DOHA: Qatari nationals have said that some women who are not from Qatar or GCC countries wear traditional clothes of these countries to beg on the streets, especially during Ramadan and Eid.
Nationals have said that these women don’t show themselves because they are ashamed and, even though they speak the local dialects and wear traditional clothes, they are not from Qatar, Al Arab daily said.
Qatari national Mariem Alkawary said that “using the Qatari traditional clothes in such manner is a big insult to the Qatari society, especially to women”. She explained that women use these clothes for politeness and decency and added that she has no problem with them wearing these traditional clothes, “but not in a way that insults our values and traditions”.
This Qatari citizen said that “this is a new phenomenon in the Qatari community, in a country where there are many charities and Zakat funds that help people in need. But those women believe that their cases will not be accepted, because they are using this method to get money”, she concluded.
On the other hand, Qatari national Juma Atiq said that “those people have no conscience and pretend they are GCC nationals”. In this context, she added that these people are frequently found outside Hamad hospitals, commercial centres and several markets. “They don’t want to go to charity associations because these organizations study each case”, she stated.
On this issue, she requested that the Government “check family visas because nobody can afford to live in Qatar with a salary below QR10,000”. According to this national, “such women are more active during Eid and Ramadan and, also in the outskirts of wedding halls, they ask for money”.
The Peninsula
