Double Standard @ Souq Waqif
Last week i had an incident which was shocking, at least for a guy whose family is here for last 50 years and they are still treated as aliens.
I am a Pakistani and most of you might have seen our traditional dress (Pathans wears it all the time). As i am not used to that dress a lot, i hardly wear it some times for Jumma Prayers.
i was wearing that dress and went to Souq, while passing by a policeman he started shouting at me . I was confused as what’s his objective is. He asked me where i am going, i said i am here to smoke sheesha and he started shouting at me you can’t smoke sheesha get out of here. I know how to speak arabic but i started talking to him in English, i told him i work in a Bank and you are taking to me like this!!!!! Suddenly his tone changed as his English skills dint allowed him to use more than these two words "OK OK GO GO YALLAH".
Questions.
1) If you are targeting to be a cosmopolitan city why don’t Govt Employees learn Basic Conversational English?
2) Why do you have to show an angry attitude when you are there to serve us.
3) I understand the idea of Family Atmosphere and not letting Bachelors in . But we do have appropriate ways to do it.
The rate of racism is gone really high, these Qataris used to love Brown Skin but now we cant smoke a sheesha in a country which was build by our own hands.
From a Pakistani Guy who’s Family is working here as a Carpenter/Gold Smith/Policemen/Army/Banker/Businessmen for last 50 years and still not feeling at home.
Life is too short to waste time hating anyone
"they will never understand so why waste time and money on them"
Well, maybe for the same reason I taught my cat to use the litter box??? Maybe for not walking around like mentally empty baby-making machines???
I just want to add, why English? if they were to learn languages, they would learn the language of 70% of the people here, Indians and Pakistanis.
That way you would feel even better when he shouts at you in your own language.
Totally agree with VICTOR BHATT
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"A winner listens, a loser just waits until it is their turn to talk"
Totally agree with VICOT BHATT
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"A winner listens, a loser just waits until it is their turn to talk"
Answers
1) If you are targeting to be a cosmopolitan city why don’t Govt Employees learn Basic Conversational English?
You'll excuse me for replying in Arabic:
لسبب رئيسي، نحن دولة عربية وهناك قانون يقول أن اللغة العربية هي اللغة الرسمية. من الكافي أننا نضع اللغة الانجليزية في أسماء الشوارع والمحلات، ولكن لا يمكننا اجبار الناس على التعامل بلغة غير لغتهم.
2) Why do you have to show an angry attitude when you are there to serve us.
Why not? Policemen all over the world act like that.
3) I understand the idea of Family Atmosphere and not letting Bachelors in . But we do have appropriate ways to do it.
What "appropriate" ways do you suggest, leaving it as an open statement does not make it a question.
Exactly, Queen Bee. We're all here because the population of nationals lacks the education to do our jobs. If that weren't the case, we wouldn't be needed.
At the moment, the most that can be expected from some nationals is to don a uniform and wander around a souq yelling at Asians. That's the extent of their ability.
I have a high feeling that it's the traditional or national dress that you are wearing that very moment. I have withness my self your country men been shoo off from entering Villagio with that kind of dress. As a matter of fact, my hair stood to an end when I see one in the same flight with me. Please forgive me. I must have been watching TV news too much. The police man might feels the same.
Xkiller, you need to realise that if the police and govt employees had the capacity to learn english or even possess slightest politeness in how to handle foreigners, you and me wouldnt be here in the first place.
Frankly its surprising why expats should feel insulted when treated this way. Expats are here because of money. Just consider yourself as a mercenary who will do what is to be done for money. Period.
Why expect a sense of 'homliness'? Wat if qatar expects you to join their army and serve the country since you have 'built the country with your own hands'?
I'm with you all the way, VB.
I will not respect anyone who 'demands' respect.
From Day one, we ALL know that this is not MY HOME; I am a foreigner/alien and will remain an alien for generations. Sponsorship rules doesn't provide JOB security and can be kicked any moment, So why moan?
This is my personal views (quite strong), We have lost our respect THE DAY WE migrated to a foreign land leaving our OWN country.
I know there will be thousands who will not Agree with me.
Respect....One could not EARN or GAIN but GIVE more to GET more.
1- First of all i was not surprised , may be i sounded like one but really i have tons of incidents just high lighted recent one.
2-Yes i know all the so called rules , if my point was there is a way to restrict things and my point is no body is following that.
3- by mentioning Building by our own hand means we demand some respect. most of us live in a fear that they might kick us out of this country with out any reason. and yes that happens alot of time.
50 years?by that time havent you learned anything about their laws?family day?dress code?
forgive me.if this incident just leave me jaded.
For xkillerx, There is an Arab proverb saying:
When dogs are barking, the caravan still carries on...
