Irma Londono, right, on the job in Colombia during the 1980s

By SHABINA S. KHATRI
DOHA CENTRE FOR MEDIA FREEDOM

For 17 years, Irma Londono did her part to uncover the truth about drug trafficking in Colombia.

As a journalist, Londono disregarded comments that women did not belong in her field, endured challenges to her credibility from corrupt officials and even survived a kidnapping from guerilla rebels.

But when threats against her life escalated, the award-winning journalist heeded her mother’s advice and fled to the United States as a political refugee, leaving her family, friends and career behind.

“I am very dangerous for the guerilla of the narcotráfico (the illegal drug trade) because (of the investigations) I make,” Londono recently told the Doha Centre for Media Freedom in a mix of Spanish and English.

Londono’s exile from her homeland began in 2000.

Since fleeing to America, she has done an impressive job of rebuilding her life. The 54-year-old, who lives near St. Petersburg, Florida, has learned English, established herself as a real estate agent and volunteers her time at a senior centre.

Londono worked in radio and on TV as a journalist in Colombia during the 1980s and '90s

And though she hasn’t seen her parents in 11 years – they cannot get a visa to the U.S. because the government fears they may try to stay in the country illegally – she is not totally alone. The U.S. approved her son’s petition for asylum in 2002, and she has fallen in love with an Argentinean man and married him in Florida.

Still, she can’t help but miss parts of her old life.

“I have friends, I found a house, but the real estate (market) is no good,” Londono said. “I like to work in journalism, but it is difficult because there are no opportunities for work.”

Her story

Irma Londono was born in the Colombian capital of Bogotá in 1957. She dove into radio reporting in 1982, a year before she graduated from Colombia University.

During that time, the country was firmly entrenched in a war against drugs and the rising influence of drug lords like Pablo Escobar, head of the Medellín cartel.

The cartel used murder, intimidation and assassination to keep journalists and public officials from speaking out against them, according to a report from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

By 1985, Colombia had the highest murder rate in the world.

At the same time, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Arm, also known as FARC (and now Colombia’s largest insurgent group) was also picking up steam. FARC financed its operations through kidnapping and ransom, extortion and taxing the narcotics trade. It also targeted anyone suspected of conspiring with the military and paramilitaries.

Despite the dangers, Londono was committed to covering the violent grist of what was happening in her country. One of her primary motivations was personal:

“When I was four years old, the grandparents of my mother (were) victim(s) of violence in Colombia… the guerilla killed the family of my mother,” she said.

As one of the first female journalists in Colombia to report on issues like corruption, paramilitaries and drug traffickers in the ’80s, she raised a lot of eyebrows and hackles while on the job.

“It was difficult,” she said. “Militaries in Colombia are strict – the military says no women in the helicopter – what if someone attacks the military? People die.”

Londono also did not shy away from denouncing corruption among politicians and Colombia’s armed forces, and she quickly made herself many enemies.

Kidnapped

In June 1989, three years into her job at a local television station, Londono made contact with members of the Popular Liberation Army, a communist guerilla group. The rebels said they wanted to make peace with the government and were willing to be interviewed about it.

Londono flew to Cartagena, an urban city in northern Colombia, to meet the men, who picked her, her cameramen and three other journalists up in a red jeep to take them to their commander.

“They tell us, it’s near, it’s near… (but) we drive five hours, oh my God six hours,” Londono said. Finally, the group arrived at a small boat, which took them across a river. Then, the guerillas, who had driven them south until they reached the Andes Mountains, told them to start walking.

Which they did – for 16 days.

“The boss of the guerillas was in the mountains and they said it was dangerous to travel to Cartagena, so the interview would be in the mountains,” Londono said.

Londono wearing a plastic tablecloth during her forced trek into the mountains with a communist guerilla group

It didn’t matter that the intrepid journalist had dressed for tropical weather, not the frigid mountains. When her dress tore, she was given a plastic tablecloth to wear.

It didn’t matter if night fell. The group was forced to travel by moonlight, told they must keep moving for fear of an ambush, from either the Colombian army or a rival guerilla group.

