Human rights in Qatar - Wikipedia. The state of human rights in Qatar is a concern for several non- governmental organizations. Sharia law is the main source of Qatari legislation according to Qatar's constitution.[1][2]Flogging and stoning as forms of punishment are legal in Qatar due to Sharia law. According to Human Rights Watch in June 2. South Asian migrant workers in construction in Qatar risk serious exploitation and abuse, sometimes amounting to forced labor.[3]Sharia law[edit]Sharia law is the main source of Qatari legislation according to Qatar's constitution.[1][2] Sharia law is applied to laws pertaining to family law, inheritance, and several criminal acts (including adultery, robbery and murder). In some cases in Sharia- based family courts, a female's testimony is worth half a man's and in some cases a female witness is not accepted at all.[4] Codified family law was introduced in 2. In practice, Qatar's legal system is a mixture of civil law and Islamic law.[5][6]Flogging is used in Qatar as a punishment for alcohol consumption or illicit sexual relations.[7] Article 8. Qatar's criminal code declares the punishment for adultery is 1. Adultery is punishable by death when a Muslim woman and a non- Muslim man are involved.[8] In 2. Filipino woman was sentenced to 1. In 2. 01. 0, at least 1. In 2. 01. 1, at least 2. In 2. 01. 2, six expatriates were sentenced to floggings of either 4. Only Muslims considered medically fit were liable to have such sentences carried out. ![]() New UAE traffic law: All traffic violations, fines and black points. Did you know that there are over 200 different fines you could get on the roads in the UAE? Published: 10/23/2014 I spent the past year living and working in Doha, Qatar. Some of the most common questions that I get asked about my time there are about. All data within License Lookup is maintained by the State of Connecticut, updated instantly, and considered a primary source of verification. ![]() It is unknown if the sentences were implemented.[1. More recently in April 2. Muslim expatriate was sentenced to 4. In June 2. 01. 4, a Muslim expatriate was sentenced to 4. Judicial corporal punishment is common in Qatar due to the Hanbali interpretation of Sharia Law. Stoning is a legal punishment in Qatar, although it has never been used.[1. Apostasy is a crime punishable by the death penalty in Qatar.[1. Blasphemy is punishable by up to seven years in prison and proselytizing any religion other than Islam can be punished by up to 1. Homosexuality is a crime punishable in sharia by the death penalty for Muslims, though in Qatar the penalty for consenting males is up to 5 years in prison.[1. Alcohol consumption is partially legal in Qatar; some five- star luxury hotels are allowed to sell alcohol to their non- Muslim customers.[1. Muslims are not allowed to consume alcohol in Qatar, and Muslims caught consuming alcohol are liable to flogging or deportation. Non- Muslim expatriates can obtain a permit to purchase alcohol for personal consumption. The Qatar Distribution Company (a subsidiary of Qatar Airways) is permitted to import alcohol and pork; it operates the one and only liquor store in the country, which also sells pork to holders of liquor licences.[2. Qatari officials have also indicated a willingness to allow alcohol in "fan zones" at the 2. FIFA World Cup.[2. Until recently, restaurants on the Pearl- Qatar (a man- made island near Doha) were allowed to serve alcoholic drinks.[1. In December 2. 01. Pearl were told to stop selling alcohol.[1. No explanation was given for the ban.[1. Speculation about the reason includes the government's desire to project a more pious image in advance of the country's first election of a royal advisory body and rumours of a financial dispute between the government and the resort's developers.[2. In 2. 01. 4, Qatar launched a modesty campaign to remind tourists of the modest dress code.[2. Female tourists are advised not to wear leggings, miniskirts, sleeveless dresses and short or tight clothing in public. Men are advised against wearing only shorts and singlets.[2. As of 2. 01. 4, certain provisions of the Qatari Criminal Code allows punishments such as flogging and stoning to be imposed as criminal sanctions. The UN Committee Against Torture found that these practices constituted a breach of the obligations imposed by the UN Convention Against Torture.[2. Qatar retains the death penalty, mainly for threats against national security. Forced labour[edit]According to the US State Department, expatriate workers from nations throughout Asia and parts of Africa are routinely subjected to forced labor and, in some instances, prostitution.[2. Most of these people voluntarily migrate to Qatar as low- skilled laborers or domestic servants, but are subsequently subjected to conditions indicative of involuntary servitude. Some of the more common labor rights violations include beatings, withholding of payment, charging workers for benefits which are nominally the responsibility of the amir, severe restrictions on freedom of movement (such as the confiscation of passports, travel documents, or exit permits), arbitrary detention, threats of legal action, and sexual assault.[2. Many migrant workers arriving for work in Qatar have paid exorbitant fees to recruiters in their home countries – a practice that makes workers highly vulnerable to forced labor once in Qatar.[2. Like other Persian Gulf nations, Qatar has sponsorship laws, which have been widely criticized as "modern- day slavery."[2. Under the provisions of Qatar's sponsorship law, sponsors have the unilateral power to cancel workers' residency permits, deny workers' ability to change employers, report a worker as "absconded" to police authorities, and deny permission to leave the country.