brought by expatriates in the country has come to the forefront once again.
Statements made by the locals show that they are keen to protect Qatari traditions and values from outside influences. Segments of Qatari population also oppose the idea of celebrating festivals marked by expatriates in public.
On the eve of Halloween last week, many locals welcomed the move to not allow people wearing costumes or with face paint to enter restaurants.
Among a number of threats the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries face today, experts say the influx of expatriates is a major one.
In a population of over two million, expatriates predominate. Official figures suggest that citizens of more than 70 countries live in Qatar, and the majority of them come from India, Nepal and the Philippines.
Dr Theodore Karasik, Director of Dubai-based Research and Development at the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, says that there are a multitude of social and political threats faced by the GCC countries, which include border control, movement of migrants, as well as the issue of increasing police presence in streets of major cities.
“They have to take into consideration another type of threat, which relates to social security. It’s about Qataris, Emiratis, Saudis, Omanis being completely overrun by foreign cultures. It’s about the preservation of pure Khaleeji society,” Dr Karasik said.
He said “outside influences” were seen as jeopardising the pure Khaleeji societies. Among other issues, the introduction of Western notions, intermarriage between locals and expatriates, and differences in salaries are some of the imminent threats felt by the locals.
“It’s about the loss of cultural identity because populations of the GCC are rising so quickly with expatriates that the governments see that as a threat to their social and cultural well-being. The Arabian Peninsula is conservative, it’s under Shariah law and you have to abide by certain rules and religion in the GCC.”
One major issue for Qatar is disparity in the gender ratio. Figures from Qatar Statistics Authority show that by the end of September 2013, there were 1,499, 976 males and only 524, 731 females in the country. The majority of the men are migrant workers, including semi-skilled construction workers. Their numbers are expected to grow as new development projects are launched.
With such an overwhelming majority of male population, chances of women interacting with men also increase. This also contradicts the social ethics of Qatar, based on segregation of the sexes.
Single migrant workers are seen as encroaching on ‘Qatari spaces’ when they move in public and in residential areas. Although there is no official ban on labourers entering local malls and souqs, security guards at times shoo them away when they see many families inside the places. Such issues were taken up by the Central Municipal Council and ultimately led to a ban on labour accommodations in residential areas.
Housemaids also play an important role in Qatari families because of their interaction with children. Some say that local families have become so dependent on domestic workers that Qatari households would practically stop functioning if it were not for the housemaids.
“Families now need at least three to four maids. Households cannot work for a single hour without them,” points out Mohammed Saleh, a young Qatari.
Dr Saed Harib said in a recent study that nearly 80 percent of the children in the GCC speak Arabic with a level of difficulty, while 75 percent of them use English words in their daily life.
Saleh said that many Qatari children now communicate in ‘broken Arabic’, with words and phrases they learn from their maids and drivers.
“And then we send our children to foreign schools where they primarily communicate in English. We are not leaving space for them to learn Arabic language and our culture.”
Many expatriates, according to Saleh, did very little to learn Arabic and were not being influenced by Qatari culture.
One of the benefits of the growing expatriate population in Qatar has been that the readership of English newspapers among the locals has increased over the years. This was discussed at an official forum held in Manama recently, where media experts from the GCC said that there was a need to strengthen the English language press. Experts said the English language press was more professional than the Arabic press in the region.
The sale and distribution of alcohol is often criticised by locals who think that it is destroying local traditions, which are rooted in Islamic values.
Some argue that there is no interaction between Qataris and expatriates. The hierarchy in most offices, for instance, works in such a way that the Qataris, often posted in key positions as managers and directors, do not interact with junior staff in their offices on a regular basis.
“I have been here for two years now but I have never really interacted with a Qatari yet,” said Joseph, who only gave his first name and said he worked in the IT industry. He said that he had lived in the US for nearly five years prior to coming to Doha and found it easier to mix with Americans.
A prominent Qatari sociologist points out that many expatriates who live in Qatar are willing to learn and adapt to the local culture. This, he said, is clear from the fact that many expatriate women wear the abaya.
“Societies are always dynamic. If they were static in nature, they would stop functioning,” said Dr Ali Abdul Hadi Hamad Al Shawi, a professor at Qatar University’s Department of Social Sciences.
He said there was no pure or original culture, only cultures that were created by interacting with others.
“Thousands of people from different nationalities are now coming to Qatar, and we should honour them for serving our country.”
The challenge for Qatar, according to him, is to manage the cultural changes that are taking place with many foreign workers coming to work here. “Changes occur in societies through a particular plan. But in the case of Qatar, the changes are unplanned and sudden.”
“We have become a minority in our own country. But that’s just one of the effects of globalization, and the fact that so many development and construction projects are going on here and we need these people for them.”
He said that the cultures of the Gulf states were melting because of their large expatriate populations.
Within Qatar, there was a traditional group that was against any change while the younger generation found it easier to integrate with people from different cultures.
“Ultimately, we need to strengthen our education and media sectors to ensure that the two main parts of our culture, Arabic language and Islamic values, are kept intact,” Dr Al Shawi said.
Another expert said that compared with other nationalities in the GCC, Qataris were more polite and generous. However, the fact that they were too few in number compared to the expatriates was the reason there were not enough opportunities for the two to interact.
Dr Al Shawi, meanwhile, said while there was no immediate solution in sight, Qatari culture could benefit from other cultures.
“Integration for us is important because that will decrease our fears. We cannot survive without the people of different nations living here,” he added.
