Comments on: The Shard is Qatar’s London land grab

By: Murtaza

Murtaza — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 18:06:20 +0000

Qatar is a very good country and leading towards modernisation with a fair balance with its cultural and heritage.

The Emir is very humble and humane. He has realised the need for change and reforms in labor laws and he is personally interested in this matter.

We all should be faithful and loyal to Qatar and its Emir. This land has given us what our own motherland could not give us. So respect the land and its laws.

I am in Qatar and i love this place, there are labor issues and hopefully it will be resolved soon.

God Bless Qatar and its Emir !

By: raj

raj — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 15:13:32 +0000

hi…they are speaking for democracy in libya in syria.they supported NATO in libya war ,they are supplying arms to rebel in syria. do they know about their home condition.(Libya and Syria its different matter i don’t know who is right and wrong.) Qatar is one of the worst state for human right record. there institution behavior towards migrate labours are racist. i did research in labour right in gulf,for me Qatar has worst scenario for human right record and labour laws,…thank u Karin Kloosterman for your opinion.i hope it will be right. but present scenario is totally different. thank u mr . shetty i like your statement..money is not everything, and money cannot buy happiness and freedom.

By: Shetty

Shetty — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 20:41:39 +0000

I would like to request our friend Abdulla to authenticate any information before posting here. I am in Oman and I know that NOC, Exit Permit and 2 year ban still prevails in Qatar. It would be grateful of Mr. Abdulla if he has any authenticate news or article which says NOC system in Qatar has been abolished.

For Ms. Karin, yes there is an open discrimination among the workers from different countries. Here whites are perceived as more knowledgeable and skillful.

Also for Ms. Karin, here the question and concern we are sharing is the basic right of a human being, basic freedom to choose better living, freedom to move to own country. Our debate is not about the options to escape the slavery but its very existence in 21st century.

By: Karin Kloosterman

Karin Kloosterman — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 18:54:54 +0000

In reply to Abu Backar. The Government is probably trying to protect itself in the only way it knows how. I guess it's always a choice: if Qatar isn't a good opportunity for you, perhaps another country will be better? All the Gulf countries, theoretically are very young. Labor laws take time to develop. I just hope Qatar is on that track.

By: Karin Kloosterman

Karin Kloosterman — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 18:53:27 +0000

In reply to Shetty. Maybe not every nationality has to "suffer" the same as you Shetty? Maybe the government is exploiting people from certain countries? I have a friend from Canada who lives and works there as a teacher with superb conditions and a very high salary.

By: Shetty

Shetty — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 07:52:47 +0000

I only have to tell one thing. I worked in Qatar for 16 years as HR assistant with a basic salary of 3000 Riyals. I had many opportunities and offers from other companies which were not in any competition to my company. I requested many time to my sponsor for NOC but they always refused and told me we have never given NOC to anyone and we do not want to break our tradition. I had to leave Qatar after 16 years as my last basic salary after 16 years was 5000 riyals only. My company knew that i do not have any choice but to accept whatever they had to offer me. I had to start my career from beginning. I am in Oman now and let me tell you, i feel the freedom here and i live in freedom. There is no slavery system in Oman. No company here ask for NOC, we do not need exit permits. I always felt like a prisoner in Qatar as i could not leave without our sponsors approval and even in emergency i had to suffer a lot. Is this not chain of slavery ?

I am not against Qatar in any case. I love Qatar and i am grateful to Qatar that i could start my career there.

All i want to ask you is “Are the Labor laws and existing system human and genuine for people who leave their families and their home countries to build your country” money is not everything, and money cannot buy happiness and freedom.

By: Abdulla

Abdulla — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 01:23:06 +0000

As I answered this question in my past posts Qatar canceled recently NOC law as Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudia on the way too that law applied by coordination with all GCC countries (Arab Gulf Cooperation Council) even they have right to protect their local laws these countries canceled the law because working on protect all sides rights not just companies or workers.

Also I confirmed that most of these workers does not know their rights and does not know local laws in any country they are going to work in they pay money to greedy local agents in their countries to Get Visa work they don’t care about any thing else Qatar or Gulf Countries is seems haven for these people because they easily can get work there unlike Europe or USA which close their boarders in their faces.

What MR Ahmed doing is posting links about Qatar and he seems have personal problem with the country itself lol. I said Qatar isn’t the best place but these workers if they was lucky to escape from forced deportation in Europe, USA or Australia they will not need to work in Qatar !! we all saw what happen to minorities in these countries and also Muslim communities for example recently we saw France and Belgium applied new law attended the veil that law applied even on who visit France for Tourism too. Arabs from GCC who visiting France & Belgium for Tourism respecting the new law and women reveals their faces, even that despite the decision violates their religious freedom.

Another example we are Qataris or Arabs in General & Muslims face racist when we go for tourism in West so can we says what MR Ahmed said about Qatar ( chains of slavery ) !! that not true always their will be who find loopholes in the laws for violating.

Murder of Qatari student exposes the race hatred rife in Hastings
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/murder-of-qatari-student-exposes-the-race-hatred-rife-in-hastings-912334.html

http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/uk-town-deals-with-murder-of-qatari-teenager

Qatari student’s killer gets four years
http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/europe/qatari-students-killer-gets-four-years

By: Abu Backar

Abu Backar — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 21:19:01 +0000

What about the exit permit, NOC and 2 year Ban period. How do you justify these ruthless laws Mr. Abdulla

By: Ahmed

Ahmed — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 21:11:17 +0000

http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/06/12/qatar-migrant-construction-workers-face-abuse

By: Abdulla

Abdulla — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 06:23:29 +0000

That report proved what I said (Al-Jazeera) is Qatari Tv network owned by Qatar government and when they talk about some abuse by some companies that prove Qatar war on any offenders and this does not mean that Qatar government violates these workers rights !! or encourages the violation as you claimed when you said (chains of slavery).

some of these workers also violates local laws with crimes and kids rape we can’t blame their governments with their violations ! can we !.

Any worker who is exposed to the violation of his company Why not submit a complaint to the to Department National Action? Why not go in the worst conditions to his country embassy in Qatar or their countries also practice of slavery? Simply most of these workers when comes to Qatar does not know his rights and does not know that there are laws to be respected.