The worse is to start barking with them...
So just ignore and pray for ignorants...
listen,most of those policemen dropped out of school and why do u think they did that? cuz they have no interest in studying what so ever and u r telling me now that we should teach them basic english...u got to be kiding mate.they will never understand so why waste time and money on them.
i think non is easier UkEng...:)
Its better they keep a watchdog ONLY...:)
Well another good point that should be noted here is that Why do they allow Public servants, Policemen, and others working in a tourist area without a good command of English. Or they should teach all the tourist to learn Arabic.. Which one is easier?
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HE WHO DARES WINS
a bad day in her office and posted a Rude comment....
"why don’t Govt Employees learn Basic Conversational English?" is a question though!?
bin laden....
now tats really very rude....
very rude....
whats the fact about being "Pakistani" :?
sick of these tagline..."go back if u dun like it here" and generalization.....
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Anyone Can Die.
so what if u work in a bank??? SO u mean if ur a banker, ur above the law?? or you can go anywhere u want??? well next time u should wear a sign that says I WORK IN A BANK & I SPEAK ENGLISH! get a grip man baba!!! u might have been here for the past 50 years, but it doesnt change the fact that your still a Pakistani and this aint ur country! They make the rules, we follow em! that simple!
if u dont wanna treated that way, the go back to wherever u came from
Not in this country alone, where ever you go (home country isnt a exception) dress code speaks your status and says all..... so you are judged first on your appearance next comes your rest..... so i guess this made all the difference to you and made the policeman judge you differently.. and again the behavior of the policeman is questionable.
your community..
It is with dress code as Britexpat also mentioned above.
You must have seen most pakistani labourers also wears this dress (Pathani), so there is no issue with you or your family serving this nation for over 50 years and felt Aliens. Take it easy.
Even I wear the same dress on Fridays but restrict it for Prayers only.
To clarify further, In mumbai people with slippers (chappals) are not allowed to enter in Shopping Malls.
Once MF Hussain, a very well known Painter/Artist been refused at the entrance of TAJ (5 star hotel in mumbai) when he was wearing slippers (chappals).
No big deal, certain dress codes are required to be followed when visiting certain places like Souq al Wakif or Shopping malls or any 5 star hotels.
so the lesson is "STOP SMOKING SHEESHA...IT IS NOT GOOD FOR HEALTH"
It's very sad that ARABS cannot live without us (Asians) as who will hear their shoutings with heads down, sweat in extreme hot climate to build homes,high rise buildings & other complex structures in which they take a great pride and many other countless facilities made by our Asian brothers but at the same time they also cannot bear our existance in their so called DESERT HOMELAND.
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It's very odd but SADLY TRUE
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**In order to be someone, you must first be yourself.**
Being a Pakistani who was born & living in Qatar since 1980, I'm really not surprised by hearing this incident.
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No doubt, i have seen this country from desert to high rising buildings landscapes but again sorry to say that the behaviour of POLICEMEN [not all of them but mostly] is still very much questionable.
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Moreover, sorry to say try to avoid wearing SHALWAAR KAMEES especially if you are visiting a high profiled location or family location. Definelty you will be asked to leave in a very unmannered way or if you are lucky you might be asked in a polite manner.
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Our traditional dress code is a symbol of various things which i cann't reveal in this forum but many of the readers can understand what i'm saying over here.
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I hope we (especially Pakistanis) will learn bitter lesson from this incident inorder to avoid humiliation infront of others in a PUBLIC PLACE.
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**In order to be someone, you must first be yourself.**
BETTER STAY AWAY FROM SO CALLED "TOURIST AREA" TO AVOID THIS KIND OF SITUATION
so if i build a house and sell it to someone, do i still have the right to use it whenever i want just cause i built it?
no comment on the case,with u in it, but i will comment on that this city was built by our hands, all cities every were r built by other paid hands, we do built towers but as soon as we finish it we r not able to enter it.
i agree with qatariboy...it's alright to vent and all but no need for saying something like that.
I understand how u feel about this incident,but the way ur talking makes me feel that u r suprised.u shouldnt be cuz u have been here for a long time and u know how it works.if u were wearing something else,none of this would have happened.anyway,what did u imply when u said u built this country by ur own hands?? thats really inappropriate to say.u did not build it for free
If you've been here for 50 years then I think the answers to your 3 questions would be obvious.
1 - They aren't targeting to be a cosmopolitan city.
2 - Because the police here don't see there role as subserviant. They want to develop a sense of prestige and dominance.
3 - If you really understood 'family atmosphere' you wouldn't have used the word 'family'. It has nothing to do with family or gender, but is related to socio-economic status.
You've been here very long...Perhaps you should wear local dress to complete the picture..