We aren't all this mysterious! Photo by Rana Ossama via Flickr

By SHABINA S. KHATRI
HUFFINGTON POST

It’s good to get things out in the open. But sometimes the truth hurts.

It certainly hurt to hear that, according to recent TIME and CNN polls, most Americans oppose the Park51 project, a proposal to build a mosque and community center on private property about two blocks from Ground Zero.

For some Muslim Americans, the vehement opposition to Park51, the site of a former Burlington Coat Factory, comes as no surprise. It is just one of many Islamic centers across the country that have drawn the ire of ignorant and fearful people in recent months.

For most of us, though, the tirade of anti-Islamic sentiment against this particular project has made for a disheartening past few weeks, depressing news during a holy month that’s supposed to be about light and hope.

There are logical arguments to refute opponents. The First Amendment. The strip clubs and liquor stores sprinkled around the so-called hallowed ground. The fact that Muslims pray in the Pentagon, which was also a target on 9/11.

But logic is not going to work when emotions run so high. We need another strategy.

A few numbers jumped out at me in the TIME poll: 61% of respondents said they’re against the project. And 62% say they don’t personally know a Muslim American.

Hmm.

Is it possible that the people who don’t know any Muslim Americans are more likely to oppose Park51?

If that’s the case, perhaps there is a really simple way to resolve this mosque hullaballoo.

Perhaps you need a Muslim friend. Not a token one, a la George Costanza out to prove his affinity for black people after his boss challenged it. But an honest-to-goodness, plain Jane Muslim American friend.

That’s who I am to one college pal of mine, who wrote me this week. He says (and I share, with permission):

I grew up in a Jewish family and I remember my grandparents generation of relatives, who had survived the Holocaust and remembered the struggles Israel faced in its earliest years, held some pretty ugly stereotypes about Arabs and Muslims. I came to [college] not necessarily believing their views, but certainly not questioning them.

You were the first true Muslim friend I ever had and you played a big part in influencing my views on Muslims and what Islam stands for. I have to thank you for bringing to me my first Ramadan dinner and letting me get to know you. Any American who is not part of the small group of religions that have never faced persecution, intimidation, or torture and comes out against this mosque in the name of “sensitivity” is a hypocrite.

So how exactly does one buddy up with a Muslim American? Through the time-tested methods of friend-making. Encounter someone somewhere – work, yoga class, Facebook – and strike up a conversation. Find common interests, hang out and talk about them. Maybe Islam will come up all the time, or part of the time, or not at all. The point is social integration.

It will take extra effort – on your part, and mine. It’s a strategy we need to apply here in Qatar, where misunderstandings and stereotypes abound between the minority (15%) national population and the country’s sea of expats.

But the results – aren’t they worth the work?

The World Trade Center crumbled just weeks before my 19th birthday, when I was a sophomore in college. As a Muslim American, born and raised, I hated uttering what became a tired refrain: that 9/11 was – is – my tragedy, too.

I have a daughter now, and it’s my hope that she never has to prove how American she is, simply because of her religion. Perhaps if more people had Muslim friends, she won’t have to.

So let’s resolve America’s “Muslim problem” and stick to our constitutional guns on the issue of religious freedom by striving to understand our Muslim American neighbors as they should be understood – normal people who simply want what you’d want – a space to practice our faith, teach our children and converse with our communities.

In the Gulf, Ramadan can be a lot of fun.

Food takes center stage here – supermarkets boast countless goodies, restaurants offer enticing buffet deals and the air-conditioned hotel tents give people a perfectly comfortable venue to lounge, eat and smoke the night away.

But Ramadan, traditionally considered a month of austerity and self-discipline, also carries a deeper significance, one of gratitude and charity. It is a message that some organizations in Qatar are working hard to remind people about.

Once such group is the Stormy Foundation, which 26-year-old British expat Asif Mahmood launched unofficially in 2008 as a way to foster a community for those far from home.

