Social discrimination in Qatar!
Today The City Centre shopping mall, decided to refuse entry to most of the workforce who attempted to go in for a weekend walk in the mall.
This action was disguised by the poor excuse of “family only day”. The political correct and false policy hides the sad truth of forbidding workers to have a bit of distraction in a cooler environment that this dull city could offer them.
The fact is the any western or Qatari who attempted to walk in alone, was not stopped. However if any individual who appeared to be a labour, either alone or in a group were stopped at the door.
These individuals are here in Qatar, working very hard in extremely difficult and risky environment, living in very uncomfortable conditions, being paid a miserable tiny salary, under contracts that remove from them most of their personal freedom and all that far away from their families, on the only day they have to be a bit more in touch to a normal world, they take the bus all the way from the industrial area to west bay, just to be pushed out from a public shopping mall with no respect for them. On top of that they see other individual’s going in alone, just because they are wearing clothes or have skin of other colors.
What a very sad hipocretic society this is! The whole world sees what China does in Tibet and demands change, but I wonder why societies like this one are not exposed and no pressure is exercised upon to demand change!
What is happening here in Qatar and other similar countries in the region is probably the biggest abuse against human rights still hidden from the eyes of the rest of the world.
Where is CNN, BBC and Algecira?
I just wonder if the way labors are paid and treated here in Qatar follows Islamic principles???!
Muslims should not be proud of such things as we all know that Islam does not educate us to differentiate b/w ppl color religion language & their status... i dont think such practices are encouraged here u must have been mistaken my friend NIC...! coz Qatar is Islamic country.
Well u r learning
we cant change anything.
The sad fact is, poorly educated men and women who rely on menial and hard jobs will be discriminated on in this part of the world.
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Expats move to Qatar to improve their quality of life. Same as the south Asians.
Unfortunately, when expats move here, they are (unknowingly) taking advantage of the very foundation that built this country - exploitation of cheap labour that builds the roads, buildings and schools that we use daily.
That is to say that simply by moving here the country is encouraged to expand and continue to exploit these poor workers. The best part - since we live in a tax free nation and cannot demand anything from the government, we are powerless to change anything.
So whats new today? hmmm...
Una palabra no dice nada, Y al mismo tiempo, Lo esconde todo
Very objective and honest reporting by Peter Townson.
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=224318&version=1&template_id=57&parent_id=56
Thumbs up to Mr. Peter. No point in hiding from the reality.
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
"if you expect respect be the first to show it"
-makaveli kuliminati
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This thread is so long, ... I'll just be the first to say it bluntly
I agree with what they did that day 100%.
I don't think it's "racist", families of the same nationalities would be let in, but as some say it makes business sense.
They had to write Family Day, What do you want them to write? No poor labor that don't buy anything??? or Rich people who buy stuff day??? The alternative is a QR50 or QR100 entrance fee that is deducted from your purchases????
I went to CC that day, and would have hated the experience if it was fully packed with them. I spent around QR700. I am a Qatari and I was alone.
Are dogs allowed???
wait...
CC guards are just following the guidelines...
i noticed FAMILY DAY had been publicized the week before or i guess more.... it's obviously NOTICEABLE in all its exits ... prior the day occur...
Perhaps, it they'd come for some other day... they may enter freely... not unless CC guards don't have concrete reasons to halt them at the entrance, otherwise, that would be a different issue..
~~~ We could learn a lot from crayons; some are sharp and some are dull, some are pretty, some have weird names and all are of different colors, but they all have to learn to live in the same box.~~~
phew.. now i'm so glad saner thoughts have prevailed and we have an agreement on the issue :)
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
I wondered about the reason behind it. I have to admit I was leaning towards a less valid reason for a Friday being selected as the "Family Only Day" as that is the only day most of the laborers have off.
I hope you are right!
As for the discrimatory policy of letting in some single men on "Family Only" days while keeping others out - well that is still wrong. It should be enforced unilaterly across all segments of society.
I hate CC regardless of the day of the week or who is allowed and not allowed in. The parking situation there stinks. Now if they want to do something to make people happy - creating more parking would do the trick. :)
I think Friday was mostly chosen because it is traditionally a family day, being the Muslim "Sabbath"
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Dweller made some good points. I think the CC staff made the decision in order to give women who are uncomfortable with so many men hanging about in groups a time when they can shop without this type of clientele in the mall. But my question is why Friday when it is the only day the laborers have off. Unless I have been misinformed, most woman have other days of the week they can visit the mall where these workers do not. And of course there is the issue of allowing in western or Qatari men who are not accompanying a woman or a family.
If there is a policy like this it should be implemented fairly and there should be alternative locations for ALL men to hang out on their days off free from woman. I know my husband would like that! :D
From a female perspective and more importantly from a Mother's perspective - a lot of the single men at the malls do stare - in some instances I would say leer. I have a teenage daughter who I will not let go to CC without an adult or her brother because even when she is with her father and I - men openly stare at her. And she is no Lolita - she dresses conservatively and looks her age. The more there are in the group, the more bold they are. It makes me uncomfortable but it scares my daughter.
Let's face it - there are a LOT of single men in Doha. It was reported in the Gulf Times over the weekend that men in Doha outnumber women 3 to 1. I would like to see an alternative facility for these men where they can hang out, relax and enjoy their day off. Like the teens that Lisa mentioned - they most likely go to the malls because there is no other place for them to go.
Obeying local laws is a bigger issue. What about the issue of civil disobedience against unjust laws? Thoughts, opinions?
Yup, that's what i guessed it would be. So we do agree on the family days, protection of ladies and equality of all men and women irrespective of nationality. I hope we do.
As for what the others are talking about, yes reality on the ground was different, is different and expected to remain so. the focus of my arguments was just to have everyone agree that equality and respect for all should be there. Whether it happens on the ground is a story for another day. But if we don't believe in it, obviously it'l never happen.
Also, by any means, we do have to follow the rules and laws of where we live.
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
To Live Is To Die.....Life Is Like A Fuse.....So Short And Burning Really Fast.....So Live Your Life To The Fullest.....!!!!!
Mmmmm, what about the bigger pictures that the bachelor issue? Is there no concern on the Qatari side for the dysfunctional society that they have created? When men outnumber women three to one and foreigners outnumber Qataris three to one I think tbhat there would be cause for concern over the sort of society that is being created.
It is a good thing that the labourers are riven by language and ethnic differences, because if they ever got organized and started saying "no" with a unified voice I think that the Qataris would find that they are not really in control of "their" own country.
I would hope that this thought is causing some sleepless nights among some policy makers somewhere.
They say "Friday's are Family Days"
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yes but what do they say?
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
The signs are usually placed in front of the doors at Landmark, not sure where they are at City Center, I don't go on Fridays because it's too crowded.