[2. As a result, sponsors may restrict workers' movements and workers may be afraid to report abuses or claim their rights, which contribute to their forced labor situation.[2. Domestic servants are particularly vulnerable to trafficking since they are isolated inside homes and are not covered under the provisions of the labor law.[2. Qatar is also a destination for women who migrate for legitimate purposes and subsequently become involved in prostitution, but the extent to which these women are subjected to forced prostitution is unknown.[2. Some of these victims may be runaway domestic workers who have fallen prey to forced prostitution by individuals who exploit their illegal status.[2. The Government states that it is doing a good job with regards to human rights[2. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was established in 2. 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 World's largest Cake for the QFCHT Sculpture.[3. Qatari contracting agency Barwa is building a residential area for laborers known as Barwa Al Baraha (also called Workers City). The project was launched after a recent scandal in Dubai's Labor camps, and aims to provide a reasonable standard of living as defined by the new Human Rights Legislation.[3. The overall cost of the project is estimated at around $1. Industrial area of Doha. Along with 4. 2. 5 square metres of living space per person, the residential project will provide recreational areas and services for laborers. Phase one of the project is set to be completed at the end of 2. Qatar Airways, the country's national airline, has long been criticized for its treatment of its lower level employees including flight attendants. Abuses include firing employees without apparent reason, low wages, overworking hours. Employees have also been reported to be unlawfully detained by the airline without charge. Deportations by the airline of its employees to their home countries without reason has also been reported.[3. FIFA World Cup preparations and reported abuses[edit]The construction boom in Qatar began well in advance of Qatar winning the hosting rights to the 2. FIFA World Cup. When the Emir Sheikh Hamad Al Thani took control of the country from his father in 1. Qatar up to foreign investment and began the construction of the world’s biggest LNG terminals in Ras Laffan with the granting of concessions to Exxon. Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell and Total S. A. Over 1. 00,0. 00 workers were brought into the country to build Ras Laffan, and an estimated 1 million (of the country’s total population of 2 million) workers are currently living in Qatar helping to build the country. In 1. 99. 5, when Sheikh Hamad took control, the total migrant population was around 3. In 2. 01. 3 Amnesty International published reports showing that unpaid migrant workers were left to go hungry. According to the report, workers are being "treated like cattle."[3. The Strange Power of Qatar | by Hugh Eakin. Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos Doha, Qatar, with the ‘dallah,’ or coffee pot, monument in the foreground, 2. On August 2. 3, Libyan rebels raised their flag over Bab al- Aziziya, the once- impregnable complex housing Muammar Qaddafi’s headquarters in Tripoli. Though the dictator himself still remained at large, the overrunning of one of the nerve centers of his regime had enormous symbolic power and seemed to offer definitive proof of the rebels’ strength. And yet on several newscasts, a different story about the uprising was emerging: along with the rebels’ tricolor with white crescent and star, the presidential compound at Bab al- Aziziya was briefly shown flying the maroon and white flag of Qatar, the tiny, gas- rich Arabian emirate more than two thousand miles away. Though little noted in the West, Qatar’s enthusiasm for the Libyan revolt had been on display from the outset. The emirate was instrumental in securing the support of the Arab League for the NATO intervention back in March, contributing its own military aircraft to the mission. It also gave $4. 00 million to the rebels, helped them market Libyan oil out of Benghazi, and set up a TV station for them in Doha, the Qatari capital. Following the conquest of Bab al- Aziziya, however, it became clear that the Qataris were deeply involved on the ground as well. Not only did Qatar arm the rebels and set up training camps for them in Benghazi and in the Nafusa Mountains west of Tripoli; its own special forces—a hitherto unknown contingent—helped lead the August offensive on the capital. Although Qatar’s military is one of the smallest in the Middle East, with just over 1. French and other Western countries and appear to possess considerable skill.) The day the rebels captured Bab al- Aziziya, Mahmoud Jibril, the leader of Libya’s interim government, singled out Qatar for its far- reaching support, despite “all the doubts and threats.”In fact, the battle for Libya is only one of several Arab uprisings this year in which Qatar has played a provocative part. In Tunisia and Egypt, no Internet and broadcast medium did more to spread the cause of popular protest than Al Jazeera, Qatar’s government- backed satellite television news network. In early April, the Qatari prime minister publicly called for the resignation of embattled Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh—a statement that departed from the more conciliatory position of other Gulf nations and led Saleh to charge that Qatar “has conspired against Yemen.”In May, the Qatari government hosted the Doha Forum, an annual, Davos- like conference about democracy and free trade that featured an opening session about the “revolutions” that have “rocked the Arab world.” And in July, despite Qatar’s good relations with the Assad regime before the Syrian uprising began, it became the first Gulf nation to close its embassy in Damascus. Nor is 2. 