Its emphasis is service, and this Ramadan SF will put that mission to the test, visiting orphans, holding a clothing drive that will end in a drop-off to the Palestinian territories, coordinating with restaurants to reduce food waste and issuing food bags to workers containing essential items like rice, oil, dates and lentils.

“All we’re doing is trying to give expats an outlet where they can do something, rather than sit at home, read a book, or watch TV – something to benefit the community,” Mahmood, a production engineer, said. “We’re also helping ourselves by meeting like-minded individuals.”

Getting started wasn’t easy, said Mahmood, whose initial volunteer efforts when he moved to Doha in 2006 were rebuffed by several charitable organizations.

“At first I was met with a hard no,” he said. “I was kind of deflated a little.” But by organizing a group of volunteers – and utilizing a bit of wasta from his Qatari friends – things began to turn around.

SF has a mailing list of over 200 people, and its Facebook page now has nearly 250 fans, which Mahmood aims to increase to an ambitious 3,000 by the end of Ramadan.

Its mix of sociality and service has been a big hit, particularly among western Muslim expats, who gathered recently to produce Ramadan bags for laborers.

The sacks of food were paid for by QR 100 donations, which SF is soliciting with the following tagline: “Remember, these are the people who gave us the beautiful Doha skyline. Please help up give them back a fraction of what they have given us.”

Rabia Zaman, who helped design the bags, moved to Doha for a social media internship in April. She said the Stormy Foundation has been an integral part of her successful adjustment to life in Doha.

“It has really helped in making friends,” the 26-year-old British expat said. “I can’t imagine what it would have been like not having this. It’s been really good to have that group of people to support me.”

In addition to service projects, SF has a football team, holds weekly squash events, and monthly desert and dhow trips during the cooler months. Mahmood said plans are in the works to expand into Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where there is high demand among expats for “halal” and “productive” community events.

More information on the Stormy Foundation can be found here.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

It is nearing 11pm. I am sitting in a very cold hotel room with a bespectacled middle-aged Arab man debating whether it is better for the Palestinian leadership to stand on their principles or time for them to bend enough to get some results.

The man is called Abu Alezz, and he is keeping me company while I wait for his boss, Hamas Political Bureau chief Khaled Meshal.

In 40 minutes, we have covered decades, centuries of history and conflict – the 1948 and 1967 wars, the fight over Jerusalem, Israel’s violation of international law, Hamas’ use of military resistance, the Palestinian right of return, internal strife between Hamas and Fatah, outside interference from Egypt and the United States, the futility of peace talks, etc.

It’s not the lofty ideals we argue over, but small phrases. Dates. Legitimacy. Borders and blockades. A tall wall.

Word traps that have derailed the peace process over and over again.

Parsing terminology at this late hour in this drafty room, my mind wanders.

I wonder what happened to my cell phone, my voice recorder and my digital camera, which security guards took for examination before my meeting with Meshal.

I wonder how my family is doing.

Just a few hours earlier I was cooking dinner and baking chocolate chip blondies in anticipation of an evening with friends.

I was saying good night to my husband. I was putting my baby daughter to sleep.

I was not thinking about the fate of the Palestinian people, as Meshal must have been during his meeting with Qatar’s Emir earlier that day.

How often does he think of them? If I were in his position, a Palestinian running the Gaza Strip as it withers under an economic blockade that denies them even basic supplies, I would be thinking about it every minute of the day.

But thinking would not be enough. Being invested in the cause would not be enough. After decades of stagnation, of negotiations and interventions, the people are calling for something tangible. Something they can grasp in their hands and say, this was worth everything we’ve been through.

Back to the hotel room. There is movement across the hall. Men talk to other men, and I’m finally cleared for action.

First impressions

I walk across the hall into a spacious suite, am handed my voice recorder and digital camera. I take a seat on an armchair in an opulent sitting room. A chocolate-covered, sugar-dusted camel figurine sits atop a tray piled with dates.