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err... no, must'v missed the signs (while i was looking at the girls lolz :)
What exactly do they say?
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
Rock this has been the policy for years, at Landmark there are signs saying so. How often do you want them to advertise it?
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Well, Well.. It certainly is a hot topic. Here are my thoughts.
I was traveling in Europe in 2002 and my flight was from Frankfurt to Chicago. Of all the people in the queue, I was frisked throughly and was even asked to remove me shoes. Well, you wanna guess my skin color? Yep, you are right, Brown. I did understand their fears especially after 9/11 and was fine with it.
Same people who defend the policy of profiling - I am sure make a big noise if the same is done against them. What if we start the same policy - say, no Jews or Muslims or Christians in the mall? Just because its the skin color profiling okay?
Disgusting
Fatcat,
Having read your posts to this topic, I quickly notice that you have a problem for being in a crowd with men surround you. Do you have a troubled mind or is it already been a phobia for you then? You're pretty much enjoying the CC's policy to discriminate bachelor, even if he's not a labor. How pathetic...
WOMEN GIVE AND FORGIVE, MEN GET AND FORGET!
That's a good sum up Orange. This was a lively debate indeed. and a refreshing one if i may say :)
This has also created an urge in me to search for and read articles on the subject of rationales behind law-making process and the constraints inherent due to the practical wisdom of agents responsible for the enforcement of law. But before i get reprimanded again for going off-topic, i'll sign-off here :)
Orange,
The suggestions you have give are all good.
I hope all rules that are made will be enforced based on principles of equality.
Nice having this debate with you all.
All the best.
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
The Rock...i totally agree with your comment, that " all human beings are equal regardless of nationality or color and i have equal respect for them all."
OrangeKedah, i think some of your sugesstions are great however even if these services were "miraciously" provided for labourers, they still should have a right to attend any place in Qatar, and that includes shopping centres. Segregating them is sending the message that we are better than you and you just stick to your own shopping places and dont you dare join "ours".
This reminds me how years ago(in Australia) when institutions were built for people with intellectual disabilities to keep them away from society because they werent "normal". Thank god this has changed and slowly these institutions are being demolished in favour of providing homes in the community with support for people with intellectual disabilities(which in the ME they are refered to as (retarded, i hate that word so degrading).
I dont know when people will realise we are all the same on earth despite the difference in our circumstances, we all hear,see,breath,walk,poo,pee the same. Making people feel like crap because of their circumstances is just downright disgusting...
It's long been here, the social discrimination...not only in the Mall but everywhere in Qatar
If the government realises that the actions of City Centre Shopping Mall has created a lively debate in QL (which indeed it has!), and having considered all opinions, suggestions, pros and cons of the arguments, perhaps they should look into solving this "problem" or anomaly immediately.
Labourers (assuming this refers to the lowest income group one sees coming in those white buses) earn a monthly salay of QR700, at least in the construction industry anyway. OK, with overtime, they earn say QR1,000 per month. As everyone knows and agrees, this is inadequate to buy the "regular" items from department stores except for the basic necessities. Quite often, this group of people end up in Sofitel or shopping centres near the centre of the Doha. The buses picks them up from their labour camps, drops them off at designated areas and then pick send them back to the camps for another week of gruelling work outdoors.
Generally, these labouers end up in shopping centres NOT out of necessity but because they do not have anywhere else to go unless lest they are prepared to stay in their cabins waiting to start work the next day. Don't forget, they can hardly afford KFC, McDs, movies, bowling/skating and other 'plain' luxuries most other people take for granted.
What needs to be done then? My suggestions are as follows:-
1. Provide dedicated recreational areas for them with basic sporting facilities. eg cricket, football, hockey, traditional games (eg kabbadi), etc.
2. These areas should be equipped with grocery/ their traditional food facilities. Let them have a "feel of being in their own country"
3. Picnic areas (as someone correctly pointed out, many of them enjoy sitting on greens to enjoy their food)
4. Ample shade & landscaping
5. Adequate policing by the authorities (for crime and litter prevention)perhaps with a mobile police station.
6. Water cooler or drinking water provision.
7. Adequate parking facilities for buses.
8. Adequate/appropriate telecommunications facilities.
9. Adequate streetlighting.
The above are some of my suggestions. Give those workers a truly deserved break during weekends. Give them a "carnival" experience, something for them to look forward to every weekend.
To me, all human beings are equal regardless of nationality or color and i have equal respect for them all.
I am a family man myself and certainly prefer regulations that protect the ladies and ensure a comfort zone for families. All for it.
But you simply cannot say that x nationality people are all bad people. This is an archaic thought.
The regulations protecting the families and ladies should be there and applied to all humans equally. Exceptions is not the way to go.
There are more intelligent and far more honorable ways to achieve the objective which is the moot point. And these ways do not necessarily mean humiliating a particular kind of people.
Gypsy, i said b4, the mall is a privately owned place. Ok, then if you really believe in what you are saying, ask them to announce it publicly that "on Friday, we will only be open for families and singles from x nationality only". But nah, no guts to say so. Why? Because everyone knows saying so will be self-confessing to something which is considered a crime in most of the world.
I don't see what you are trying to achieve here. If the objective is protection of women and families, fair means of achieving that have been pointed out. Why do you insist on a collective responsibility regime which is based on nationality and color.
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
speed, nadt, way to go...
thumbs up
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
My advice. Write an email to the Mall management and lrt them know how you feel.
shopping malls while are a public domain are in fact NOT owned by the public and are there for allowed to set their own rules, Like Pubs and Nite Clubs it also means they are open for public litigation if someone is harrassed or feels they are being harrased not only can that person take action against the person whom they think is harassing them but they can also take action against the management of the shopping mall as the management of the shopping mall has a duty of care to all its customers who enter the mall. It is a double edge sword as far as the shopping mall is concerned They can either put up with a law suit from someone they refused entry too (in this case the mall would more than likley win as there excuse for refusal of entry could be based on the fact that person was not there to purchase anything and if the claiment says they were then they would have to prove that they had money to make said purchases) or they can have a faluire in duty of care case ( were by all that it would take is for a women to claim that a person or persons harassed them in a fashion that they found offensive this as you should be well aware of in this country can mean that that person gave unwanted attention in the form of staring to said woman. In which the management of the mall could be in for thousands of dollars in compensation. If you read the rules of any privatly owned public place there will always be a legal clause that states to the effect of "the management retains the right to refuse entry to any persons."
Its inhumane, its basically saying, you are less of a human being and dont deserve to be treated like a "normal human being", whatever that means...Its ironic how people n QL will jump on the "oppression of Muslim women" in Qatar but cannot see that this is this behaviour is "oppression" of labourers. People will criticise a person who advertises "accomodation for Indian, philipino, Lebanese and question why they are being rascist but can justify businesses excluding labourers. Very ironic....
