newswatcher
24th Feb 2003, 08:54
From the Qatar Peninsula(24/2):
"While Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has been issuing travel advisories regarding Qatar, and there is extensive global media coverage of the shooting of a Briton in Saudi Arabia, British expats in Qatar do not think they are more at risk here than they would be anywhere else.
Most are vehemently opposed to a war against Iraq, and they’re not considering leaving Qatar. Most defiant are those who lived in the region during the Gulf War in 1991, and a number have discovered — sometimes to their surprise — that their grown-up children have become anti-war activists in UK cities such as Manchester and London.
“I’ve lived here for 24 years and I feel Qatar is as safe as anywhere,” said Beryl Osman. “I don’t support an attack on Iraq and I think that George Bush and Tony Blair are whipping up anti-Muslim sentiment by appearing to link terrorism only to the Islamic world. If there was to be a backlash against Americans, Britons or any other non-Muslim communities, then it’s just as likely to be in London or New York or Rome, as it is here. After living for so long in this part of the world, I’ve come to accept ‘Allah Kareem’ and ‘Inshallah.’ We will all die when our time comes, regardless of where we are. And if that time hasn’t come, we will continue to live. So why should I leave Qatar now,” said Osman.
Ralph Thakeray, head teacher of the Doha English Speaking School, (DESS) said: “Around 10 per cent of our pupils are Qatari, and the school will stay open no matter what. I’ve spoke to a number of parents today who said they feel as safe here in Qatar as they would anywhere else in the world.
“Some had received notification of the FOC advisory through the Warden system on e-mail. One parent telephoned to ask if the advisory was a result of specific intelligence reports. I told them that information hadn’t been made available, but my own opinion was that it was only in response to the incident in Saudi Arabia. There hasn’t been any withdrawal of pupils, apart from one family that happens to have been relocated.
“A couple of teachers have asked me the hypothetical question of what would happen if British nationals were advised to leave. I’ve told them that there might be some reduction in staff under those circumstances, but that the school would remain open.”
His wife echoes those thoughts and says she has no plans to leave — nor do any of her friends or acquaintances.
There are others, anti-war and determined not to leave, who are less easy about announcing their presence.
A British businesswoman here, who preferred to remain anonymous, said: “No. I’ve got no plans to leave. I’ve lived here for decades and as far as I’m concerned, everything goes on as normal. And I haven’t noticed any change in the attitude of other British expatriates here either. I don’t agree with an attack on Iraq, and I don’t believe we’re any more at risk here than we would be anywhere else in the world.”
"While Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has been issuing travel advisories regarding Qatar, and there is extensive global media coverage of the shooting of a Briton in Saudi Arabia, British expats in Qatar do not think they are more at risk here than they would be anywhere else.
Most are vehemently opposed to a war against Iraq, and they’re not considering leaving Qatar. Most defiant are those who lived in the region during the Gulf War in 1991, and a number have discovered — sometimes to their surprise — that their grown-up children have become anti-war activists in UK cities such as Manchester and London.
“I’ve lived here for 24 years and I feel Qatar is as safe as anywhere,” said Beryl Osman. “I don’t support an attack on Iraq and I think that George Bush and Tony Blair are whipping up anti-Muslim sentiment by appearing to link terrorism only to the Islamic world. If there was to be a backlash against Americans, Britons or any other non-Muslim communities, then it’s just as likely to be in London or New York or Rome, as it is here. After living for so long in this part of the world, I’ve come to accept ‘Allah Kareem’ and ‘Inshallah.’ We will all die when our time comes, regardless of where we are. And if that time hasn’t come, we will continue to live. So why should I leave Qatar now,” said Osman.
Ralph Thakeray, head teacher of the Doha English Speaking School, (DESS) said: “Around 10 per cent of our pupils are Qatari, and the school will stay open no matter what. I’ve spoke to a number of parents today who said they feel as safe here in Qatar as they would anywhere else in the world.
“Some had received notification of the FOC advisory through the Warden system on e-mail. One parent telephoned to ask if the advisory was a result of specific intelligence reports. I told them that information hadn’t been made available, but my own opinion was that it was only in response to the incident in Saudi Arabia. There hasn’t been any withdrawal of pupils, apart from one family that happens to have been relocated.
“A couple of teachers have asked me the hypothetical question of what would happen if British nationals were advised to leave. I’ve told them that there might be some reduction in staff under those circumstances, but that the school would remain open.”
His wife echoes those thoughts and says she has no plans to leave — nor do any of her friends or acquaintances.
There are others, anti-war and determined not to leave, who are less easy about announcing their presence.
A British businesswoman here, who preferred to remain anonymous, said: “No. I’ve got no plans to leave. I’ve lived here for decades and as far as I’m concerned, everything goes on as normal. And I haven’t noticed any change in the attitude of other British expatriates here either. I don’t agree with an attack on Iraq, and I don’t believe we’re any more at risk here than we would be anywhere else in the world.”