01. 1 the first time Qatar has been accused of stirring up trouble against entrenched regimes in the Middle East. As long ago as 2. Arab League had formally protested unfavorable coverage on Al Jazeera, and no fewer than six—Jordan, Saudia Arabia, Kuwait, Tunisia, Libya, and Morocco—had at some point withdrawn their ambassadors to Doha. In the past, many Arab leaders didn’t even want to talk to me,” the Qatari emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al- Thani, told the Financial Times in an interview last year. At the same time, Qatar has been something of a gadfly in Middle East diplomacy, styling itself (not always successfully) as a third- party broker everywhere from Israel and Lebanon to Darfur and Afghanistan. Since the autumn of 2. Qatar has helped stage a series of meetings between Western officials and representatives of the Taliban—leading to speculation that the Taliban might open an office in Doha. In mid- June, Wiki. Leaks released a US State Department cable showing the extent to which Qatar’s tentacular involvement in regional politics had managed to irritate Mubarak’s Egypt, with a native population some three hundred times larger: Egypt is determined to thwart every single initiative Qatar proposes during its current term as president of the Arab League, to include proposals that are in Egypt’s national interest…. The Egyptian DCM [Deputy Chief of Mission] said Qatar’s involvement in Sudan, Palestine, and Al Jazeera’s vitriolic broadcasts against Egypt were the main causes of Egyptian leaders’ ire, to include that of President Mubarak. Challenged to list actions Qatar had taken in Sudan against Egypt’s interest, Naguib readily conceded there were none. Qatar’s offense, he said, stemmed from the mere act of its mediation in Egypt’s back yard. There is little about Qatar to suggest it as a hotbed of political agitation. Occupying a thumb- shaped peninsula in the Persian Gulf, it is a country the size of Connecticut, wedged between two of the largest and most reactionary powers in the region: Saudi Arabia, which abuts it, and Iran, with which it shares its economic lifeline, the largest natural gas field in the world. Like most of its near neighbors, Qatar is a hereditary monarchy; it has been ruled by the same family since the nineteenth century. The inaugural speech of the democracy conference was given by Qatar’s heir apparent, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al- Thani.) There is no independent legislature and political parties are forbidden; civil society groups outside the state are virtually nonexistent. Qatar is also the only country other than Saudi Arabia to be dominated by the conservative Wahhabi branch of Sunni Islam, and its legal system is based in part on Sharia law. Owing to the country’s acute demand for labor, moreover, more than 8. Qatar—and 9. 0 percent of the labor force—are foreign workers with no political rights. The native population is 2. In view of its extraordinary economic situation, it is difficult to see why the Qatari leadership would want to upset the political status quo. With the third- largest gas reserves of any country, it is now the leading exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Over the last decade, rapidly growing demand for LNG has turned Qatar into the richest country in the world as measured by GDP per capita, which the CIA estimates at $1. Allowing the emirate to develop at breakneck speed, this vast resource has also permitted it to offer its citizens an enviable standard of living without having to bother with the encumbrances of deliberative democracy. When I visited Doha this summer, there was much talk about the revelation that 2. Qataris—more than a tenth of the native population—are now millionaires. Indeed, Qatar appears to have a decidedly different approach toward popular revolt in its own neighborhood. When Iranian security forces were condemned internationally for attacking protesters after the disputed 2. Qatari prime minister asserted that it was an “internal matter” and that “we must respect the right of each state to solve its own problems.” In March, as Bahrain began its violent repression of protesters in Manama’s Pearl Square, Qatar supported the controversial military intervention led by Saudi Arabia to prop up the regime. At the same time, although Qatar contains the principal overseas headquarters of the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) and was a key staging ground for the invasion of Iraq, it has also given support to Hamas and other militant groups. After a visit in 2. Senator John Kerry complained, “Qatar can’t continue to be an American ally on Monday that sends money to Hamas on Tuesday.” But the ties continue: in late April, reports surfaced that Hamas’s political leadership was exploring a relocation from Damascus to Doha; and in August, the Israeli press revealed that Israel’s foreign ministry was taking steps to limit Qatar’s influence in Palestinian areas because of its support for Hamas and “anti- Israel” groups abroad. For decades, Qatar has been the home in exile for the prominent Egyptian Sunni cleric Sheikh Yusuf al- Qaradawi, who has deep connections to the Muslim Brotherhood. Although his strident views on Israel have drawn controversy in the West, he is considered a moderate Islamist by many Arabs, and an Al Jazeera talk show on which he often appears, Sharia and Life, is watched widely across the Middle East. Sheikh Qaradawi’s support for the revolts in North Africa and the Levant has spread the message of popular uprising to his tens of millions of devout followers.
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