I am brought water, juice. I sip politely, chat a bit more with Abu Alezz. And then suddenly, Khaled Meshal enters the room, and I am face-to-face with a man my own government classifies as a terrorist.

Meshal looks just like he does in pictures.

He is imposing, assertive, clear-eyed, polite.

Predictably, we don’t exchange handshakes.

Considering that security had taken my cell phone, and that I may have been the only woman on the entire 16th floor of the posh Qatar hotel where Hamas was camped, I found this observation of tradition comforting.

I may have been on my own, but these men respected me.

I thank Meshal for his time, and dive into my questions, asking first about last week’s unofficial but historic meeting between Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan and US diplomat Rachel Schneller.

A step forward

Meshal calls the meeting an “advanced step,” but wonders why it has taken the American government so long to talk to his party.

“There should be a limit to that stubbornness,” he says, adding that no peace could be achieved until the US recognizes Hamas as a major player in the region – and recognizes the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

The remark was a pointed reference to the 2006 Palestinian elections, which Hamas arguably won fair and square, much to the dismay of Fatah and the American government. About a year and several bloody conflicts later, Hamas was ousted from the West Bank but still retains control of the Gaza Strip.

Relations between the US and Israel have been strained over recent policy disagreements (Photo courtesy of Flickr)

We switch away from civil battles for a bit, talk about Israel, which Meshal says is starting to look more and more like a loose cannon.

“Israel is not giving any care about the interests of its allies,” he said. “It is working on its own agenda.”

Israel’s recent announcement to build more settlements in occupied East Jerusalem, despite US protests, have strained relations between the historic allies.

Tensions further deepened this week when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called off his trip to Washington for a nuclear non-proliferation conference, sending a minister in his place.

“The US army has clearly realized now that Israeli practices are directly affecting the interests of the US and the safety of the US soldiers in the region and the world,” Meshal said. “We have been saying this for a long time, but now the difference is that the US and Europeans are realizing this reality.”

Family man
Speaking of Israel, I ask Meshal about his safety, whether the assassination of colleague Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai by suspected Mossad agents has him worried about any more attempts on his life.

(About a decade ago, Israeli Mossad agents poisoned him with a nerve toxin, but were forced to cough up the antidote after the US intervened.)

The leader responds with predictable bravado – “I am not afraid of their threats, I am not afraid of death,” he said.

I press him on this. He is a family man. How can one not be scared to lose it all?

“I like to live,” he concedes. “Nobody likes to die just for the sake of death. But for the sake of my country, my people, their interests, their faith – if I need to sacrifice even my life, I would do that willfully.”

On to my final question.

What is the next step for Fatah and Hamas?

Back off, America

This is the only time Meshal switches to English, because he wants to be very clear on this point.

“The next step: in Washington, to change the United States policy not to have veto on our conciliation,” he says.

In essence – back off, America.

It’s also the only time he raises his voice.

“There is a very big difference between being open with the US and to talk to them, and having America try to negatively intervene in internal Palestinian politics,” he said, adding that reconciliation must happen on Palestinian terms, and no one else’s.

Fair enough. But is Hamas the right group to speak for what Palestinians want? In 2006, the people voted them in. But after the devastating loss of life and infrastructure in 2009 Gaza war, do they still feel the same way?

There likely won’t be an answer to that question for a long time, because the Palestinian territories can’t hold democratic elections until Fatah and Hamas regain some common ground.

Seeking change

But there are indications that the everyday people each political faction claims to represent is tired and looking for change.

So went the sentiment at a forum in Doha last month, when an audience of mostly Arab youth issued a referendum of sorts to a panel of Hamas and Fatah representatives. The vast majority of attendees – 89% – voted that they had no confidence in the current Palestinian leadership.

I attended that Doha Debates forum, and it was a disaster. An evening of bickering between grown men and emotional testimony from a despairing audience.