Walk, walk

“For me it was the most terrible time in my life,” Londono said. “We drink water in the river. Every day it was rice, rice, rice. One day we found a turkey, but it was an elderly turkey.” Then for a while it was chewy turkey with rice.

“For the first time in my life I sleep on the floor,” Londono said. Sometimes, she would sleep in a hammock tied between two trees.

As the only woman in the group, the guerillas pushing them onwards did show her minor courtesies, giving her a mule to ride on, asking if she needed to take bathroom breaks.

But as their trek continued into its third week and her cameraman grew ill and feverish, Londono made a decision.

“Day, day, walk walk, night, night, walk, walk,” Londono said. “I told them, ‘My camera man is sick, and I (won’t) walk anymore, I (won’t) walk anymore. We have no food, we are exhausted. I (won’t) move… The army is near, you run, we(‘ll) stay here!’ ”

To Londono’s relief, the guerrillas, fearful that the Colombian Army was in pursuit and tired of being slowed down by the journalists, took her advice and fled, leaving the prisoners in a farmhouse. Sixteen days had passed since Londono first climbed into the PLA’s jeep.

After the guerillas left, the group quickly sought help from a local countryman, paying him to take them by boat to a small town, where they took a bus back to Cartagena. Londono then returned to Bogotá, filing a detailed report about her kidnapping.

“My boss was very angry with me, but it wasn’t my fault – I thought the interview was in Cartagena,” she said.

Smothered dreams

But the kidnapping was not the biggest hardship Londono would face in 1989.

In August of that year, a couple of months after her mountain adventure, Londono investigated the assassination of Luis Carlos Galán – one of five presidential candidates killed by drug traffickers in the mid-to-late ’80s and early ’90s.

Londono did not expect the story to be her last report. But Gen. Miguel Maza Márquez, an intelligence agent who was implicated in the piece, lobbied to make sure of it.

“That general has a lot of power – he said I told lies and closed the doors of my journalism (career),” Londono said. “For me, it killed me! It was my work.”

Blacklisted by almost every news organization in Colombia, Londono finally found a job covering tourism and culture at a small radio station in Bogotá.

She would have to wait 20 years for validation – in 2010, Colombia arrested Márquez for his role in a conspiracy to assassinate Galán.

“Twenty years after, many journalists say – you were right!” Londono said. “Oh sorry, sorry! You were right.”

Death threats

For the next 10 years, Londono’s radio reports focused on the silver linings in the decidedly dark clouds of news hanging over Colombia, a country torn apart by drugs.

“I (would) never speak about the war – I (would) speak about the people, music, cultural things,” she said. “I visit(ed) the areas in Colombia where there’s war and I (would) speak about the beautiful things in that town.”

But behind the scenes, the journalist couldn’t help keeping up with the latest in narcotráfico news.

“I knew many things about the corruption in Colombia,” she said, adding that she learned a lot about the country’s ongoing political problems when she traveled to work on her culture-themed stories. “I (would) meet with other journalists and speak (about it).”

Perhaps, Londono said, some people thought she knew too much. Even though she wasn’t reporting on drug trafficking and paramilitary issues, she certainly wasn’t being quiet about them, denouncing corruption publicly and serving as a source for other journalists.

Something she said must have fallen upon sinister ears in 1999, because the journalist began receiving death threats over the phone. The tires on her car were slashed and one day, two men rode up in a motorcycle asking for her. One of them sported a military uniform, but the apartment building’s security refused to let him enter.

“My mother (told) me, ‘probably you (will) die in Colombia from (those) people,’ ” Londono said.

It was as much as she could take. In November 1999, Londono applied for political asylum in the U.S. Her petition was accepted in April 2000, and she soon relocated to Miami, Florida.

Londono in 2011 as a photographer during the opening of the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Fla.

But she ended up moving from there to St. Petersburg, also in Florida, because “in Miami, you don’t learn English.”

The journalist’s itch

Now, she spends her days working as a real estate agent, helping out with her husband’s painting business and keeping abreast of world events.

