Human rights in Qatar
Encyclopedia
Human rights in Qatar are the individual rights of the residents of Qatar
.
Qatar
is a country located on a small peninsula branching off of the Arabian Peninsula
, into the Persian Gulf
. It was formerly a British
protectorate
, and formally announced independence on September 3, 1971. It is an absolute monarchy
, led by the Emir
Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, who came into power after deposing his father while he was in Switzerland
. Under Hamad's leadership, Qatar entered a period of rapid liberalization and modernization, within Islamic standards. The country is known for allowing women the right to vote — the first Arab country in the Persian Gulf to do so.
Like other Persian Gulf nations, Qatar has sponsorship laws, which have been widely criticized as "modern-day slavery."
The Government states that it is doing a good job with regards to human rights
and treatment of labourers. In a bid to combat Human trafficking, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al-Missned established the Qatar Foundation on Combating Human Trafficking (QFCHT). To promote more awareness in this area, the Ritz-Carlton Doha, created the World's largest Cake for the QFCHT Sculpture.
Qatari contracting agency Barwa is building a residential area for labourers known as Barwa Al Baraha
(also called Workers City). The project was launched after a recent scandal in Dubai
's Labour camps, and aims to provide a reasonable standard of living as defined by the new Human Rights Legislation. The overall cost of the project is estimated at around $1.1 billion and will be an integrated city in the Industrial area of Doha
. Along with 4.25 square metres of living space per person, the residential project will provide recreational areas and services for labourers. Phase one of the project is set to be completed at the end of 2008 while all phases will be complete by mid 2010.
is also considered a capital offense, but there are no known executions for it.
. Sheikha Mouza has been a vocal advocate for women's issues, supporting women's conferences, higher education opportunities and the creation of a cabinent level position in the government dedicated to women's concerns.
As a result of these advancements, Qatari women have many career opporunities, including leadership positions, in education, banking, charitable projects, health and human services, tourism, law, civil service and even diplomacy. Few overt legal restrictions exist against women in terms of educational and employment based opportunities.
In 1999, Qatar came to allow women to legally vote and gain senior positions in government, either by being appointed or elected.
Women and men are expected to dress in a manner that is modest and not provoactive, but the dress code is generally driven by social customs and is more relaxed in comparison to other nations in the region.
between consenting adults in Qatar is illegal, and subject to a sentence of up to five years in prison. Sexual orientation and gender identity are not covered in any civil rights laws and there is no recognition of same-sex marriages, civil unions or domestic partnerships.
. The government uses Sunni law as the basis of its criminal and civil regulations. However, some measure of religious toleration is granted. Foreign workers, and tourists, are free to affiliate with other faiths, i.e. Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Bahá'ís
, as long as they are discrete and do not offend public order or morality.
For example, in March 2008 the Roman Catholic church “Our Lady of the Rosary
” was consecrated in Doha. However, in keeping with the need to be discreet, no missionaries are allowed and the church will not have any bells, crosses or other overtly Christian signs on its premises.
expensive hotels and nightclubs are allowed to sell alcohol to non-Muslim, adult customers. Personal consumption or possession of alcohol outside of these designated locations is illegal, except in a private residence where the non-Muslim adult has obtained a permit through the Qatar Distribution Company. Having alcoholic beverages in public is illegal, unless transferring it to a private residence, hotel or nightclub with a permit. The law punishes drunk driving, giving alcoholic beverages to a minor, or a Muslim or engaging in public drunkenness harshly.
It is also illegal, in keeping with Islamic mores, to import pigs or pork products into Qatar and pork products are not sold in Qatar.
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
.
Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
is a country located on a small peninsula branching off of the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
, into the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
. It was formerly a British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
, and formally announced independence on September 3, 1971. It is an absolute monarchy
Absolute monarchy
Absolute monarchy is a monarchical form of government in which the monarch exercises ultimate governing authority as head of state and head of government, his or her power not being limited by a constitution or by the law. An absolute monarch thus wields unrestricted political power over the...
, led by the Emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, who came into power after deposing his father while he was in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Under Hamad's leadership, Qatar entered a period of rapid liberalization and modernization, within Islamic standards. The country is known for allowing women the right to vote — the first Arab country in the Persian Gulf to do so.
Forced labour
According to the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report, men and women who are offered employment with high salary in Qatar are often given underpaying jobs. The report states that Qatari laws against forced labour are rarely enforced and that labour laws often result in the detention of victims in deportation centers pending the completion of legal proceedings. The report ranks Qatar at Tier-3, which groups countries that do not satisfy the minimum standards of labour rights, or demonstrates reasonable effort to comply with them.Like other Persian Gulf nations, Qatar has sponsorship laws, which have been widely criticized as "modern-day slavery."