Rumor has it that the Obama administration may put forth their own peace plan, now that talks between Israel and the Palestinians and between Fatah and Hamas (the Palestinians and the Palestinians) have stalled.

According to the New York Times, experts say that such a plan would include the following conditions:

First, Palestinian officials would have to accept that there would be no right of return for refugees of the 1948 war that established the Israeli state, and for their millions of descendants. Rather, the Palestinians would have to accept some kind of compensation. Second, the two sides would have to share Jerusalem — Palestinians locating their capital in the east, Israelis in the west, and both signing on to some sort of international agreement on how to share the holy sites in the Old City.

Third, Israel would return to its 1967 borders — before it captured East Jerusalem and the West Bank in the Six-Day War — give or take a few negotiated settlements and territorial swaps. Fourth, the United States or NATO would have to give Israel security guarantees, probably including stationing troops along the Jordan River, to ease Israeli fears that hostile countries could use the Palestinian state as a springboard for attacks. And finally, Arab neighbors like Saudi Arabia would recognize Israel.

Before witnessing the Doha Debates and interviewing Meshal, such a plan would have looked good to me.

But now I know that if these terms were presented to those at the negotiating table (provided everyone agreed to sit down at such a table in the first place), they would likely fight tooth and nail over every word.

I thank Meshal for his time, am returned my cell phone, escorted out of the building. I am back home, back to my life that isn’t consumed by the quagmire called Palestine.

I can see how it would be hurtful to tell people who think they’re only doing right by you that it’s time for a changing of the guard.

But perhaps, amid a sea of failed agreements, circular arguments and stubborn refusals to compromise on anything, that’s the only viable option left.

Who needs the Statue of Liberty? Qatar attracts all kinds with its open-door policy, including relatives of Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein

By SHABINA S. KHATRI
HUFFINGTON POST

Qatar has a history of helping countries in need – sending relief teams to Haiti after January’s earthquake, donating millions of dollars to the Palestinian effort and even opening its doors to the Lebanese during the 2006 war with Israel.

But some experts say that what draws the most international attention for Qatar is a different type of generosity – its unspoken policy of granting asylum to high-profile refugees, including relatives of Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.

Tiny, resource-rich and host to a US army base, Qatar has the necessary wealth and might – and thus the security – to welcome any guest whose home countries don’t want them, whatever the reason.

But its controversial open-door policy isn’t without a greater purpose.

“It is right in line with the other things they’re doing,” said Jennifer Heeg, a political science professor at Texas A&M University in Qatar. “Trying to broker a peace in Sudan, successfully brokering peace in Lebanon, all of the sporting events they’re having, building the Pearl – this country is embarking on a major-reputation building project.”

For the rest of the article, please visit the Huffington Post.

Fellow panels include Dr. Amal Al Malki, one of the first female Qatari faculty members in Education City; and Shelina Janmohamed, British author of Love in a Headscarf.

Details below. Hope to see you there!

Husain's announcement of Qatar's citizenship offer (The Hindu)

By SHABINA S. KHATRI
GLOBAL VOICES ONLINE

The Internet is abuzz with news that controversial Indian artist MF Husain, 95, has accepted a rare offer of citizenship from Qatar, a tiny conservative country in the Arabian Gulf. Husain, arguably one of India’s greatest painters, has been working in Qatar on a project involving the history of Arab civilization at the behest of the country’s first lady, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al Misned.

The conferment of citizenship has surprised many as Husain faces numerous obscenity charges in his home country, which he left in 2006 after nude paintings of Hindu deities he produced in the 1970s were brought to light, spurring protests, vandalism and threats.

On Twitter, @Iveegee said:

This is bizarre news. What does Qatar stand to gain from giving him citizenship?