“Every day, I study, study, study,” Londono said. “I don’t know. in the future maybe I (can) teach journalists or work in media. I don’t know. But I read everything because I love journalism. It’s my profession.”

Though she misses her parents and said she still cries about leaving her native country, Londono has no plans to go back to Colombia.

“Right now I think Colombia is very dangerous for me and for journalism,” she said. “Now, I don’t have much hope for Colombia – I think it doesn’t change.”

It takes time for trends to reach the tiny Gulf country of Qatar. But that’s ok, because when they finally arrive, they always get the most whole-hearted welcomes. Case-in-point: the cupcake craze.

In the past year, the number of places to buy cupcakes here has proliferated so quickly that even the most devoted foodie can’t keep up.

Are all of these cupcakes worth our love? According to my extensive research, some of them are, and some of them are not. Read my article on Qatar Visitor to see which places make the cut.

By SHABINA S. KHATRI
HUFFINGTON POST

Qatar, a tiny, wealthy and very image-conscious country in the Arabian Gulf, is not having a good week.

First, major news outlets published stories about vitriolic Facebook pages calling on Qatar residents to protest against Emir Hamad Bin Khalifa al Thani and his regime. Feb. 27 is the day, one said. Well, that day came and went.

March 15 or 16 could be the real day, some other pages say.

Then, just over the weekend, human rights groups broke the news that a Qatari blogger has been detained and being held incommunicado by authorities. The fear is that the blogger, Sultan al-Khalaifi, is at risk of torture or other ill treatment.

Concurrently, journalists in Qatar seem to be rebelling against the lack of a sorely needed media law to protect freedom of speech and a free press.

Yet, as people across the Middle East rally against their regimes, Qatar appears to be the only country in the Arabian Gulf to escape unscathed by the politics. And not just because the country, run by a benevolent Emir, has a very persuasive police force.

A handful of blustering Facebook pages aside, there is no way people in Qatar are going to take to the streets to protest against the regime, and there are a dozen reasons why. Here are just a handful:

Firstly, there are no starving Qataris. There aren’t even any Qatari taxi drivers or janitors.

Qatar is a welfare state that financially-speaking really takes care of its people, who account for about only make up 15% of the population. The 350,000 nationals also enjoy an average per capita income of $75,000 annually.

Secondly, many of the expats here also enjoy the benefits of living in a rich country. Unemployment is .5%.

Crime is almost non-existent. While dashing to Arabic class at Berlitz one evening when I first moved here, my husband accidentally left the keys in the ignition, the car running and the doors unlocked. We didn’t realize the folly until an hour and a half later, when we returned to our car, which was still there. And why shouldn’t it be? There are cameras everywhere, and anyone with a residency permit knows Qatar has our blood, fingerprints and chest X-rays on file.

It is true that living here is not cheap. Qatar imports almost all of its food, so frequent trips to the grocery store can be prohibitive for someone on a budget.

Transportation costs also continue to rise, especially after the government suddenly raised petrol prices this year. But per liter, gas is still cheaper than soda.

And the government does heavily subsidize gas, electricity and water for all of the nation’s 1.6 million residents.

Qatar’s Emir has also put the profits reaped from its vast natural gas reserves to use in other ways, investing billions of dollars of it into education, healthcare, culture and of course, the upcoming FIFA World Cup in 2022.

That said, there are certainly things to complain about.

For one, Qatar suffers from a gaping gender disparity due to its large migrant worker population. Women account for just 20% of the population, which can make for some uncomfortable social situations.

But women are free to work, drive and run for council elections (whenever those will be held). In Education City, where six US universities have set up shop, among other educational institutions, the number of female graduates actually outpaces the number of male graduates in many schools.

Things aren’t as rosy for Qatar’s uneducated residents. Human rights groups have constantly criticized the treatment of migrant workers here. Last summer, the US State Department put Qatar on a “watch list” for laws that it says promotes human trafficking. And according to one study, the average laborer works 60-hour weeks and make about $3,945 a year.

