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| expensive hotels and nightclubs are allowed to sell alcohol to non-Muslim, adult customers. Personal consumption or possession of alcohol outside of these designated locations is illegal, except in a private residence where the non-Muslim adult has obtained a permit through the Qatar Distribution Company. Having alcoholic beverages in public is illegal, unless transfering it to a private residence, hotel or nightclub with a permit. The law punishes drunk driving, giving alcoholic beverages to a minor, or a Muslim or engaging in public drunkenness harshly. | expensive hotels and nightclubs are allowed to sell alcohol to non-Muslim, adult customers. Personal consumption or possession of alcohol outside of these designated locations is illegal, except in a private residence where the non-Muslim adult has obtained a permit through the Qatar Distribution Company. Having alcoholic beverages in public is illegal, unless transfering it to a private residence, hotel or nightclub with a permit. The law punishes drunk driving, giving alcoholic beverages to a minor, or a Muslim or engaging in public drunkenness harshly. | ||
| It is also illegal, in keeping with Islamic mores, to import pigs or pork products into |
It is also illegal, in keeping with Islamic mores, to import pigs or pork products into Qatar and pork products are not sold in Qatar. | ||
| ===Eating and drinking during Ramadan=== | ===Eating and drinking during Ramadan=== | ||
Revision as of 08:59, 2 August 2011
Human rights in Qatar are the individual rights of the residents of Qatar.
Qatar is a country located on a small peninsula branching off of the Arabian Peninsula, into the Persian Gulf. It was formerly a British protectorate, and formally announced independence on September 3, 1971. It is an absolute monarchy, led by the Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, who came into power after deposing his father while he was in Switzerland. Under Hamad's leadership, Qatar entered a period of rapid liberalization and modernization, within Islamic standards. The country is known for allowing women the right to vote — the first Arab country in the Persian Gulf to do so.
Forced labour
According to the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report, men and women who are offered employment with high salary in Qatar are often given underpaying jobs. The report states that Qatari laws against forced labour are rarely enforced and that labour laws often result in the detention of victims in deportation centers pending the completion of legal proceedings. The report ranks Qatar at Tier-3, which groups countries that do not satisfy the minimum standards of labour rights, or demonstrates reasonable effort to comply with them.
Like other Persian Gulf nations, Qatar has sponsorship laws, which have been widely criticized as "modern-day slavery."
The Government states that it is doing a good job with regards to human rights and treatment of labourers. In a bid to combat Human trafficking, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al-Missned established the Qatar Foundation on Combating Human Trafficking (QFCHT). To promote more awareness in this area, the Ritz-Carlton Doha, created the the World's largest Cake for the QFCHT Sculpture.
Qatari contracting agency Barwa is building a residential area for labourers known as Barwa Al Baraha (also called Workers City). The project was launched after a recent scandal in Dubai's Labour camps, and aims to provide a reasonable standard of living as defined by the new Human Rights Legislation. The overall cost of the project is estimated at around $1.1 billion and will be an integrated city in the Industrial area of Doha. Along with 4.25 square metres of living space per person, the residential project will provide recreational areas and services for labourers. Phase one of the project is set to be completed at the end of 2008 while all phases will be complete by mid 2010.
Individual rights
Capital Punishment
Qatar retains the death penalty, primarily for espionage, or other threats against national security. Apostasy is also considered a capital offense, but there are no known executions for it.
Gender equality
Qatari women have made significant legal and social advancements since the 1990s. Sheikha Mouza has been a vocal advocate for women's issues , supporting women's conferences, higher education opportunities and the creation of a cabinent level position in the government dedicated to women's concerns.
As a result of these advancements, Qateri women have many career opporunities, including leadership positions, in education, banking, charitable projects, health and human services, tourism, law, civil service and even diplomacy. Few overt legal restrictions exist against women in terms of educational and employment based opportunities.
In 1999, Qatar came to allow women to legally vote and gain senior positions in government, either by being appointed or elected.
Women and men are expected to dress in a manner that is modest and not provoactive, but the dress code is generally driven by social customs and is more relaxed in comparison to other nations in the region.
LGBT rights in Qatar
Main article: LGBT rights in QatarTraditional mores tend to view homosexuality and cross-dressing negatively, which has influenced both social attidues and public policy. Sodomy between consenting adults in Qatar is illegal, and subject to a sentence of up to five years in prison. Sexual orientation and gender identity are not covered in any civil rights laws and there is no recognition of same-sex marriages, civil unions or domestic parnterships.
Freedom of religion
Qatar is a Muslim-majority nation, with 76% of its population adhering to Islam. The government uses Sunni law as the basis of its criminal and civil regulations. However, some measure of religious toleration is granted. Foreign workers, and tourists, are free to affiliate with other faiths, i.e. Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Bahá'ís, as long as they are discrete and do not offend public order or morality.
For example, in March 2008 the Roman Catholic church “Our Lady of the Rosary” was consecrated in Doha. However, in keeping with the need to be discreet, no missionaries are allowed and the church will not have any bells, crosses or other overtly Christian signs on its premises.
Alcohol and other dietary issues
Alcohol consumption is legal in Qatar, but with significant limitations. Only a handful of expensive hotels and nightclubs are allowed to sell alcohol to non-Muslim, adult customers. Personal consumption or possession of alcohol outside of these designated locations is illegal, except in a private residence where the non-Muslim adult has obtained a permit through the Qatar Distribution Company. Having alcoholic beverages in public is illegal, unless transfering it to a private residence, hotel or nightclub with a permit. The law punishes drunk driving, giving alcoholic beverages to a minor, or a Muslim or engaging in public drunkenness harshly.
It is also illegal, in keeping with Islamic mores, to import pigs or pork products into Qatar and pork products are not sold in Qatar.
Eating and drinking during Ramadan
Muslims and non-Muslims alike are banned from eating or drinking in public during daylight hours in the month of Ramadan.
See also
References
- ^ "In Bahrain, Women Run, Women Vote, Women Lose" New York Times
- ^ Elbagir, Nima (2007-02-08). "The Tole of Saudi Women". Channel 4. Retrieved 2008-03-25. Link to the full Channel 4 video report.
- http://www.state.gov/p/nea/ci/77575.htm
- "Country Narratives — Countries Q through Z". Trafficking in Persons Report. Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, United States Department of State. 2007-06-12. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
- "India escapes U.S. list of worst human traffickers". cnn.com. Washington: Cable News Network. 2007-06-12. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - "Trafficking in Persons Report 2008 — Qatar (Tier 3)". Refworld. 4 June 2008. Retrieved 6 December 2008.
- "Qatar: National Human Rights Committee report". Qatar National Human Rights Committee. 2006-05-03. Retrieved 2008-03-25.. According to the source at zawya.com, the web link “...is the unofficial translation by The Peninsula team of the 57-page Arabic text of the report released by the National Human Rights Committee yesterday.”
- http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093382818
- "Qatar: National Human Rights Committee Support Expats". The Peninsula via iLoveQatar.net. 2008-06-18. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
- Bowman, D (2008-03-02). "Qatar to build $1.1bn labourer city". ArabianBusiness.com. Dubai: ITP Digital Publishing. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
- Qatar: Death Penalty, Firas Nassuh Salim Al-Majali | Amnesty International
- Journalism.co.uk :: Crusading journalist wins case against Al-Jazeera
- Ready, Freda. The Cornell Daily Sun article Retrieved on December 4, 2002
- 2004 Census – CIA World Factbook – Qatar.