N. Ram, a journalist who first broke the news of Husain’s citizenship conferment in an editorial for the widely read English-language Indian daily The Hindu, called the development “an honour to Mr. Husain, to his artistic genius, and to the India-rooted civilisational values he represents. Nevertheless, it is a sad day for India.” On the popular online forum Qatar Living, the news generated 116 comments before the site was shut down for maintenance over the weekend. Some applauded Qatar, a Muslim monarchy’s, support of artistic freedom, while other wondered where India, a secular democracy, went wrong.

Commenter Landcruiser_Qatar said:

Very talented person and crapy countrymen running hate campaign. Hats of to MF Hussain.

Thoufy said:

is this democracy….?????? is this democracy….?????? Very Shame to our country…

Husain’s exile from India is admittedly self-imposed, and Indian politicians are saying he is free to come and go as he pleases. However, as dual citizenship is not possible in his home country, Husain will have to give up his Indian passport to become a Qatari. In India, Twitterati have been responding to the news with a steady stream of messages, ranging from penitent to petulant.

@gurgaonharyana said:

m f hussain accepts qatar citizenship.big loss for india.we r such jerks.

@gulpanag said:

So Hussein accepts Qatar citizenship.Well,if his country of origin cannot guarantee his safety/wellbeing,he does have a case.

@rajizm said:

if he so couregeous let him paint some muslim painting in qatar nude and u will see he is dead next moment

What kind of freedom of expression Husain will be afforded in Qatar remains to be seen. Qatar Living commenter heero_yuy2 said:

I hope he won’t have a hard time florishing his artistry here if we still even have some trouble on media freedom around here.

And svelte_saggi said:

Anytime that religion has been represented as art in a derogatory manner,it has ended in chaos.

I’m on Youtube! I was invited to speak at ictQatar’s Mudawanat conference earlier this month on a panel of expert bloggers.

Though Arabic is the world’s fifth most widely spoken language, Arabic speakers represent less than 3% of all web users, according to Internet World Stats. The purpose of this conference, which was held in English and Arabic, was to nurture interest in blogging in Qatar and across the region. Read more about the day’s events at The National.

I was humbled to speak on a panel of such high-caliber bloggers. The point I tried to get across was that you don’t have to have a lot of free time or be famous or special to blog. You just need to have something of value to say and be willing to share it.

Enjoy my small contribution, and please ignore the drooping mic!

Fed up with criticism of their culture and people, Qataris have begun organizing a campaign to shut down Qatar Living, the country’s most popular online forum.

A recent series of Qatar-bashing posts on QL have fueled the outcry and prompted college student Amal to start a Facebook group called anti-qatarliving.com on Sunday. The description reads:

This group is to protest against a website called qatarliving.com where many expatriates who live in Qatar post long threads where they criticize the Qatari citizens and culture using very rude and vulgar vocabulary.

Many of the expatriates on this website (not all of them but most of them) use bad language when talking about Qatari people. They have called us names such as pigs, uncivilized, racist barbarians, and many other hideous names. They say that we cannot survive without them and that we cannot handle or manage our country. They also say that they are the ones who built our country fo us and the ones who are teaching us how to behave like humans.

Our aim is to have this website closed for good and teach whoever is attacking our Qatari identity that Qataris should not be underestimated and underrated and we want all of them to see how vicious we are whenever anyone goes beyond their limits while talking about Qatar.

These people have no appreciation of what this country has given them and we will not let them get away with all of this.

Over the past week, various threads on Qatar Living contained scathing critiques of the country’s people and culture. One such thread, which has been removed by QL moderators, included a rant by commenter PM, who was upset by the rowdy behavior of some local teens on Qatar National Day (Friday).

PM’s post angered many locals, who called on advertisers to pull their support of QL.

According to local newspaper The Peninsula:

Some remarks against the festivities and the people of Qatar as well as Asian expatriates were in bad taste and smack of racism, said Mohamed Al Jufairi, a civil engineer.

Al Jufairi said he has received American education right from school to university levels and know what constructive criticism is. “But the comments about Qatari nationals and National Day are really humiliating.”

“We are all for freedom of expression but that does not mean you cross boundaries and heap insults on us,” he said.