Government officials have also been promising residents a new press law and council elections for years, without results. Just this week, a spate of columnists jumped from one local newspaper to another in hopes that their criticisms of the country would actually get published. The move prompted a fiery article in the Peninsula, a local English-language newspaper that has recently become more critical of the government.

And there are residents here who are not happy about Qatar trying to be friends with everyone. The Facebook groups that have popped up rail against the US base here, First Lady Sheikha Mozah’s public presence and Qatar’s informal ties with Israel.

Still, Qataris are for the most part known for living a comfortable lifestyle, and most wouldn’t dream of making a public stink about what they consider to be in-house problems in their country.

In fact, the mere thought of political action seems to have upset more than inspired people here. More than one Qatari on Twitter has protested any discussion of protest in Doha — not necessarily a good thing, but nonetheless an indication of what the locals are thinking.

As for the majority expat population, those who don’t like it here can always leave (fairly easily, for the most part). And those who want to stay wouldn’t dream of rallying for fear of deportation.

So come March 16, expect Qatar to remain the only Gulf country free of public protests. Expect amazing.

Down with Mubarak.

That is the popular sentiment in the tiny Gulf Arab country of Qatar, whose residents have been furiously filling the Internet with support for Egyptian protesters, criticisms of Mubarak and statements of pride for Doha-based Al Jazeera for its no-holds-barred reporting of the week’s events.

The peaceful peninsula has even experienced two protests in the past week, the most political activism Qatar has seen since the 2009 War in Gaza.

During the first protest against embattled Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, which took place on Friday after jum’aa prayers, Qatari police intervened quickly, saying the event was “mamnua” – prohibited.

Protesters gather near the Egyptian embassy in Doha on Tuesday, calling for Mubarak to step down (Photos by Miko Mayer)

Freelance journalist Omar Chatriwala reported about the event on his blog, Synthetic Jungle:

Around 100 people gathered in Qatar to protest against the Mubarak government of Egypt, in a sign that the Gulf nation is not completely isolated from the unrest witnessed in other parts of the Middle East.

The crowd – decked out in Egyptian flags and wielding signs – assembled after Friday prayers in the capital Doha, a block from Egypt’s embassy, which had been cordoned off by police. Authorities, meanwhile, sought to deter onlookers from joining the protest, saying it was a banned assembly.

After chanting slogans calling for democracy and an end to President Hosni Mubarak’s rule, protesters held janazah (funeral) prayers on the street for those killed during recent demonstrations in Egypt…

Less than an hour after the gathering began – and at police urging – the demonstrators began to disperse, chanting a thank you to Qatar for allowing them to have their voices heard.

On Tuesday, a much bigger crowd – reportedly around 500 people – gathered near the Egyptian embassy. Police blocked off the area again, but this time seemed to allow protesters to have their say.

Al Jazeera English assistant news editor Malika Bilal, who was at the scene, tweeted about the events.

@mmbilal said:

Ppl of all ages gathering in doha for #egypt solidarity rally. #tahrir square http://yfrog.com/h3v5rlj

And then:

‘Ya mubarak sa7 al nowm, alnaharda akhir youm’ – the #doha crowd’s fav chant #egypt #tahrir http://yfrog.com/gzvs2jj

@hussdajani chimed in:

HUGE march for #Cairo #Egypt #Jan25 in West Bay area in #doha #qatar ! Down with #mubarak http://yfrog.com/gye9znoj

When asked about the growing police presence, @mmbilal said:

the #qatar police are staying a considerable distance away from the crowd, so no, no arrests! #egypt #tahrir

And finally:

Last of the close to 3-500 ppl leaving #egypt solidarity rally in #doha as rain starts to fall. http://yfrog.com/h8guzytj

Not everyone has been excited about Qatar getting in on the protest action.

On Twitter, @DohaBen said:

Hope Qatar doesn’t get too involved in protests like that…don’t need any bad publicity.

Still, even in academia, support for recent events around the Middle East persists.

On Wednesday, Northwestern University in Qatar released an open letter signed by 18 faculty members (myself included), pieces of which were blogged by Al Jazeera English.

