Skimpy Clothing in Qatar
Yesterday, there was a report of two Filipina gals arrested for wearing shorts and halter tops to a local mall. This morning, we saw spaghetti straps, totally strapless tops, and very bare halter tops at brunch. When new people come to work here, are the companies giving them any guidelines? Are the women (in particular) listening?
We lived in Tunis in the early 1980’s, and an artist friend silkscreened some gorgeous t-shirts which said, in Arabic – We are not tourists, we live here. Tunis was inundated with European tourists, on vacation, wearing very little and many interested in a vacation “romance.” These tourists made it very difficult for the rest of us, who worked and lived in Tunis and respected the customs of modest dress, and who did NOT want romance or even attention. We just wanted to live our mundane little lives in peace! But who could blame the men? To them, we were all the same, Western. To them, Western equalled loose. It made life very difficult for us. (she says with gritted teeth!)
From today’s Peninsula:
‘All men and women should avoid wearing skimpy dress’
Web posted at: 7/24/2009 3:8:12
Source ::: THE PENINSULA
DOHA: As the controversy over women from some nationalities wearing revealing clothes rages, there are some citizens who believe that females from some Arab nationalities cannot be excluded from these categories.
Perhaps, they (some Arab women) wear more revealing clothes than their Western counterparts, is the view of these citizens who call for waging a campaign to create public awareness about following a dress code in the public.
Men, especially those who wear sleeveless undergarments and half pants exposing themselves while in the public, are also a target of those who believe that a strict dress code should be followed by all foreigners in the country to respect local social and religious values and traditions.
Here is what some people, including men and women, feel about the issue:
Rashid Hassan — Qatari
“The embassies of major manpower exporting countries here should take a cue from the diplomatic mission of the US, which recently released an advisory for US nationals urging them not to wear revealing clothes. The embassies should also make people from their countries here aware of local social and religious traditions and the need to respect them.”
“We must also launch an awareness campaign. And in shopping centers, particularly which families frequent, security personnel should be trained and alerted to stop such people who are wearing revealing dresses from entering the premises.
“These security personnel should be Arab nationals because only they will be able to help enforce the dress code.”
Rakesh Patel — Indian
“We have to respect local social and religious values and traditions. We have come here to work, make some savings and go back to our respective home countries. So it is binding on us that as long as we are here, we must follow the local norms and traditions and not hurt in any way the sentiments of local people.”
“Like the US embassy, the Indian embassy here should also launch an awareness campaign for Indian expatriates on the issue. The embassy of the Philippines has also recently waged a similar campaign. It’s a welcome move. I am all for respecting local values and traditions at any cost.”
Wesal Hilmi — Syrian
“I am surprised that some married women are among those who wear revealing clothes. We don’t agree with such people. They have to respect our cultural, social and religious values which are reflected in the way we dress.”
“We have been hearing that a committee (at the government) has been set up which is
Looking into the issue and it is gearing up to launch an awareness campaign. If it is true it is a welcome development.”
Ahmed Sabir — Egyptian
“Arabs and Muslims like to cling to their heritage and culture. It is unfortunate that some foreigners here do not show any respect for our social values and traditions. However, we cannot force them to wear what we would like them to, but we can launch an awareness campaign and raise the issue with them. We can convince them through these campaigns to respect our culture, religious values and traditions.”
“In Ramadan, they do show respect for our values and practices. Likewise, they should be made aware and urged to respect our traditions as regards our dressing habits and the need not to wear revealing clothes in public.”
Sherwin — Flipino
“We are here to work. We must respect local people, their social and religious values and traditions.”
Vachy — Filipina
“We must follow and encourage what our country’s embassy here is doing urging us to respect local traditions. They should enforce a law in Qatar making a strict dress code in accordance with local traditions, mandatory.”
Abdullah Hussein — Qatari
“What one wears is one’s own choice. We can’t force people to wear clothes we like. It’s a matter of individual freedom and I believe in personal freedom.”
“I agree that people should respect our social and religious values and traditions, but they should do it voluntarily. We cannot force them. We can only make them aware through campaigns. We can convince them about that and we have to be extremely polite doing that.”