No way.
In C.C., only maids and labours.
Black skin preferred.
Lol, 1st rasist vampire in Doha!
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Everybody wants to go to heaven; but nobody wants to die.
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when City center announced a family day then i should be strictly for families only but not on weekend coz weekend is off for everyone and everyone has right to enjoy his/her weekends specially during summer times.
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" Also there are several fruit eater women can be seen in the carrefour or at the Giant ... by the way these women are not housemaid !! "
Thx for not mentioning my name ...
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Everybody wants to go to heaven; but nobody wants to die.
You cannot stop ANYONE entering the Mega Shopping mall ... tell me who don't stare at women?? women stare at women, gays stare at women, lebs stare at women, men stare at women
talking about men ! go to city center or land mark or the mall, i bet you that are many women who stare at men, now why do they stare could be the man is handsome, or he looks like someone she knows or else she is after something !!!
what about those educated and professional men and women who just come to stare not for shopping specially in cinemas in the malls or the coffee shops !!!
Also there are several fruit eater women can be seen in the carrefour or at the Giant ... by the way these women are not housemaid !!
If someone suggesting to stop labourer then we should look into these category of people also other then labourer to stop them coming to shopping centers whether it's family day or not !
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Eco Savvy, you tell me not to blame religions and then mention Mahrams in your next post. So you agree that some women can only go shopping with their mahrams on Fridays.
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these days to before they fully sit down and understand a situation. Bringing a case that has nothing to do with this country or the era that we live in is a moot point. As the situation was different the Africans were taken to america as slaves the groups concerned here are not bought as slaves but come of they're own free will. Most have access to clean water but still choose not to bath an a daily basis or use the toilets that are provided for them. I am sorry but it is hard for me to accept that you can't figure out how to use these facilities and that there is an acceptable way to behave when in public and this does not mean you can stare ( to the point were if you feel you stare at her long enough that her clothes will fall off) or follow a women in a public place just because she is by her self. You can not sit there and tell me that these people have not been told what to expect when they get here as most come because they get the job through a friend or relative. I am sorry as I know this has totally gone of topic but I am just sick to death of people crying racism when this has nothing really to do with racism, It is a business desicion and anybody out there that has there own business can not tell me that they would not make that same desicion.
Malays come there just to have fun and enjoy food
and they are in groups. Even in Mall of emirates I have witnessed groups. Malls are spacious and can accommodate thousands
Ok, catch the stalkers irrespective of color and take them to justice. Make a rule to enforce it. Like they don't break the traffic rules due to fear of fines, they won't break the moral code due to the same reason.
Fact of the matter is... collectively thinking of a nationality or color as bad people is my dear friend Racism... fair and square.
This is something the world learned 50 years ago.
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
Like i have said in all my comments so far. I agree with the soci-economic reasons and right of anyone to make a rule. But you seem to be reading half the original post (by Nic). There were "Exceptions" to the rules. My focus is on the exceptions. While you can say that single males will not spend as much as families, you can't say single males from x country will spend more than single males from y country. That my dear friend is when they cross the boundary into the domain of racism.
Get a broader perspective. Do you think that Rosa Parks in 1955 was wrong and the Montgomery bus company was right because Rosa Parks being of a different skin color was not considered to have enough disposable income??
NOT AT ALL. Are we going to repeat the mistakes that were committed fifty years ago?
Having said that, i repeat, "I agree with socio-economic objectives". And there are honorable ways to achieve those objectives than to bar people based on skin color and nationality. For example, make an entry pass. Even if the price is nominal, more than half the people who have no business to be at the place won't bother turning up. And give it publicity. It is simply wrong to humiliate any human being by turning him/her away at the gate while at the same time, right in front of his/her eyes, another human being in the same situation is allowed in.
You know what, i may even be willing to agree (conditionally) that a nationality specific rule is enforced given that the those who make the rules have the GUTS to announce it publicly that x nationality people are not welcome. Because after all, the person/authority having jurisdiction can do as they please. But sorry.... no right to humiliate a particular nationality or skin color.
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
Fact of the matter is rock it isn't the "white" guys following women around the stores and staring.
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If Labourers can Balek Kampong ebery Friday, I want to be a professional Labourer 100x over lorrrrrr
Eco-savvy.....sure arrrrrrr their Mahrams??????? Treat their Mahram well Friday night laaaaa and on Saturday can rip them clean, I dun care LOL.
BORN TO BOWL...........FORCED TO WORK
i am wondering how CC'security guys can define who is labour and who is not, is it bekoz they look asian? or poor nationality with dark skin? so if im married from an asian lady (and im senior in my work) and i have my brother in law n father in law visting us and they went to CC alone , hence, i expect the security will stop them !!!!its an insult for me as heir host.
there must be some critearia they define "labours" - which is not an "insult" but just a normal cathegory of working..without them no infrastucture will be done.
Do the CC' security inspect their pockets to see if they have money to spend or not..if that is the case,,they should stop me when i forget my wallet at home...
U can have very strict security rules in City Center who bring any silly man out immediatly, but a fair shopping and walking should be provided to eveyone until he proves he doesnt deserve it..i not sure if ths opinion will be prefered by poeple here or not !!
day where families can visit each other. I dont understand this shopping concept for women on Friday. I feel they are just waiting for their Mahrams to be free so that they can rip them off.
No way Lah. Labourers have to Balek Kampong Mah:)
only get the Friday as our "Off-day" to get back out into the real world and tell ourself that we are still SANE.
Most of the family here gets both Fridays and Saturdays as their weekly "Off Days"
CC has the rite to declare "Anyday" they want on the other days of the week, (now this is how we say it in Malaysia) BUT PLEASE LAAAAAAAAH let Friday be a freeday in CC for we poor SLAVES AND LABOURERS to ensure that we are still SANE here in QATAR.
However, certain specific "type" of people are allowed to enter as individual or as a group. You will also find a big group of Filipino guys with just one or two filipino ladies being allowed into the Mall.....Family????? Hmmmmmmmmmmm must I find myself a girlfriend in Doha????? I am a Muslim...married sumore...tat would be a sin...but looks like it is being encouraged here in Doha.
(Me saying my prayers)....YA ALLAH ...please don allow Qatar Bowling Center to declare Fridays as Family day.....or I will really have no place to go on a Friday to tell myself that I am still SANE & SOBBER. Aminnnnnnnnnnnnn
BORN TO BOWL...........FORCED TO WORK
religion. I knew this thread will end up bashing religion
bcos you sickos have to targeted religion for everything.
