By Mukesh Sharma
Doha: Eight-year-old Khalid flaunts the black leather holster he straps on to his body before launching into Al Ardha, the traditional sword dance.
With his thobe swaying in the winter breeze, the third-grader is delighted to move to the beat of drums at school rehearsals.
The sprightly Egyptian from Al Mountaza Independent School embodies the spirit of the celebrations that have seeped into National Day festivities this year.
“It is amazing to see the celebrations. This country treats everyone equally,” says Hany Anwar Awad, an Egyptian from Giza, who teaches at Ahmed Bin Hanbal Independent Secondary School for Boys.
“National Day is special to us. We cherish it as it reminds us of our culture and heritage, and we have a saying here — “If you don’t have a beginning, you won’t have an end,” says Mariam AlKuwari, a Wales-educated lawyer.
“With rapid growth of the country, this celebration is becoming increasingly significant. So, we insist on celebrating it with more fervour,” says AlKuwari, who works as a legal counsel at Qatar Petroleum.
The National Day fervour has acquired a new dimension this year with the government launching a stepped-up initiative under the theme — One Love.
The Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani participating in the run-up to the celebrations with jovial kids in the national colour at Darb El Saai underscored the significance of the occasion.
Besides public celebrations, every tribe has its own ceremony on the National Day. The men attend the festivities while the women have private parties either at home or at a farmhouse where traditional food is offered.
With the spirit of nationalism on the upswing in the country that is spreading its footprint globally, the demographic mix offers an interesting dimension. With 80 percent of the population comprised of foreign nationals, nationalism lends itself to various forms.
“Whenever I see expat workers toiling in the streets, I smile at them with gratitude. They are here to do jobs that I consider important,” says a Doha-based European businessman born in East Germany.
“National Day celebrations are important. It is good to enjoy and celebrate. But the social mix is vital and the country should pay more attention to many other aspects that the population has to go through,” he adds.
Even before sunrise this morning, thousands will flock to the Corniche to watch the National Day parade, a reminder of the day when Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani founded the modern State of Qatar in 1878.
The Peninsula