What we don’t want is for the Qataris to get to the point of forming the kind of morality police they have in Saudi Arabia, armed with sticks for hitting offenders, and with arbitrary powers to sort-of arrest offenders. If we don’t monitor ourselves, that is the risk we take.
This is not our country. We do not have the right to dress as we would back home. Please, get a clue.
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you know, I’m just fed up from all this fuss about the way we dress up! our image, or the way we look is something mostly associated with appreciation and we should treat cloths as cloths not as symbols for intellectual or theoretical states, because it is different as you said from one example to the other
Deema, the fuss is about how expats dress, at least in Qatar. I have never seen a local woman dress immodestly, never. It’s not really a matter of clothes making a statement, either, unless that statement is “I don’t have enough sense to find out what the customs of the country are and to dress accordingly.”
yeah i understand.. i’m just generalizing the question/ this issue on both expats and locals outfit is being raised over and over again.. l’m sure some locals are criticized even in minor things though.. can they ever thing of something other than what people wear! (i’m sorry for being a bit angry on that)
OK, now I get it. And I was about to say different issue, but it isn’t, is it? It’s a question of degree, but in every country we have those who want to have rules for how people dress / behave / interact – and the problem rises: whose standards prevail?
What I don’t want is for the extremist standard to prevail. I don’t want to have to wear an abaya again, as I did in Saudi Arabia – too HOT! And I don’t want to have to cover my hair. I think something like “covered from the upper arm to the knee” is probably enough, and allows for a whole lot of variation.
I have always followed “When in Rome, Do As the Romans Do”
When I am asked to cover my head in Saudi or when visiting mosques, I would do it with no questions! When I am asked not to wear shorts and flip-flops in some Churches while I was in Europe, I will also follow the rules. I always try to understand the culture and traditions of the places I visit and follow their rules. It makes life a lot easier and it shows respect 🙂 I hate to offend anyone in anyway 🙂
You hit the nail on the head, Ansam. We are guests – a good guest respects the prevailing rules in the culture.
I had the great “aha” today (In our family we have a joke: I’m slow, but I’m slow.)
Ramadan is coming. The rules get even stricter. It’s less than a month away. I think this renewed emphasis on respect and respectful and modest dress is in preparation for the holy month coming up.
There wouldnt be a problem if the hottest regions in the world werent islamic…but, unfortunately, they are. I do agree with your ideas on the subject, but i also feel sorry for those who just cannot adapt to the heat, forcing them to make alterations to their otherwise ‘modest’ wardrobe.
As a woman living in an area where the majority of people have formed an opinion about our morals, our lifestyle, and our culture based essentially on the movie industry, I absolutely cringe to see anyone (man or woman) inappropriately dressed. I agree with Ansam – “When in Rome…” This isn’t North America and I guess I always thought the whole point of traveling/working in another culture was to experience the difference. Just transposing what is normal at home to the new venue seems a bit ridiculous. I always want to ask the obvious offenders, “Didn’t you read the guide book?” *sigh*
Mrm, I had a terrible time adjusting to the heat, being an Alaska girl, but one thing I discovered – loose dresses with loose sleeves are WAAAAYYYY cooler than anything with a waist. And bare skin, exposed to the sun, burns! With loose dresses, breezes circulate (!) and sweat trickles without anyone the wiser 😉
It seems to me there is something almost hostile in people who flaunt the code. It’s not like I wear ankle length – or even elbow length – clothes, but some kind of sleeve and cover past the knee – it’s not that hard . . . I almost wonder if some people are looking for trouble.
DaisyMae – AdventureMan and I have lived in this environment for so long that we have the reverse problem – we go to Germany, we go to Florida and GASP at what women are wearing! We’ve gotten used to a more covered look. AM says long sleeves – in the sizzling summer – are no more uncomfortable than short sleeves, if you are outside.
Are you back in the heat? Hope you had a beautiful summer . . . it’s actually nice to be home again, I am betting, settled in your own digs?