I did not comment on the incident at khalifa I comment on the the issue adressed in the topic and to me the issue seems to be less about racisim and more to do with socio-economics. It is a fact that a family will spend more than a single person and a women will almost spend more than a man in a single shopping trip, A person who makes more than another will indeed spend more than a person who makes less. The sad unfortunate truth here in qatar is that there is a high proportion of people that do make considerably less than others, it is also a sad and unfortunate fact that most of these people lack a certain amount of socialy acceptable behaviour whan placed in certain situations that makes others feel uncomfortable. if the people that feel uncomfertable are the ones spending the most money then unfortunatly in cases like this it is the duty of the managing company to listen to those people. Business is about making money not doing what the world thinks is right.
Mis-Cat, like i said before, CC or any other place has the right to make any rule.
But if you don't see as racism the situations that i have described (at khalifa), then i'd like to be enlightened by your definition of racism
and you are right, calling it racism won't get 'me' anywhere. and i don't want to get anywhere with it. I'm perfectly comfortable and safe at where i am.
But i hope some soul searching can get this society somewhere.
Now you can't say the Montgomery bus owners were within their rights to degrade people from a particular race just because they were the owners of their buses can you?
You see, the law of the land you live in must be respected. And also the rules of the institution you are visiting must be respected. But does that institution have the guts to publicly spell out the rules they are following???
Like Nic also said in his first post, the rule was enforced on particular nationality or skin color.
And like i shared what i personally saw at khalifa, while a lot of people were shoved back, certain people from the same crowd were pointed out and invited in. Families with children right in front of the gate were denied entry while females from the far back side were called out and invited in.
If you can give me another word for this appalling behavior, i am very open to correct myself.
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
I dont think claiming this as a racist action will get you anywhere, the fact is the shopping malls while a public place are run by private companies and do have the right to refuse entry to anyone. For further clarification this means the public does not own the shopping malls the private companies that spent millions of dollars on building them do and like any company they do have the option to reserve the right to refuse entry.
The girls stare at me a lot....
LOL
Cheers
YOU DONT KNOW ME, DONT EVEN TRY !!!
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As for how to solve the problem, IMHO the solution is to keep the rules, enforce them equally, and make sure the public is aware of them. Advertise the rules so that people know what to expect.
I have also noticed the communication problem b/w the guards or police and the public. Since this is a multi-lingual society, it is important to have announcements (using mics) and notices displaying the rules in a number of languages (at least 3 most frequently used). This will reduce the confusion and hence complaints.
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
You say the women need to be protected...... but why from single men from a specific skin color????
This is racism...
As pointed out in my several posts before, every single man is not stopped. Only if they are not from qatar and not white. Ugly as this may sound, this is true.
Infact, like i said before, i personally saw families, women and children being stopped whereas right in front of them, girls from a different nationality were given entry at khalifa stadium.
While i agree with family days, protection of women and everything, no one in his sane mind can have a soft corner for racism.
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
I'm torn on this subject. First of all however, it should be pointed out that Friday is family day in virtually every place in Qatar, including Landmark, Villagio, etc. And well I don't doubt there is racism involved (by funnily enough the Indian, Nepali security guards) I think you have to look at A) the religion of the country we live in and B) the sheer amount of labourers that come to Doha on Fridays (10's of thousands)
In regards to point A, I think that rather then racism it has to do with this idea of protecting women. First of all many of Muslim women won't go to City Center without a male escort anyway, and to go on a Friday (which is often the only day their male escorts can go with them since many many people work Saturdays, not just labourers) So really, which oppressed peoples do you care about more, the oppressed women who can't go shopping without a male escort, or the labourers who aren't going to shop anyway, and are more then likely just going to stare at women.
Secondly although city center is big, it won't fit the 10's of thousands of people that descend on City Center every Friday. I think they are faced with the choice of having to stop people no matter what, and when faced with this, stop the people who aren't going to be spending money and will probably cause the most problems (with staring, eating the fruit at Carrefour, littering, etc)
So I mean, if anyone else has a suggestion fow how to solve these problems, I'd like to hear it.
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this is just nonsence and totally unfair.
Everybody is right everybody is wrong it depends where you stand.
Ravi, I think it is not fair to connect the bombings in Qatar to the fact that there is discrimination against certain nationalities because it had to do with whole lot of terrorism acts rather. I guess the same applies to Sep 11 in the US being a result of extreme ideologies rather than inner discrimination.
I only hope Qatar does not apply the Kuwaiti and Saudi model. The wealth of Qatar has been a result of oil and gas discovered in this land and not a result of advancement. So I hope that the Qatari people take this opportunity to improve own and others’ lives and keep humble. Now I agree with Ravi that what goes around comes around, but I disagree to hold vengeance against anyone just because some Qataris abused the system.
I was born in Kuwait and I have lived and worked in Saudi for few years and when I moved to Qatar, i noticed the people of Qatar were much more humble and respectful (with some exceptions which applies everywhere). I only hope that they keep an open mind about expats and get this opportunity to learn and improve and make Qatar an example to the other GCC countries.
The bottom line is human beings are being discriminated at all levels. Even worse than that, they live as slaves.
If they were paid a decent salary, like other professions, they would be here with their families and Qatar would not be such an unbalanced society.
Let’s take the example of Canada (an extreme opposite example), construction workers’ salaries are can go higher than engineer’s as they are exposed to risky and tough environments. The physical work is rewarded with in a fare manner.
If Qatar would pay a decent salary to these people, and treat them as human beings, they would have a “normal” family life here and the people who are living here on denial including the locals, would not be so “offended” to see a construction worker in the mall, as he probably would be there with his family shopping or having a meal!
But this isn’t happing, right? And nobody wants to face the fact and expose it, as they risk to loose theirt own slaves if that would happen, and the growth o fcountries like Qatar (built with slaves) would have to grow at a more normal rate and all Qataris would have to work, like other nationalities do (take Oman as an example were Omanis are taxi drivers, bus drivers, hotel receptionist, flight attendants, cashiers, shop attendants and all other professions that may exist in a NORMAL society).
The issue here is slavery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm sorry to say this...but DAMN QATARI'S. I have lived there for 15 years, and I have finally moved to the U.S. (thank God!). Us Indians and many other races other than Westerners and Qatari's were treaty EXTREMELY badly. A lot of discrimination and hate. I hated them so much; they made fun of our events such as Diwali at the Corniche. They laughed at us, made fun of us, humiliated us near the round-about and had the normal stereotype about Indian's - we smell bad and we're their slaves. But no. I'm not going to take any more shit from those Qatari's. I don't worry, mostly because Karma will get them back. You heard this once, "What goes around, comes around" which is totally true. You guys already got it when the bomb blew at the theater, right? Who knows what will happen next! All I know is that you guys will pay. India is one of the smartest and advanced countries right now. We help you guys with everything: technology, civil works, MEDICINE (a biggie), and much more. One day, you'll see how it is when you guys are in our shoes, cause that day will be soon, when you will come to us for you damn country. I suggest ALL YOU FOREIGNERS to MOVE. I was in the American School of Doha and I graduated, and all of my friends, literally ALL of my friends, moved to Indonesia, America, Philippines, and other places. Get out before they deport you for your skin color. Trust me on this one guys...you will regret it when it happens to you.