It reads:

Over the last few weeks throughout the Arab World, hundreds of thousands of people of all social backgrounds have felt a surge of freedom to express themselves to one another out in the open, a fundamental human impulse. They are neighbors gathering in cities, bloggers and tweeters getting word to one another, and journalists covering what matters …

We at Northwestern University in Qatar are a small part of the whole world that is watching, and we appeal to Arab governments to remove barriers to free expression. Let your people speak.

Ticket-holding fans shut out from the Asian Cup final search for ways to watch the final (Photo by ssa61 on Flickr)

By SHABINA S. KHATRI
GLOBAL VOICES ONLINE

http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649

For most of January, Qatar played the ideal host of the Asian Cup, delighting fans with the perfect mix of football, fireworks and fun.

But the games ended on a sour note Saturday when thousands of fans were reportedly denied entry from Khalifa Stadium to watch the final game between Australia and Japan (Japan won).

Jassim al-Rumaihi, operations director at the tournament, told the Associated Press that the gates were closed five minutes after the match started for security reasons.

But many fans said they showed up early for the match and still couldn’t get in.

Online, reports ranged from furious to heartbroken, some going as far as to question Qatar’s ability to host the World Cup more than a decade down the road in 2022.

Qatar-based Al Jazeera English sports reporter Andy Richardson, or @AndyR_Sport, said:

Thousands of fans with tickets turned away from #asiancup final. Fans we spoke to said they were given no explanation

He continued:

#Aljazeera camera and disc of footage were taken by police. Camera was eventually returned but disc ‘impounded by internal affairs’

@QueRicco said:

Went to #asiacup with 9 friends. We all had tickets. None of us got in.

@ref_RIJA_rator said:

i was furious!!! we PAID for those tickets shouldn’t their priority be the fans??

@78Benjamin

Epic failure @ Khalifa Stadium. Dispatched riot police w/ kids around. Qatar has never been further away from 2022 than last night

On popular social networking site Qatar Living, disappointed ticket holders called on fans to complain to the Asian Football Confederation.

Commenter TT.Boy said:

We all need to highlight the same to Asian Football Confederation that what had happen to Foot Fans in Qatar and ask for refund.

Angry fans also got involved on Facebook, forming a new group called AFC Bump Off on Sunday and attracting some 28 members within five hours of its creation.

The group’s description reads, “We waited and waited. we got the tickets and they didnt let us in.”

Not all reacted with indignation. Some quietly accepted last night’s disappointment and challenged Qatar to be better.

In the blogosphere, expat Sybil Knox of Qatari Adventures, normally a cheerleader of all things Qatar, said she was too disappointed to say much about Saturday’s events. But she added, “I still expect amazing,” borrowing the country’s 2022 World Cup bid slogan.

She blogs:

I’m like the mom whose child has done something wrong but can’t talk about it because after all, it’s my angelic child. The same is happening here. My home away from home, World Cup 2022 hosting country, Qatar, has disappointed me and it hurts. I’m a huge supporter and defender of most all when it comes to this country, so today I fall a bit more silent than usual because I have no answers…

Such a shame, for up until that moment, Qatar had executed a nearly perfect tournament. If one can find the silver lining in all of this, and you know that would be me, Qatar has to have learned a good hard lesson here. You cannot fool the masses. Play the game right and let the chips fall where they may. You have eleven years to work this out, Qatar, so I still Expect Amazing. Don’t let me down.

Qatar's World Cup delegation reacts to FIFA's announcement on Thursday (BBC screen grab)

Euphoria, disbelief, jeers and cheers filled the Internet following FIFA’s announcement that Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup.

In Qatar, a tiny, oil-rich desert country that beat out bids from the United States, South Korea, Japan and Australia in hosting the football world cup, the mood was jubilant among expats and nationals alike.