THE PENINSULABY AZMAT HAROON
The debate about preserving Qatari culture against a surge of cultures brought by expatriates in the country has come to the forefront once again.
Statements made by the locals show that they are keen to protect Qatari traditions and values from outside influences. Segments of Qatari population also oppose the idea of celebrating festivals marked by expatriates in public.
On the eve of Halloween last week, many locals welcomed the move to not allow people wearing costumes or with face paint to enter restaurants.
Among a number of threats the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries face today, experts say the influx of expatriates is a major one.
In a population of over two million, expatriates predominate. Official figures suggest that citizens of more than 70 countries live in Qatar, and the majority of them come from India, Nepal and the Philippines.
Dr Theodore Karasik, Director of Dubai-based Research and Development at the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, says that there are a multitude of social and political threats faced by the GCC countries, which include border control, movement of migrants, as well as the issue of increasing police presence in streets of major cities.
“They have to take into consideration another type of threat, which relates to social security. It’s about Qataris, Emiratis, Saudis, Omanis being completely overrun by foreign cultures. It’s about the preservation of pure Khaleeji society,” Dr Karasik said.
He said “outside influences” were seen as jeopardising the pure Khaleeji societies. Among other issues, the introduction of Western notions, intermarriage between locals and expatriates, and differences in salaries are some of the imminent threats felt by the locals.
“It’s about the loss of cultural identity because populations of the GCC are rising so quickly with expatriates that the governments see that as a threat to their social and cultural well-being. The Arabian Peninsula is conservative, it’s under Shariah law and you have to abide by certain rules and religion in the GCC.”
One major issue for Qatar is disparity in the gender ratio. Figures from Qatar Statistics Authority show that by the end of September 2013, there were 1,499, 976 males and only 524, 731 females in the country. The majority of the men are migrant workers, including semi-skilled construction workers. Their numbers are expected to grow as new development projects are launched.
With such an overwhelming majority of male population, chances of women interacting with men also increase. This also contradicts the social ethics of Qatar, based on segregation of the sexes.
Single migrant workers are seen as encroaching on ‘Qatari spaces’ when they move in public and in residential areas. Although there is no official ban on labourers entering local malls and souqs, security guards at times shoo them away when they see many families inside the places. Such issues were taken up by the Central Municipal Council and ultimately led to a ban on labour accommodations in residential areas.
Housemaids also play an important role in Qatari families because of their interaction with children. Some say that local families have become so dependent on domestic workers that Qatari households would practically stop functioning if it were not for the housemaids.
“Families now need at least three to four maids. Households cannot work for a single hour without them,” points out Mohammed Saleh, a young Qatari.
Dr Saed Harib said in a recent study that nearly 80 percent of the children in the GCC speak Arabic with a level of difficulty, while 75 percent of them use English words in their daily life.
Saleh said that many Qatari children now communicate in ‘broken Arabic’, with words and phrases they learn from their maids and drivers.
“And then we send our children to foreign schools where they primarily communicate in English. We are not leaving space for them to learn Arabic language and our culture.”
Many expatriates, according to Saleh, did very little to learn Arabic and were not being influenced by Qatari culture.
One of the benefits of the growing expatriate population in Qatar has been that the readership of English newspapers among the locals has increased over the years. This was discussed at an official forum held in Manama recently, where media experts from the GCC said that there was a need to strengthen the English language press. Experts said the English language press was more professional than the Arabic press in the region.
The sale and distribution of alcohol is often criticised by locals who think that it is destroying local traditions, which are rooted in Islamic values.
Some argue that there is no interaction between Qataris and expatriates. The hierarchy in most offices, for instance, works in such a way that the Qataris, often posted in key positions as managers and directors, do not interact with junior staff in their offices on a regular basis.
“I have been here for two years now but I have never really interacted with a Qatari yet,” said Joseph, who only gave his first name and said he worked in the IT industry. He said that he had lived in the US for nearly five years prior to coming to Doha and found it easier to mix with Americans.
A prominent Qatari sociologist points out that many expatriates who live in Qatar are willing to learn and adapt to the local culture. This, he said, is clear from the fact that many expatriate women wear the abaya.
“Societies are always dynamic. If they were static in nature, they would stop functioning,” said Dr Ali Abdul Hadi Hamad Al Shawi, a professor at Qatar University’s Department of Social Sciences.
He said there was no pure or original culture, only cultures that were created by interacting with others.
“Thousands of people from different nationalities are now coming to Qatar, and we should honour them for serving our country.”
The challenge for Qatar, according to him, is to manage the cultural changes that are taking place with many foreign workers coming to work here. “Changes occur in societies through a particular plan. But in the case of Qatar, the changes are unplanned and sudden.”
“We have become a minority in our own country. But that’s just one of the effects of globalization, and the fact that so many development and construction projects are going on here and we need these people for them.”
He said that the cultures of the Gulf states were melting because of their large expatriate populations.
Within Qatar, there was a traditional group that was against any change while the younger generation found it easier to integrate with people from different cultures.
“Ultimately, we need to strengthen our education and media sectors to ensure that the two main parts of our culture, Arabic language and Islamic values, are kept intact,” Dr Al Shawi said.
Another expert said that compared with other nationalities in the GCC, Qataris were more polite and generous. However, the fact that they were too few in number compared to the expatriates was the reason there were not enough opportunities for the two to interact.
Dr Al Shawi, meanwhile, said while there was no immediate solution in sight, Qatari culture could benefit from other cultures.
“Integration for us is important because that will decrease our fears. We cannot survive without the people of different nations living here,” he added.
THE PENINSULA