I didnt type in expatriates...I typed in Xpats :D
Workers as discreminated against all over Qatar.
why should we be sticking to just picking at CC?
Im 16, I'll walk to places in Qatar, and I have long hair. I get those funny little looks from men also, which im sure make me feel a little more awkward than it does the women. I find half the women here are almost trying to push the "dress code" and want to show off as much as they can without getting in trouble. Why do they wear things like that if they DONT want to be stared at? Iv been with people who will wear low shirts and then keep acting disgusted if anyone looks at them. I think that soe Qataris aremost of the problem, just because they're wearing a thobe and are qatari they think that they shouldnt have to respect anyone else, and everyone else is so afraid of the that they just let it happen.
I was with someone driving and we were going around a roundabout, and some crazy qatari came around a corner and tryed to force they're way thru. The other driver refused to give way to the qatari trying to force their way in, and the qatari ended up having to go off the road, and didnt seem to pleased about it at all.(im assuming they were qatari because they had the whole thobe thing going on, and were driving some big white landcruiser, with the plastic on the seats still of course) I clapped and laughed for the guy driving the other car, who looked like an expat fed up with them trying to show that they're better than everyone else. If more Qataris followed rules, didnt try to bend or break them just because of who they are, and treated everyone else with respect, this whole dang place would be a heck of alot better!
(not saying its only qataris who drive CrAzY or dont respect people, iv seen expats and the like do such. it just seems much ore common with the men in white)
I dont mind them eating the fruit,I understand why they are doing that, but do mind when people say they are there to shop like everybody else. I do not mined them eating in the area eather, but do mind them leaving the trash outside, it is HOT out here and trash smells. To sad that families in the park do leave their trash too, good role modeling for the kids. people don't have to have a lot of money or education to clean up after themselves. I think, they, like everybody else need to respect others.
Noapte bună Dracula!
I live in hope too.
Vudkop, your right, when will this stop? We can only live in hope...
Nadt - exactly, everybody can be a troublemaker, nobody can judge on skin color or nationality or whatever, it's stupid. But unfortunately it happens and I don't know when it will stop.
they can juz go to villagio. it's better
WAOO... PROUD ON OUR MONEY?
Rediclous!!
"You can imprison a Man, but not an Idea. You can exile a Man, but not an Idea. You can kill a Man, but not an Idea." BENAZIR BHUTTO
yeah... i feel sorry for those who want to relax on weekends but can't go inside d mall. most laborers are off only on fridays. hope city center will change their policy. it's disturbing!!!
Dracula - Dobro vece! No Partizan! If you mean on football club. Zvezda!
Exactly vukpop, how can you judge what a persons personality is like by their appearance. How do you know who the trouble makers are? It should be decided based on who actually offends. What happened to "innocent until proven guilty".
vukpop
Dobroe vecero partizan!
See you 2morrow!
Dasvidanya!
Means "good night"
Sorry "free-vegetarian lunch" sunlight it's deadly for me.
I've spend my day in my coffin...
And ...no blackout in Mansoura to catch you!
Lucky thief also!
:-p
Nadt - agree with you.
Its terrible when police is making selection in Souq Waqif or Corniche on Friday, it looks like "you can go, you can't go".
And security, I worked in security company in Dubai, most people are not for that job, some times they don't know why are there and what should they do, it's a problem in company which not provide some trainings.
lol Speed..beep beep...
and i was there to catch the Dracula ;-p
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you can take the whole of city center for all i care ..
was not your hubby a single once ,, arent our kids single ..so shud they be shunned coz there are not accompanied.
which means my dad cant go to CC alone !!!
can you define single ?? Lets no get womencentric ..
CC is a store just like anywhere else ..only here they assume it of great importance ..
we need to be more human ..
This is a fact!
Becouse CC security doesnt know Speed, any customer running with more then 5 km/h inside CC can be Speed-fruits eater - and should be banned!
Thiefffffff!
Speed - with safety shoes and uniforms, maybe they are not labors, but they did something wrong.
vukpop, then in that case ban the men that committed that act, why do all the honest ones have to suffer.
Isnt that why security is there ?
QS , I agree with you!
Many times "ten heads turns after" my girlfriend but I can say back: " what the F*** you want "
And they're gone.
@ vukpop : Dobroe vecera partizan !
i was with my friend who was playing pool last night with you.
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I am thinking how do you identify a labourer specially in any shopping center?
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is accepted if you are buying from hawkers not in the mall.
It is sad and definitely not correct, the same things are happening on Corniche and Souq Waqif. But, I will agree with Dweller, for example, in Dubai which is opened more than Doha, some places like Deira or Bur Dubai are not safe anymore. My friend, lady, around fifties, was walking with small baby and she was attacked by man in the middle of the day. Also, I saw in City Center in one sports shop, young couple came in side, girl went one one side, boy on another. In one moment girl was alone and she started to scream, she was surrounded by three labors, they were laughing and one of them touched her. Boyfriend was very angry and he wanted to beat them, but security guy came and through them out. Problem is, like Dweller said, some single males causing problems but unfortunately all labors are paying others mistakes.
Dracula - Good evening my Transilvanian neighbour.
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Its ok Speed, they did you a favour...lol..
pranya91..grow up...
if we cant afford to buy then dont touch it. Eating without permission is sin it doesnt matter if its 1 dirham worth
tell me what you was doing in the CC during family day !! hmmm ? who you was with for 2 hrs ;-P
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;-)
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ur 14 year olds r prob here on qatarliving cursing the hell out of everyone...how do u know...btw my parents would say the same bout me, that im mature n all coz they know me inside out...there not judging me by wat i write on a forum...btw r u americanarab...i thought they stopped making those
Thats it Speed, your banned from City Centre..lol..you grape eater you...
Cpostier ..Oh and as for the grapes the labourers eat in the produce section, considering their very low pay, do you really blame them. I think Carrfour can weather that loss, they can take it out of the 50 dirhmas they seem to claim automatically when the grocery bills reflects that and they dont seem to have the 50 dirhams to give to the thousands shoppers there, hence making a nice profit by ripping us off
I do eat Grapes in the shops ;-) i have seen several families eating fruits in the city center ... I know they do to taste the fruit some buy some don't !
I don't thing it's a big deal !