On Twitter, Qataria78 said:

I had tears in my eyes when they announced the 2022 will be held in Qatar , thats how proud I am to be a Qataria

osamaalassiry said:

It will take some time to sink in : The FIFA world cup in 2022 is #Qatar2022

@rachelannmorris said:

To all those (mainly in dubai) who told me I was nuts moving to #doha all those years ago…don’t make me say “I told you so”

And on the popular social networking forum Qatar Living, congratulations poured in.

Commenter jack9999 said:

I’m on Annual Leave in India, but still could not stop myself from following the events second by second. Congratulations to one and all. I am throwing out a party to my friends over here.

memphis7 added:

The world’s eyes will be on Qatar…this is the time to show how professional, well mannered, and disciplined all the while expressing the love for the sport of football, the citizens of qatar are.
Let this be somehow a bridge towards better understanding of the middle east, arab nations to the world and vice versa.
Congratulations…proud to be here on this historic announcement.

Fans celebrate following FIFA's announcement (Photo courtesy of Kyle McDonald)

Though most expats don’t plan on living in Qatar during the 2022 World Cup, many reveled in the good news.

On Qatar Living, Ice Maiden said:

In 12 years, most of us won’t even be here , but let’s soak in the present moment

On Qatari Adventures, expat blogger Sybil Knox explained her elation:

I don’t know why I’m so passionate about the cause, as surely I won’t live there in 2022. Maybe it’s just my compassion for the underdog that drives me to cheer for my “other” hometown, or maybe it’s that I know that Qatar can deliver what it promises… I, for one, do Expect Amazing.

But not everyone had good things to say about FIFA’s announcement.

At Hack the Bone, a former expat congratulates Qatar, and then it gives it a stern talking to.

Right now, there is no way Qatar could host the World Cup. The infrastructure simply isn’t there…
Luckily for FIFA, Doha is developing at an alarming rate, thanks to the thousands and thousands of Sri Lankans and Nepalese who are building the country from the ground up…
I can’t help but wonder where they’ll hide these modern slaves when the international press rolls into town.

Even Qataris have mixed feelings about hosting the World Cup. On Mimiz Blog, Mimi provides a breakdown of the arguments.

When I asked why do you support 2022? people said that it will change Qatar forever, bring more investments and develop the economy. It will put Qatar on the map side by side with greatest countries in the world. It will also force a change in Qataris’ traditional mindset towards more openness which is necessary for development.
Those who disagreed on the other hand argued that the 22 billion budget will be spent on foreigners while it could be better spent on local development and help improve the condition of poor Qataris. 2022 could infringe citizen’s rights rather than improve life quality. It has no benefits whatsoever for Qataris and will only lead to more loss of identity.

Many on the Tweetosphere expressed disbelief that Qatar beat out the US for the bid, painting the victory as David vs. Goliathesque.

@leiandroid said:

It makes me smile knowing that a country people can’t even locate won against… well, the US. Maybe it’ll motivate people to grab an atlas

And @elizabethw723 said:

The question on everyone’s mind today: Why did America lose to that tiny, oil-rich Gulf country? http://ow.ly/3j4eE

Speaking of Twitter, Qatar’s Twitterati finally got their wish for the nation to become a trending topic, but it was a bittersweet victory. Instead of #Qatar, #Quater and #Kattar made the list.
@toxic said:

Today, Qatar got #worldcup2018. In the U.S. “Quatar” is a trending topic. Apparently, our spelling skills are about as good as our soccer.

In Doha, Ammar Mohammed listed Qatar’s achievements in hosting sporting activities:

Elsewhere in the Gulf, netizens are rejoicing.

Bahraini Yacoob Slaise tweeted:

I’m looking forward to taking my 12 yr old son to Qatar and watch the World Cup and tell him “Dream Big and Work Hard, this is what you get”

Hala Al-Jurayed, from Saudi Arabia, congratulated Qatar on its win:

In another tweet, she noted:

And from Khobar, Saudi Arabia, @3abdulaziz said:

In 2022 i’ll be 47 he he he, maybe i’ll be grumpy and won’t like football then #Qatar

On the effort made by Qatar’s Ruling Family to secure the bid, Mishaal Al Gergawi, from the UAE, remarked:

One thing is clear: the Al Thanis are the Gulf’s Medicis and Rockefellers in one.

