Thanks God bringing joy to our state even before the annual celebration of its national day, which falls on December 18 and which reminds us of its founder Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani (May Allah be merciful to him) and his efforts to establish Qatar and unite its people in order to gain independence and progress.
When the national football team won the 22nd Gulf Cup in Riyadh, Qatari people and foreign residents throughout the country were jubilant. The second great joy was the gathering of Gulf leaders and normalisation of relations — the return of ambassadors to Doha. It was an event of great significance. The 35th GCC summit in Doha on December 9, 2014, solved the political tension within GCC with Qatar taking the lead by embracing dialogue to resolve disputes, as well as avoiding anything that could cause divisions within the GCC.
We celebrated our National Day with the slogan, “Pursuing honesty, advice and refinement” It is a stanza from a poem by the late Sheikh Jassim that illustrates his keenness, wisdom and the constitution that he drafted for his people and the coming generations. We now celebrate his achievements 100 years after his death.
The celebration is a means to remind the new generation what our forefathers sacrificed in order to help us lead noble lives. It is also celebrated by other people in the region. We deeply believe that all are entitled to participate in this occasion. This is what we felt together with journalists, who paid a visit to Darb Al Saai and observed the interaction between different people on this occasion with much appreciation.
The most beautiful aspect, in my view, are the different ways of celebration. Government offices get involved as they deem appropriate. Private companies and institutions also took part and people celebrated at the personal, family and tribal level, which resulted in many activities on this occasion.
Members of tribes paid visits to each other and sheikhs, ministers and ambassadors were keen to participate in events on this occasion, to the point that we can say that every event was a mini-festival for the “love of Qatar”. It was also a way to express their dedication and loyalty, which flows in the veins of Qataris, who believe that they are following in the footsteps of their forefathers. It was also a way to remind them of the promises they made to their predecessors, and themselves have counselled to their children and grandchildren.
There are those who believe that such events do not need to take place, and that all celebrations must be confined to a single location. With due respect to all that has been written about this joyful occasion, it would have been almost impossible to gather everyone in one place. It would have been nice to have a location where everyone could meet, but this does not necessarily mean that people should not celebrate in private, whether at home or in public places. People cannot be forced from their homes or neighbourhoods to places dedicated for such celebrations.
There are public spaces that are available, such as Darb Al Saai, which had many events tailored for government agencies. Also, the media covers such large events.
What is remarkable is that there are initiatives undertaken by citizens to express their joy on this occasion. For example, the great poet Faleh Al Ajlan distributed the second part of his “Chadelya” CD, which contains his expressions of love for this country, performed by local and Gulf artists. Al Rayyan magazine also has been covering the National Day in a number of special documentaries featuring a lot of information, articles and interviews that are closely linked to the occasion.
We cannot tell people that they have to celebrate collectively. It is the right of everyone to celebrate the way that suits them, but it must be acceptable and not contrary to the customs and traditions, and most importantly, to the religion that governs us.
I cannot but send my deepest congratulations to the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Father Emir
H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Deputy Emir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani, H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Prime Minister and Interior Minister, and to all Qataris on this precious occasion, which we ask God to sustain for us for many years to come, praying to God Almighty to preserve the State of Qatar and to guide all of us to the best.