Remarks that all Qataris are arrogant and egoists are not correct since a large number of them are simple-minded and good people. “Some of us may be bad but to say that all of us are arrogant cannot be true.”

In another QL thread, posted two Decembers ago but resurrected by commenters on Sunday, a disgruntled Canadian woman lists all the reasons “Qatar sucks,” including the weather and “lack of culture.”

gabaee writes:

And finally my biggest problam about Qatar is how they allow all these labours to come and work here like dogs. They should at least be allowed to bring their wives here with them, so that they dont’ ****** stare at women like hungry animals. They disgust me and I find them subhuman in the way they act towards non-Qatari women. While I don’t cover up like the Qatari women, I dress very conservatively with loose cloths and don’t show any skin while outside. Nevertheless, I have been made feel sooo uncomfortable and harressed by sick words, sounds, and animal-like stares. It’s sickening and infuriating.

So my advice to those females out there who have a good active life back in the homeland, with a good family and a good man, DO NOT even consider the idea of moving to Qatar. It’s BORING, DISAPPOINTING and DISGUSTING!

The post prompted dozens of responses, many of them from expats defending Qatar and its people.

Commenter Gypsy said:

I have to agree that Qatar is a difficult place for a single gal, and I think they should allow labourers to bring their wives,however I disagree with the rest. I know lots of nice Qataris, and I think the architecture here is pretty neat. Much cooler then anything being built in Canada at the moment.

mx1o0o said:

I have been here for 20 years …Im proud to live here all my life, and will always be proud, even though its not my home country, but Qatar and My home country are one in my heart. We are visitors here. We respect Qatar, those who don’t, know where the airport is…

On another QL thread,

genesis said:

I think this is blown out of proportion .This is not about Qatarlivning! QL is a site where both locals & expatriates share useful information about Qatar.In addition to organizing many community services throughout the years. The ND thread was deleted by MODs, Many have expressed their nonacceptance on what’s written already In Local internet forums like Qatarshares , many locals also criticized the unfortunate behavior of many during the night parade. I do agree with you that many comments by posters were racial , but it only shows complete ignorance of certain individuals Demand to block the site & then what? People will always find a way or another to vent. Only with understanding of one another can we overcome this clash of cultures.

In a post on the Peninsula article regarding Qatar Living,

Qatar Visitor, a website for expats, writes:

The article and the attack were not really fair on QatarLiving.com, especially as they had both promoted the event themselves and removed the offending comments – I personally can’t see what else they be expected to do! …Qatar Living has been a huge success, not just for the website owner but also for Qatar. The website demonstrates that, online at least, Qatar has a measure of freedom of speech. (A measure, because, as the removal of comments show, Qatar Living, like all of us, practises self-censorship…What’s more, it’s Qatar’s number one English language social networking site…With Qatar and ICT pouring money and effort into developing IT and the internet in Qatar, Qatar Living is unlikely to be closed down any time soon. But the website does need to be careful!

On Twitter, there was little support for shutting down QL.

Qatari hndqtr said:

the hell is wrong with them, we’ll everybody just let it go!!

Expat VEE6 said:

Sad and small minded individuals.

Amal, founder of the anti-QL Facebook group, which already has 91 members, stressed that her campaign was not against all of Qatar’s expats.

She writes on the group’s wall:

I want to make sure that everybody knows that were are not against expatriates at all. We are very aware that many people who live and work in Qatar are largely contributing to our country’s development. Many of these people are as well our teachers and instructors whom we hold a great amount of respect for. However, the people we are addressing by this protest are the ones who constantly use bad language when talking about Qataris. We are addressing the ones who act as if they like us and are inspired by our culture in front of our faces go talk about us behind our backs calling us retards and uncivilized. We do not want expatriates to leave the country, but we surly demand respect and will never accept being described as savages. Now for those who are not willing to be appreciative of all the benefits they are getting by working in Qatar, they surly are not welcomed to stay in Qatar.