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oh.. it’s very easy.. when you pass by the group of ten men, ten heads turns after you in unison, exactly according to your moving..you don’t need to SEE it.. you can bloody FEEL it with your skin.. even when you already passed them, you can feel 10 pairs of the eye on your back all over! F** I wish you could have this feeling one day
but i went there today and was there for 2 hours and no one asked me or said to leave the arena.
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BTW wat foul language did i use...pls quote me
im f'in 16 u want me to act like u?
well im sure the STARING can make u run
avoid the CC on fridays ..let the singles do their shopping we can then go on Saturday ..unless as usual we want everything ..to benefit ourselves !!!
Pranay, just look at my avatar, do you really think I can run?! ; )
cpostier..Have you ever wondered why these labourers eat on the streets, maybe its because the dont have a lunch room with tea and coffee facilties...better yet, dont give them a lunch hour in addition to the ban.
As for the rubbish have you been to the Corniche playgrounds, "families throwing their rubbish on the floor right next to the rubbish bin, lets ban families from their too..
in LULU all the Longan bunches were reduced to few grams.
What i feel there should be few hygiene/search inspectors to check the contents are not touched.
new Policy: I aint going to CC i hve too many women STARING at me. They even pass lewd comments at me.
Guys, nice chatting to you but this is now getting boring. Chat to ya later. Good night : )
I normally don't go to city center with my family during weekends.. it is due to traffic heavy traffic and also too crowded in the city center ..
Today i went with the expectations that traffic will be bit less and only families will be in the center but to my surprise today i notice more single men then and traffic was worst !
Yes you are right there were single men from all nationalities ;-o
I felt like 'City Center' made a joke of us ! It was really very embarrassing ...
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OK, thx for the answer.
I'll tell her to wait in the car.
Since I am white i can go inside CC to buy 2 damn tacco's.
Lazydude, I never normally noticed as I don't look at people at malls, until one day I decided to wear a dress, not revealing at all, it had long sleeves and the length was below my knee. I'm telling you, I've never felt so uncomfortable. The only way I wouldn't have noticed was if I were blind!
fatcat...so did u run home after seeing " City centre full of single men"
Dracula, you make too many assumptions without knowing me. I will not fall in to this trap, dude, forget it.
Piece of advice, not always people are what you want/expect them to be. Don't assume things without knowing the person first. Don't make any assumptions about me, I can assure you you'll be wrong 99% of the times.
My girl friend is black...
We are allowed in CC?
stared at is rampant in every country in the world ..
I have a question for ALL the women here ..no offnece meant ..how did you know the guys were all looking at you unless you looked at each one of them ...
I have been there with my family and we dont just bother ..they are poor labourers having their day out ..
Thats what i will do Fatcat, i definately wont shop there anymore. If we all took a stand we mgiht send the message across but sadly i dont think this will happen as there seems to be a lot of people who support this descision. Imagine the pain of being away from your partner and children, only to be told bugger off this is only for families...
Speed would be interesting to see what the Centre Admin would have to say.
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Lets boycott CRUEL RASCIST CITY CENTRE.
I can survive without Taco's too
Speed, not only today but yesterday as well, all day City Centre was full of single men... Not only Qataris but every nationality. They don't seem to stick to the rules anyway.
so okay ur saying EVERY WOMEN WHO GOES TO CITY CENTRE ON A NON FAMILY DAY (WHEN LABOURERS ARE AROUND) ARE CRAZY
I had heated argument with the security guard who tried to stop two Indian men at the entrance.
I went to city center with my family, when we approached the entrance, 2 Arab men entered without families, i stopped for few secs to see if the security is allowing everyone or not ! Anyhow, these two Indians came and security immediately stopped them at the gate,,, they were bit surprised that why security stopped them ! later security guard told them to read the notice board where it was mentioned "FAMILY DAY". Both men were about to leave I intervene and asked the security guy that why did he allow those 2 Arab men to enter just now ??
He said to me "They are Qataris" I told him that yesterday i called your City Center office and they confirmed to me that it is only for Families and not single man (Local or Expat) will be allowed.
Security said that he don't know anything but he cannot stopped them ... I asked him simple question 'How he is sure that those men were Qataris?' He never checked their IDs ... they could be any Arab or may be non-Arab and wearing Arabic attire ?
In short I took both Indians with me inside City Center with my family. By the way both Indians were working for a Multinational Company in Doha as Accountant ;-)
Ah Also, forget to mention that when we entered the city center we noticed there were already several bachelor men in the city center !!! It was no special day for families.
I will call City Centre Administration tomorrow. Lets see what they say !!!
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do any of you live around City Center? we do. There are sure many laborers and other people asking for a fair treatment.Ok, then so we can ask them the same. Everyday many of them eat on a grass area in front of City Center, but every time forget to clean up after, leaving trash, or simply the whole grocery bags filled with garbage around. Fair, don't think so. When shopping at Carrfour often times laborers or whoever they are just stand in a produce section and eat small things like grapes,they don't buy them but sure touch them. The other thing is- every other months City of Doha plants flowers on the median of the road in front of the City center. Week later they are dead, because not that many people can take a walk across without stepping on them. There is a paved areas for crossing, but many just cross right through the flowerbeds. It is sandy, hot and not very green in Doha, so one would think people will appreciate some flora. Unfortunately, City Center might not be fair to restricting entrance to the Mall, but can people who live around City Center ask laborers to be fair and at least to clean up after themselves, there are trash cans availible at the Mall. And about staring, there is a difference between glancing, staring and LEERING, which what most of them do. We trying to understand how unfortunate they are, so I am sure they can understand too.
Good Work Speed....
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
Martin Luther King.
Deleted my mods.
Unsuitable language
Again, Pranay, you really are so smart. We're all self counscious. Men here don't really stare at women a lot, it's all in our minds.
fatcat...its not research its common sense... u can SEE it...shops in CC are always full of buyers whether or not its family day or bachelors day...how can u say women dont come to cc coz they will be stared at...it might only be a small proportion who actually give a SHIT
if a few thousand laboures spent 100 QR each..what business sense is it to ban them ..coz CC shops lost some few 100 thousand QR ..????
A few malls in India did this and then literally in a very quiet way removed the restrictions ..coz they realised who was contributing to the sales !!
Today the whole world has changed to volume sales ..isnt that the reason y every where we have chinese goods ..
Wonder who is sleeping !!
Nadt, now this is the right thing to do, stand up for what you believe by doing something about it, i.e. spending your money where their business practices don't go against your morals.
plus if staring is rlly a big problem why on earth are there so many western teenage girls. Me and my friends which include western girls go to CC very often...they nvr hve a problem...they dont care if there are labourers there. Thats the last thing they give a shit about. Maybe its more self concious women who think they are attractive and very stare relucatant that complain.