The Government states that it is doing a good job with regards to human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and treatment of labourers. In a bid to combat Human trafficking, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al-Missned established the Qatar Foundation on Combating Human Trafficking (QFCHT). To promote more awareness in this area, the Ritz-Carlton Doha, created the World's largest Cake for the QFCHT Sculpture.
Qatari contracting agency Barwa is building a residential area for labourers known as Barwa Al Baraha
Barwa Al Baraha
Barwa Al Baraha, also called Workers City, will be a residential area for laborers in Qatar. The project was launched after a scandal in Dubai's labor camps. The project aims to provide a reasonable standard of living as defined by the new Human Rights Legislation.- Project :The Barwa Al Baraha is...
(also called Workers City). The project was launched after a recent scandal in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
's Labour camps, and aims to provide a reasonable standard of living as defined by the new Human Rights Legislation. The overall cost of the project is estimated at around $1.1 billion and will be an integrated city in the Industrial area of Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
. Along with 4.25 square metres of living space per person, the residential project will provide recreational areas and services for labourers. Phase one of the project is set to be completed at the end of 2008 while all phases will be complete by mid 2010.
Capital Punishment
Qatar retains the death penalty, primarily for espionage, or other threats against national security. ApostasyApostasy
Apostasy , 'a defection or revolt', from ἀπό, apo, 'away, apart', στάσις, stasis, 'stand, 'standing') is the formal disaffiliation from or abandonment or renunciation of a religion by a person. One who commits apostasy is known as an apostate. These terms have a pejorative implication in everyday...
is also considered a capital offense, but there are no known executions for it.
Gender equality
Qatari women have made significant legal and social advancements since the 1990s1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
. Sheikha Mouza has been a vocal advocate for women's issues, supporting women's conferences, higher education opportunities and the creation of a cabinent level position in the government dedicated to women's concerns.
As a result of these advancements, Qatari women have many career opporunities, including leadership positions, in education, banking, charitable projects, health and human services, tourism, law, civil service and even diplomacy. Few overt legal restrictions exist against women in terms of educational and employment based opportunities.
In 1999, Qatar came to allow women to legally vote and gain senior positions in government, either by being appointed or elected.
Women and men are expected to dress in a manner that is modest and not provoactive, but the dress code is generally driven by social customs and is more relaxed in comparison to other nations in the region.
LGBT rights in Qatar
Traditional mores tend to view homosexuality and cross-dressing negatively, which has influenced both social attidues and public policy. SodomySodomy
Sodomy is an anal or other copulation-like act, especially between male persons or between a man and animal, and one who practices sodomy is a "sodomite"...
between consenting adults in Qatar is illegal, and subject to a sentence of up to five years in prison. Sexual orientation and gender identity are not covered in any civil rights laws and there is no recognition of same-sex marriages, civil unions or domestic partnerships.
Freedom of religion
Qatar is a Muslim-majority nation, with 76% of its population adhering to IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. The government uses Sunni law as the basis of its criminal and civil regulations. However, some measure of religious toleration is granted. Foreign workers, and tourists, are free to affiliate with other faiths, i.e. Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Bahá'ís
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
, as long as they are discrete and do not offend public order or morality.
For example, in March 2008 the Roman Catholic church “Our Lady of the Rosary
Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, Doha - Qatar
The Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Rosary is a Roman Catholic church in Doha, Qatar, and the first Christian church in Qatar. In a simple function on March 15, 2008, the ₤7.5M saucer-shaped church was opened by Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy and...
” was consecrated in Doha. However, in keeping with the need to be discreet, no missionaries are allowed and the church will not have any bells, crosses or other overtly Christian signs on its premises.
Alcohol and other dietary issues
Alcohol consumption is legal in Qatar, but with significant limitations. Only a handful ofexpensive hotels and nightclubs are allowed to sell alcohol to non-Muslim, adult customers. Personal consumption or possession of alcohol outside of these designated locations is illegal, except in a private residence where the non-Muslim adult has obtained a permit through the Qatar Distribution Company. Having alcoholic beverages in public is illegal, unless transferring it to a private residence, hotel or nightclub with a permit. The law punishes drunk driving, giving alcoholic beverages to a minor, or a Muslim or engaging in public drunkenness harshly.
It is also illegal, in keeping with Islamic mores, to import pigs or pork products into Qatar and pork products are not sold in Qatar.