Being Western I am naturally inclined to prefer the Western way of doing things and I feel that having liberal philosophy at the root of your social and legal codes is much better than having a rigid religion fill that role. However, out here I think we need to be very selective in the aspects of our culture that we promote.
All the cultural changes that are taking place now are driven by Western cultural values, whether it is food (McDonalds etc), fashion (Next, Mango), politics (the democratisation promised in the Constitution), education (switching to English as the medium of instruction in Qatari schools), "Press freedom" (such as it is) ... in every area the direction is dictated by exposure to Westernism or the demands made by the West. Can you name one single change that is taking place at the moment that is designed to align Qatar more closely with cultural traditions in Asia or Africa, rather than the West? I can't.
Ultimately - and not necessarily very far down the line, a generation or two perhaps - these changes will break the foundations that are seen as being untouchable at the moment - the union between "church" and state, the dominant role of religion in society and the existence of the monarchy.
There is no infallible yardstick to say whether that change will be for the better or for the worse. When a new equilibrium is established, those who live with it will for the most part consider that it is the best of all possible worlds. Westerners here today will consider that going in such a direction is a positive thing, many nationals - especially conservatives - will think it is unfortunate. But whichever side you take, I don't have any doubt that it is both inevitable and is a consequence of the cultural collision between West and East and the emergence of the West as the dominant force in spreading ideas. A kind of cultural Darwinian evolution in which the meme of Western thought is overwhelming Eastern ideas.
Being Western I am naturally inclined to prefer the Western way of doing things and I feel that having liberal philosophy at the root of your social and legal codes is much better than having a rigid religion fill that role. However, out here I think we need to be very selective in the aspects of our culture that we promote.
All the cultural changes that are taking place now are driven by Western cultural values, whether it is food (McDonalds etc), fashion (Next, Mango), politics (the democratisation promised in the Constitution), education (switching to English as the medium of instruction in Qatari schools), "Press freedom" (such as it is) ... in every area the direction is dictated by exposure to Westernism or the demands made by the West. Can you name one single change that is taking place at the moment that is designed to align Qatar more closely with cultural traditions in Asia or Africa, rather than the West? I can't.
Ultimately - and not necessarily very far down the line, a generation or two perhaps - these changes will break the foundations that are seen as being untouchable at the moment - the union between "church" and state, the dominant role of religion in society and the existence of the monarchy.
There is no infallible yardstick to say whether that change will be for the better or for the worse. When a new equilibrium is established, those who live with it will for the most part consider that it is the best of all possible worlds. Westerners here today will consider that going in such a direction is a positive thing, many nationals - especially conservatives - will think it is unfortunate. But whichever side you take, I don't have any doubt that it is both inevitable and is a consequence of the cultural collision between West and East and the emergence of the West as the dominant force in spreading ideas. A kind of cultural Darwinian evolution in which the meme of Western thought is overwhelming Eastern ideas.