Also on the wall was a plea for peace and an invitation to Qataris to join QL.

Amerah Egab said:

I do hope many of you do read the comments where many of the QL community would like to see more Qataris join us and become active members of this community, there are tens of thousands of members, a couple of loud mouth idiots do not represent us all.

On Monday, a few threads apologizing to the Qatari people were posted on QL. Those who run the site issued an official comment in the afternoon.

Ahmad said:

Over the last few days it seems that instead of facilitating discussions and conversations, Qatar Living has become the conversation.

We just want to point out that Qatar Living is not for or against anyone. It is a website dedicated to helping people make the most out of living in Qatar. From finding the best restaurants to selling you car, from helping people volunteer to organizing social events, Qatar Living is designed to be a place where everyone can feel comfortable and welcome.

Of course, with over 150,000 members and 500,000 people visiting each month, there are bound to be disagreements. And unfortunately, like everywhere on the internet, there are bound to be a small number of people who make comments that are offensive. It is unfair for these comments to generalize and stereotype people.

In the same manner, the objectionable comments by a number of individuals should not be seen as indicative of most of the Qatari’s and Expatriates who make up the Qatar Living community. We use our Community Guidelines to clearly indicate what is acceptable on our website. We do apologise if any users have fallen short of these guidelines – we aim to treat every member of this community with respect and dignity.

Fatayar from Naurah Bakery on Najma St. (Omar Chatriwala)

Hands-down, one of the best parts about living in Qatar is the food. Oh, the choices that abound! The capital city of Doha is a microcosm of world cultures, and the cornucopia of cuisine options prove it. But unless you know where to look, all that chowing down can really burn a hole in your wallet.

We did the research, sampling a variety of eats around town, and are proud to bring you a list of 10 places that have delicious meals under QR15 – and won’t make you sick. Check out the full article at Qatar Visitor.

By SHABINA S. KHATRI
KHALEEJESQUE.COM

Qatar may be a tiny country, but its desalinating, SUV-driving, electricity-guzzling ways are no small matter for our planet.

That environmental reality and other social issues took center stage this weekend during a charity art exhibit and celebrity gala at the Grand Hyatt Doha, where Qatari locals and celebrities Josh Hartnett, Ben Kingsley and Danny Boyle, among others, received honors for their community work.

The extravaganza was brought to Qatar by 21st Century Leaders, an organization that aims to inspire the community and raise awareness of humanitarian and environmental issues through popular mediums like film, music and sports.

The goal is “especially to inspire children and young people to learn about exciting innovations which can protect Qatar’s natural eco-system,” said director Charlotte di Vita.

In 2007, the United Nations reported that Qatar had the highest per capita carbon dioxide emissions in the world. The UAE nabbed a similarly dubious honor last year in a report by the WWF Living Planet.

Reducing that carbon footprint is one aim of charitable groups like Qatar’s Friends of the Environment Center, which is making some progress in the fight against pollution and waste. 21st Century Leaders also hopes to contribute to that cause and others through the establishment of a permanent Doha Arts & Sustainability Centre.

“I love it,” said Haya Saad, a 16-year-old Qatari with a passion for photography. “I love how they’re inspiring people to make a difference in the world through art. It’s like a wakeup call for us just to make some changes.”

Once the facility is built, 21st Century Leaders hopes to exhibit original celebrity artwork as part of the foundation’s Whatever It Takes program. Under the campaign, more than 600 celebrities and community leaders have created original pieces of art that contain strong messages of hope.

Their artwork is then designed and manufactured into products like mugs and t-shirts by companies that meet rigorous ethical and environmental standards. So far, over $3 million in proceeds from the products, sold by retailers from around the world, has been raised for charity.

“It’s a way to use your influence for positive benefit,” said Brooke Carson, the campaign’s brand manager. “Not only does it raise money for charity but also awareness to make changes.”