Your turn!
U all have your justifications,
As I feel it’s disgusting and that’s how I justify it…
Gunnit Guys....
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
Martin Luther King.
Pranay91, you clearly have a lot more insight in to City Centre's researches than we do, so who am I to argue with you.
Dracula, grow up.
I never liked City Centre anyway, this is just another reason to add to my list. I would much rather spend my money somewhere where they dont discriminate between human beings..
u think it hurts CC's business. Okay then. Go there on a day full of single guys...then go to ur regular shops...u will c no difference in the que waiting to buy things or watever...CCs business is barely affected with or without starers...
no one frequents that area unless someone wants to buy bengali vegetables. Its crowded only on Friday (trend started in 1980)
How come there aren't any Qataris on Star Trek?
Answer:
They don't work in the future, either.
qatarisun, you too?
I also wear arbic dress hiding everything, just showing my eyes when i go to shopping alone, just in case loooooool
Well, we do not have masses of single guys flooding our malls. If we did and it started hurting the business, make no mistake, management would do something about it, just like City Centre does.
Fatcat,
My apologies for being rude…
I just checked your profile, u belongs to South Africa, well I visited a few shopping malls in cape town last year… do they do the same in Cape Town Center or Cavendish Shopping Center???
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
Martin Luther King.
its pretty conspicous who they let in and who they dont...often its not the single labourers who STARE many others do it
Dweller, I think we're talking about the same area, Sofitel, National, whatever, I'm not too sure about the name. All I know is that it's bloody uncomfortable to wak there alone. And, if City Centre becomes remotely similar to that area because of the thousands of men going there to chill out, I ain't going there!
Folks, this is not about family day, business sense, or labour.
in anycase, like i said, no problem in family day, but what nic has pointed out is a case of clear racism (unless we got our definitions wrong)
I witnessed racism first hand the other day
at khalifa stadium.
There were a lot of people (all with valid tickets mind you) trying to get inside but the gates were closed because apparently the stadium was full. This is also
understandable, they have no choice when its full. A stadium in any other country would have done the same thing. May be a management problem but this thread is not about complaining about oversold tickets.
Then to my shock, one of the guards stepped forward and pointed to four blokes and invited them in. The only difference between them and the 100 people at that gate was skin color.
A one off case may be overlooked as a a favor for a friend or recognizing someone in the crowd. Obviously this is also not correct but happens everywhere.
But noooo....
At the next gate, the crowd (all standing peacefully), at the front of the line were 2 ladies with their kids. At the far right side, was another girl with two friends. Suddenly, someone in a white robe came from behind and
asked the guards to let the girl on right and her companions in. If they were following a policy of allowing only families inside, then that is fine too but nah.... the family right in front of the gate was denied entry while the girl from the far side was allowed in.
Guess what was different... skin color.
There were a couple of more such examples
that i saw myself. But it pains me just to
think about it. This is a country i love
(along with my homeland) and it would give me
heartache if this country was to descend into
something so archaic.
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
first time i experienced this feeling when i came to Doha in 2006 for vacation, and mistakenly got to some place in souq with only men around…Gosh, at that time I remember I wished to be covered from my nose till the toes… i couldn't stand the way they looked at me...awful feeling.. really…
...now I’ve got an abaya..just in case..lol...
to work in this country and get things done.
this is ridiculous to hear that there is a partiality among the expatriates....
I DONT SUPPORT THIS DECISION OF CITY CENTER....
NO MATTER WHAT REASON THEY SAY...
can i ask you guys a doubt. is the management of CC some western guy...
YOU DONT KNOW ME, DONT EVEN TRY !!!
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dweller- were saying the policy is OK if they enforce it to everyone...as i said i enter CC all the time alone without family
ihve been here since 9 yrs...cc opened bout 5-6yrs back...it happens nrly every friday since last 2-3 yrs...im a 16/17yr old...im indian...but im pretty well off...ihve nvr been stopped with or without my family being with me
that when you have lived in Qatar for some time, you will realise the reason for the policy which is no different from what The Centre applied when it was the only sizeable shop in Doha.
There were endless occasions when the presence of what you call "labourers" but that included all single males caused problems.
Women were reluctant to visit the place because of the stares and what could be loosely described as stalkers. I know that my wife and daughter were at times very concerned at the attitude of some of those people.
Similarly, they wouldn't visit the Sofitel (I think the name may now have changed) area on Fridays because of the gathering of bachelor workers.
I wouldn't blame the City Centre for one minute. Better to prevent problems before they occur.
I think everyone should wait and see if this happens again next Friday. If it does then perhaps you guys could organize a write in to the newspapers. I don't know if that is possible or not in Qatar but it would be worth a shot.
I am sure that not everyone is aware that this occured at CC today. If it happens again, then take some action.
Lisa
Fatcat, I’m not a labourer but if you will come in front of me, ill surely stare at you...
Not because you are too good to look at but because you are simply racists…
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
Martin Luther King.
qatrisun,ur fundamentally WRONG there...these labourers do NOT hve cars...they can barely afford bus tickets
Nadt, precisely because I cannot control people's actions I don't go to places I know I'll feel uncomfortable. I will not walk in to a bar alone in this country. And I will not go to City Centre on a Friday unless it's been declared family day.
I believe, laborers, just like the rest of the human race should have the freedom to go anywhere they wish. I cannot assume that all "well off" people go to the malls to buy. The same applies to laborers. Hence, I find it to me downgrading to a human being, regardless of his occupation to be banned from entering a place just because the management assume he/she wont buy stuff.
Fatcat, i cant control peoples actions, whether they stare or not, has nothing to do with enjoying being stared out, the point is that its not just the labourers who stare, most people stare, hence why only segragate them...its totally unfair and inhumane...
why dont Qataris build their own country why do they need groups? Who built Japan by groups or Japanese. Who built Petronas by groups??
Yep Its pretty sad. If you do not want to get stared at why do you not spend your time in Ritz or some other place. Its a bloody mall everyone should be allowed.Common Sense. Obviously you can kick out ppl if u c them misbehaving or whatever. Labourers are even allowed in Hotels but Ihve never seen them in my numerous visits to Ritz or Ramada. Therefor they don't just go to CC to chill out, they're also buying stuff. They might not be buying 300QR worth of Grocery so we just don't allow them. Thats the way to go right?
Casanova, I will not accept you calling me racist. You don't know me from a bar of soap, so you have no right to judge me.
The reason the the mall here is economics - pure and simple. Not to mention legal problems as well. If an unsupervised child gets hurt while on the premises....well the parents run off to the lawyer.
Hopefully, some of the reporters from the press that read this site will take hold of this issue.
Perhaps if more people speak out about these types of problems for the laborers something will happen. Qatar does not want or need bad publicity as it goes for the 2016 Olympics.