Still in the UAE, Yasser Hareb suggested:

Today should be declared as #Qatar‘s new national day

Fans rally to support Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid. Photo courtesy of http://www.qatar2022bid.com

By SHABINA S. KHATRI
GLOBAL VOICES ONLINE

Two weeks ahead of FIFA’s December 2 decision on which country will host the 2022 World Cup, fans in Qatar are trying to keep up with a flurry of speculation about its chances and are turning to the world wide web for comfort.

For the past few months, media reports have alternately identified Qatar as a long shot and a favorite of the FIFA inspection team, for a variety of reasons.

The country is flush with cash, and dazzled the world with images of its nine concept stadiums, which would be fully air-conditioned and operate on solar power. Additionally, if awarded the bid, Qatar would be the first Arab nation to host the World Cup.

But concerns over the desert country’s tiny size and scorching summers, which can reach up to 50 degrees Celsius, continue to grow. A FIFA report released earlier this week branded Qatar as the only “high-risk” candidate among the nine bidding countries for 2022. As one FIFA executive put it, “You can air-condition a stadium, but I don’t see how you can air-condition an entire country.”

That comment, made by Chuck Blazer, the sole American member of FIFA’s executive committee, set off a storm of responses on Twitter.

@lastingvalues said:

Dude is from the US and right now its US v. Qatar for 2022. Obviously he’s gonna say “Qatar sux.”

@qatar65 noted:

QATAR will b a great host for the world cup 2022…Qatar will make it the best ever I’m a Palestinian born in Doha and LOVE QATAR

And @zippyapplelips responded:

…CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. RT @dohanews FIFA exec – “You can air condition a stadium, but I don’t see how you can air-condition a…country”

The official response in Qatar was more muted initially, and then less so, reports one sports correspondent.

@james_Corbett said:

Qatar bid team furious. Casts serious doubts over their chances.

On the bid’s Facebook page, even more people voiced their support.

Syedahmed Quadri said:

Qatar will win as it will be the first Arab nation to host such a prestigious world event. Qatar has resources and the zeal and enthusiasm to host this event. Thumbs UP

Some were more pragmatic.

@a77med stated:

too bad last summer was skin blistering. Can’t argue against that.

And others, like the London Telegraph‘s chief soccer writer, Henry Winter, were just plain rude.

@HenryWinter said:

“Best bid for 2022 is Australia. Obvious. Legacy, fun, facilities, atmosphere, it has to be Oz. Qatar too steamy & soulless. Fact.”

Following FIFA’s disheartening report, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson threw his support behind Qatar’s bid, saying he was particularly impressed with the country’s plans for its climate-controlled stadiums.

After the finals, Qatar said it will dismantle and ship them to developing nations to be reconstructed for their own use.

A few other developments this week:

Qatar hosted an exciting friendly match between Brazil and Argentina on Wednesday, which the Wall Street Journal reported would give the country “another chance to endear themselves to the leaders of the two countries’ federations—both of whom sit on the 24-member executive committee that makes the final vote.”

Indeed, Argentina’s football coach did express support for the bid.

On Twitter, @abdalla_abdalla said:

RT @PeninsulaQatar: Argentina coach backs #Qatar’s World Cup bid http://bit.ly/9F95nl (expand) #worldcup

But fans held mixed opinions on the game.

On the popular social forum Qatar Living, commenter HDY wrote:

After the spectacular football match between Argentina and Brazil I would like to thank the organizers for their efforts and of course the security guards for their friendly attitude. As a result, Qatar is surely capable of sponsoring the world cup 2022 in a very professional manner and will successfully secure all its necessities in terms of playgrounds, infrastructure, side events, family atmosphere and hospitality.

On the opposite end, commenter whyteknight replied:

Are you kidding me??? They first let in the locals out of line, then all the “Families” means anyone accompanied by a female.. Meanwhile they were pushing the single guys away from the entrance not letting them enter even though we were standing in the line for over an hour while the ones accompanied by females could simply walk in and enter.. Only after there were no females left did they allow us to enter, that too as if a huge favour was done to us..

