To never want to visit Qatar?

[RareLilacFinch]

The incessant full-page ads I’m getting on MN encouraging me to visit Qatar have got me thinking about why I’d never want to go there.

As a woman, there are obvious reasons - not wanting to be under the “guardianship” of my husband, and the forced gynaecological examinations of a plane full of Australian women being the tip of the iceberg - on top of the hideous human rights abuses of migrant workers, and the general suppression of free speech.

So AIBU - am I missing something?

Back in the sixties, the hippies hit the Afghan trail. They went there for the dope.

I lived and worked out there for 3 years. Had DD there.

Very bizarre place but mostly tolerant as long as you aren't from Asia basically. The treatment of some of the physical labourers and housemaids could be pretty bad.

It was a weird experience and wouldn't go back there or visit Dubai, Bahrain etc again. I was working so probably had more legal rights than if I wasn't. I had a work permit and could get my own apartment etc when I split with my ex out there, but couldn't leave the country with my Dd without him signing the document.

Although I bet half of you buy crap made in China.

You won't come across many trans people there as it's illegal to be trans - in this article, a trans woman on oestrogen was forced to remove her breast tissue.

World Cup 2022: 'I am very afraid', says Qatari transgender woman - BBC News

Or Thailand, where human rights are contentious and it seems really easy for paedophiles to visit to have sex with children?

Aren't you supporting the country, its values and its economy by using their national airline?

Although I bet half of you buy crap made in China

Well quite, and it'll be more than half. People are very good at moral outrage and saying they'd never do something they had no intention of doing anyway but ask them to actually do something that would cost them money or inconvenience them and.....

If I don't like carrot cake, it doesn't matter if chocolate is now added, or even used to coat it. My reasons still exist.

I use this example to show how some posters want to deny those who have reasons to not visit Qater. It's along the lines of, "well I didn't see it and I felt safe, so you should".

As well as that, we're now getting posters telling people that coconut cake is worse. We were discussing carrot cake!

I know this happens a lot. I'm happy to hear different experiences, but the tone of, 'I'm right, you're wrong' is very patronising.

For a start, you can avoid Qatar AND extreme Christian places.
But the two are not comparable in any case. You cannot in all seriousness describe routine human rights abuses and the application of Sharia law as 'weird exceptions'. They are the normal state of affairs in Qatar and minimising them is another way of condoning them.

Agree and feel the same about Dubai.
All the sheep like wannabes following so called influencers etc. Stupid women without a clue or worse no interest in the misogynistic regimes they are supporting with their tourism.

Oh hello! The Qatari consulate has shown up. Welcome to MN.

Same ive zero desire to visit any mulism/Arab country.

Fly through Dubail regularly, which is enough, I'd never holiday there, or Qatar

I used to work for the Qatar state. I was treated no different to any man I worked alongside.

By all means don’t visit a country you have no interest in but if you live in the UK, don’t boycott going to the country or flying their airline because you don’t want to financially support them. That is futile. You already do financially support them. It is virtually impossible to live in the UK and not touch Qatari investments.

Qatar is one of the largest investors in the UK. They are invested in almost every aspect of the UK.

They own Canary Warf, the UK’s banking and investment district as well as practically half of London. They are significant investors in Heathrow, British Airways, Rolls Royce, and countless other companies. Qatar provides 9% of our energy.

In 2022, Qatar’s investments in the UK were in the region of £40 billion.

I was asked to go for work, all expenses paid, 5 star all the way- and said absolutely NOT in a million years. White, straight, male boss seemed surprised that a gay, not so white, woman thought it would t be the best place to go…

Nice PR- bullshit though. As most PR is…

Exactly. People forget that some are targeted more than others.

I don’t know the stats on this but anecdotally it would seem a disproportionate amount of non-white westerners bear the brunt of their inconsistent corrupt justice system.

And if you’re non-white/non-Arab AND you don’t have a western passport - that of course puts you into an even more vulnerable position.

Apparently Pakistanis are treated particularly bad there. I was actually slightly surprised to hear that as I’d have expected some religious solidarity.

I agree with all you say, especially after the Marcus Fakana case.

There is another angle though. As a non-white person who was not born with a Western passport myself, it is very difficult and expensive to get a tourist visa to a white country. I work in a diverse organisation and the PoC do not have the energy to get visas for the UK or Europe, while producing bank statements, letters from employers, property documents etc. So our annual conferences are held in Dubai, Bangkok, KL and other countries that do not have ridiculous visa regimes. Also centrally located for Asians. I think the UAE makes a lot of money from conferences and meetings.

My own extended family from India find it difficult to visit me in the UK. Therefore we often meet in countries with less than great human rights records. Like Turkey. It's not ideal but often that is what passport privilege means.

They all did. They were forced. One woman said she felt like she’d been raped.

Yep my friend lives in Qatar and has never mentioned any need for guardianship or her husband needing to accompany her everywhere. She would not be there were that the case.

Are you confusing Qatar with Saudi Arabia?

I know a married woman living in Qatar with her husband and she has never mentioned any of this. Nor did any of the expats when I have visited for work.

Yep. I used that example because in the all the “panic” about Qatar and the treatment of Aussie tourists they neglect the UK has done the same - except to kids.

The negative comment about “people having servants there” was also baffling as if people don’t employ nannies, cleaners and gardeners in the UK.

What’s the difference?!

Totally agree. I wouldn't visit any Islamic countries.

I think any normal person would avoid avoid avoid the UAE as a whole

Do you believe that Qatar is a safe, welcoming place for all tourists?
Or would you advise some to avoid it?

I'm pretty sure of the country I lived in for 2 years! Why would I get confused with Saudi? I've never lived in Saudi. What a ridiculous comment. I never said my husband had to accompany me day to day, I said to get simple things like the Internet installed and the contract signed he had to do it, even though it wasn't by direct debit or credit check affair. For me to visit a particular hospital that had European trained doctors my husband had to sign the paperwork for me and my son to be treated there, for enrollment/paperwork purposes on the first visit. I'm glad your friend hasn't had such frustrations, it doesn't mean that I didn't. Why do you doubt me? He did not have accompany me day to day. Why on earth do you think I meant that? For me frustrations like this just added to the fact it wasn't the place for me. Admittedly once it was done, it was done but the other aspects were still annoying. Tbh Muslim countries are not for me for many other reasons.