Maybe one day someone who really cares will step up for these guys.
Lisa
Qatarisun, I totally agree with you.
Nadt, if you don't mind getting stared at, good for you. Personally, I don't feel comfortable where there's a lot of men together, it's a bit creepy. And I've only felt this way in Qatar.
Fatcat, I understand your feeling.
I don't visit such place alone, too.
yeah casanova why dont we just build a place for them and call it labourers Zoo, that way they wont be able to mix with the rest of humanity, thats solves everything...
I am confident City Centre did their research before creating such a policy. You can rest assured that if they were going to lose money due to the policy, no such policy would be implemented.
No one is arguing it is unfair... I'm just saying it is understandable.
And I'm saying I'm glad the policy exists. Again, not fair, but ladies do feel more comfortable without tons of people staring at them.
... first time in Villagio's history there was no parking there ...i guess all fellows came to villagio instead of CC...it was a lot of big groups of men around..to be honest, it's a bit scary when i see group of men..there is something weird in gathering of so many men together in the group...
Great idea Fatcat, let these poor labourers in and just give them black eye masks so they cant stare at anyone. Hell i m a female and ive been stared at lots of people who are not labourers....gee these poor labourers cant seem to get a break...
so its better to avoid Friday for shopping. Let them enjoy one day atleast. We can always shop on Saturday
Liza, again u are talking about the discrimination, why should they be isolated???
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
Martin Luther King.
To justify this in terms of "spending power' is ridiculous. How can you assume that the labourers wont spend money their reagrdless of the amount of money they may spend on an item. How can you assume families may spend more, some are their just to get away from home. Either way its a stupid policy that should be stopped. No one is better than the other. These labourers have contributed a lot to Qatar and should be treated with respect and preventing them for the sake of "family day is just a slap in the face, especially when other nationalites are walking in alone..
In anycase, some serious soul searching is definitely required here. Business reasons is a separate story.
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
I have not lived in every country, so I would not know if there are policies like this one elsewhere.
I know that if you have thousands of people trying to go in to a shopping mall which has limited space for walking, it will be uncorfotable for everyone.
Plus, there's the issue of staring. I will not walk, for example, at the National area alone cos I don't like being stared at. And I won't go to City Centre if it's going to be remotely like the National area.
Sorry guys, I know it's harsh, but I do like City Centre's policy. If you guys were females you'd understand.
A mall in the New Orleans area has just banned teens 16 and under on the weekends - unless accompanied by a parent. The reason is just what FatCat said. The teens were hanging out on Friday and Saturdays hanging around and not spending money. They were causing problems sitting in the food court taking up seats and not buying anything. In other instances they were running around the mall causing havoc. No, I am not comparing the laborers to unruly, rude teenagers..not in the least.
Now, I know that what City Centre did to the poor workers isn't right....not by a long shot. I am just saying what FatCat wrote may have something to do with it.
The Qataris need to build someplace for these poor guys to go on their day off. I am sure if they had something else to do they wouldn't hang out in a mall all day. How hard would it be for them to build some type of recreational facility for these guys. I know that this is a pipedream but that is what a decent society would do.
These poor gentlemen can't catch a break...No money, no family, no entertainment...sad.
Lisa
most of the employees go there for electronics and they have limited time for purchase. Is there any harm if group eats in food court
Fatcat...
I just meant to ask you why these policies are implemented in Gulf only, why not in other countries???
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
Martin Luther King.
Personally, i think theres no harm in such a policy. It may have the rationale to spare the families from the stalkers, ofcource, not every single does that but still, sometimes you have to choose the lesser damaging option.
But this is not just about that. The real problem is the 'exceptions' mentioned in this thread. Its ok if a rule is made and enforced. Its their place, so they can make rules for it and anyone who wants to visit has to obey those rules.
Same way for this forum. I respect QL and its rules. I am just a member here. So i'll post my thoughts in detail only after hearing from the moderators that truth can be said here regardless of who it puts in bad light.
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
Casanova, I do not understand what you mean...
All I'm saying is that sometimes business men need to make decisions for their businesses to survive that might not appeal to everyone. Whether those decisions are fair or not, it's a different story.
Fat Cat,
Do u mean rest of the world is rich so in other countries they allow everybody to snake in their malls...????
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
Martin Luther King.
I don't necessarily agree with City Centre's policy but, just for a second, let's analyse this from their perspective.
There are two types of people who would come to the mall: the ones with purchasing power and the ones with no purchasing power. The latter group wants to come in ot the mall to chill out in cool air whilst the first group wants to make purchases. If the mall is too full because of the group who will not make a lot of purchases simply because they can't afford it, the other group may not go to that mall to actually spend money - and making money is the driving force for any business establishment.
I think it is quite understandable. Not fair, but understandable.
Fully agree with you dude.
But i really need to hear from any of the people who are seen as moderators or owners of this forum.
Can truth be said here??????????????????
According to a recent survey City Center is loosing footfall and Villaggio is getting maximum number of Visitors...
This can be a reason as well…
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
Martin Luther King.
All they get is one day off, that too is ruined how cruel
Those hands who built the structure are now strangers
Nic, its really sad…
If I was there I would have had a big fight on the spot with the security people there, believe me Its not the first time, I fought many times in the queues of govt. organizations and inside the shops…
Once I found an Egyptian guy standing in a queue uttering filth about a Nepalese and making fun of him for no reason in Arabic, he thought nobody understands Arabic besides him and I suddenly jumped in between and straighten the fellow on the spot and few Qataris standing there supported me as well…
I wont mind being deported for speaking truth, I’m a Muslim Alhamdulillah and I know well what Islam teaches…
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
Martin Luther King.
But locals here have a skewed perception towards the western skin..... U r learning.....Apply balms and go to spas get urself white from head to toe.....
Fine to have the family day... but up to certain time. Then they could let all come in.. Unfair and sad
Motivation is when your dreams put on work clothes.
- Ben Franklin
If this country does get to host Olympics 2016 (I seriously doubt it anyway), can you picture the march past during the opening ceremony not being in alphabetical order of names of countries but by the skin colour according to nationalities? I wonder which country will be coming in last?
What happened in The Centre shopping mall today is a terrible shame and definitely calls for some soul searching by the people of Qatar.
Yes its very sad and unfair, The short answer to your question is that, yes this is against Islamic principles, such a shame really.....
If QL policy would censor the report of facts, aiming to bring justice to enslaved people, it would be contributing for problem and as such, accounted for.
Please feel free to express your views. Maybe if we all acknowldge and recognize the sad truth that surrounds us, something will eventually change!
I'v got a lot to say on this if the QL policy allows it.
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
sad but true !!!
Welcome to the Gulf my friend