Finally, on Thursday, FIFA’s ethics committee cleared Qatar on separate corruption and collusion claims.

Qatar is a tiny, oil-rich Gulf country made up primarily of expatriates (80%), who account for the majority of the workforce. Residents hail from a diverse range of countries, including India, the Philippines, Nepal and the United Kingdom.

The Emiri Diwan is Qatar’s seat of government. As an emirate, the country is ruled by the emir Sheih Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. Known as Sheikh Hamad, he has governed Qatar since taking power from his father in 1995.

A view of the Corniche. The bold lettering featured – against a backdrop of the city’s skyline – is a part of Qatar Foundation’s “Think” campaign to try to bring inspiration to daily life and “unlock human potential”.

A work in progress, Qatar’s capital is beginning to take shape, as Doha presses to meet a grand vision for the city as outlined in its vision for 2030.

Qatar Foundation is a key part of the country’s aims to educate the populace. Its mission also involves scientific research and community development.

Qatari men hold fast to the age-old tradition of the majlis, or gathering place, where they meet to sip tea, smoke sheesha and converse. This couch, next to an apartment building in Doha’s Bin Mahmoud area, may be a poor man’s majlis.

For the rest of this article, please visit Qatar Visitor.

A sampling of the sweet eats on offer at Tahoora Bakery (Shabina S. Khatri)

My first attempt at a Soundslides presentation, for my Digital Storytelling class at Northwestern University in Evanston.

Devon hosts dozens of yummy restaurants. Here’s an introduction to one of them – Tahoora Sweets & Bakery. It’s colorful, fattening and delicious. Enjoy.

Dsan, a Nepali laborer, is one of thousands of men who are motivated by a steady paycheck to work through Qatar's harsh summers (Shabina S. Khatri)

By SHABINA S. KHATRI
QATAR VISITOR

Qatar summers are intolerably, unbearably, impossibly, hot.

The thermostat regularly hits highs in the 40s from June to September, and most expats here deal with such extreme temperatures by fleeing the country on holiday. Many of those who remain spend the months in air-conditioned homes, cars, offices and malls.

But not everyone has that luxury. As Qatar empties for the summer, thousands of construction workers remain outside – heat notwithstanding – continuing to build the nation from the ground up.

“This summer is very difficult to work – very hot,” said Dsan, a 42-year-old Nepali who has worked in Doha’s construction industry for 12 years. “Whoever is inside, it’s good. But outside – it’s a problem.”

Big Business
Construction is big business here, employing about half of Qatar’s expat labor force, or some 500,000 people, according to 2009 figures from the Qatar Statistics Authority. Many of those included in that figure are unskilled male laborers from Nepal, India and the Philippines.

They are the ones Qatar is counting on to bring hundreds of its construction projects to fruition at a breakneck pace. And hot or not, the work must continue. But with the desert country hitting record-high temperatures this summer, how are the men making it through each day?

Besides gulping as much water as they can get their hands on, many men, including Dsan, continue to be motivated by a steady paycheck, something they are not guaranteed in their home countries.

Others may not have any other choice, said Jennifer Heeg, a political science professor at Texas A&M University in Qatar who has written about migrant labor in the Gulf.

“To me, the biggest problem is the existence of the kafala (sponsorship) system,” said Heeg, referring to Qatar’s visa system, which requires anyone who wants to work here to have a sponsor, as well as to seek permission from that sponsor to leave the country, either on holiday or permanently.

“It means the workers don’t have an option – they can’t just change employers, even if they feel their health is at risk, so they’re stuck between the kafala system and the loans they took to get here,” she said.

Under Qatari law, those who leave their jobs without obtaining no-objection certificates from their previous employers may lose out on other employment opportunities in the country. This and the exit permit provision have been criticized by several organizations, including Amnesty International and the US State Department, which this summer put Qatar on a “watch list” for laws that it says promotes human trafficking.

For the rest of this article, please visit Qatar Visitor.