Qatar Traffic Department says NO New Traffic Fines
Traffic fine rumours squashed
Web posted at: 1/12/2010 5:13:28
Source ::: The Peninsula / BY MOHAMMED IQBAL
BY MOHAMMED IQBAL
DOHA: As rumours continue to circulate about a steep hike in traffic fines, a senior official of the Traffic Department has clarified that such reports are totally baseless and there is no change in the traffic law.
Over the past month, e-mail messages have been circulating about a new “traffic violations law” with a detailed list of new fines for different violations. Though the messages appear to be a fraud at the very first look, they have been widely circulated, causing confusion among the public.
“The Traffic Department is dealing with all violations as per the current traffic law, without any change or amendment,” said Brigadier Mohammed Saad Al Kharji, Director of the Traffic Department, while denying the reports spreading through mobile phones and the Internet.
The email message about the “New traffic violations law — October 2009” gives a comparative list of the “new” and “existing” fines. Anyone who is aware of the current law would immediately realise that the message is fake, since many of the existing fines mentioned in it are incorrect.
For instance, it says that the “fine for using a mobile phone while driving” has been raised from QR3,000 to QR10,000, whereas the existing fine for this violation is QR500. Similar is the case with most of the other violations.
Only a naïve person would believe this message when it says that the fines for most violations have been raised from QR10,000 to an incredible QR50,000.
Despite all this, the message has been circulating fast as people forward it to others without thinking much about the content. The Peninsula has received a number of calls from people seeking a clarification on this matter.
A resident said he had seen the same message displayed prominently at a work site in the Industrial Area a few weeks ago.
An expert from the Traffic Department told The Peninsula yesterday that he had been receiving a number of queries from people about the issue.
“It is surprising that people go by such rumours. Anyone would know that if there is a major change in the traffic law it would be announced through the media by senior officials,” he added.
It has been pointed out that many residents don’t have easy access to authentic information about the traffic law since an official English version of the law is still not available.
100 Lashes Each for Illicit Relationships in Qatar
COURT ROUNDUP
100 lashes for illicit relations
By Nour Abuzant in today’s Gulf Times
Two Asians – a man and a woman – have been sentenced to 100 lashes each and subsequent deportation for maintaining illicit relations.
The father of the woman told the interrogators that he saw his 21-year-old daughter leaving the house in the morning of April 15, 2009 and boarding the car of her 26-year old lover.
The father also said he opposed their marriage and that he had planned his daughter’s marriage with another compatriot man.
The Doha court of first instance heard that the father found three mobile phones, belonging to her lover, in his daughter’s possession.
The accused Pakistani nationals confessed in the court that they were in love. The court said that the 100-lash penalty came in line with the Sharia rules, as both the accused were Muslims and unmarried.
That’s some angry father – turning in his own daughter to be jailed, humiliated in court and then subjected to the additional humiliation and pain of 100 lashes. Cannot imagine what that will do to her marriage prospects “with another compatriot man.”
Some people ask why I run these articles about expats. The truth, as I see it, is that any one of us who is not Qatari falls under these laws. We are ALL expats. The laws can be applied to any one of us at any time.
3 Months for Killing, One Year for Stealing
These articles are in today’s Gulf Times, under Court Roundup.
Jail term, fine for death crash
A local motorist has been sentenced to three-month’s imprisonment for reckless driving that led to the death of a 56-year-Pakistani pedestrian.
The Doha court of first instance imposed on the 26-year-old motorist a fine of QR20,000.
The fatal accident took place in the Old Airport area on September 27, 2008. According to the traffic report, “the accident occurred because the motorist was speeding.”
A traffic official told the court that the motorist was driving at 80kmph on a busy street.
Family members of the deceased can claim blood money in a civil court.
Man sentenced for stealing
A Sri Lankan driver has been sentenced to a year-imprisonment for stealing items including two gas cylinders and a vacuum cleaner from the labour camp of a private company. Four of the co-accused were sentenced in absentia to five years in jail.
The theft took place on July 21, 2008 in New Rayan area, the charge-sheet said.
Two Egyptians, who witnessed the incident, testified that they saw five men loading the items, estimated to cost QR4,000, on to a pickup from a store inside the camp.
The Egyptians said they captured three of the workers while the others drove away in the pick-up.
The police arrested all the accused and four of them were deported on an administrative order before the commencement of the trial.
Natural Pearls at Natural History Club
“The Al Fardan collection from Qatar . . . ” Ahhhhhhh.
From the time I arrived in Doha, I have heard whispers about the legendary Al Fardan pearl collection and it has been my dream to see it. This temporary exhibit will be a dream come true. I can hardly wait for this it to open at the Doha Museum of Islamic Art on January 29th, but meanwhile – this should be a fabulous meeting of the Doha Natural History Club.
From the Gulf Times:
History group meet
The Qatar Natural History Group will hold a meeting on Wednesday, at the Doha English Speaking School.
Dr Hubert Bari, curator of gems and jewellery at the Museum of Islamic Art and manager of temporary exhibitions for the Qatar Museums Authority, will give a presentation on the subject of natural pearls, ahead of the major exhibition on pearls scheduled to open at the MIA at the end of this month.
Dr Bari will give the audience a pre-view of some of the treasures gathered from all over the world which will be on show in the exhibition, including the famous Hope Pearl and the Pearl of Asia and, for the first time, the Alfardan collection from Qatar.
For my friends and family who do not live in Qatar – exhibits at the Doha Museum of Islamic Art are free. Free. No entry fee, no fee. Qatar sponsors priceless exhibitions like this for the population gratis. Free. As a public service. How amazing is that?
Community Police Graduate
Community policing is necessary when we neglect to police ourselves. . . if, for example, we find ourselves throwing a tissue out of our car window as we drive along, littering the pristine streets of Doha. If we bully someone because we want that parking spot he is driving into, if we disrupt the peace and quality of life of others by our behavior.
I notice, in this story from the Gulf Times, that women are a part of this program, and that they are wearing uniforms, and hijab, and that those uniforms are very modest and also that they are wearing pants. Please see the previous article.
I commend Qatar for this visionary program, helping the community police itself, and for including women from the very first class.
46 take part in community policing basic course
Graduates with officials at the convocation ceremony
The Police Training Institute (PTI) recently held a ceremony to mark the graduation of participants in the first batch of the Community Policing Basic Course, under the auspices of Minister of State for Interior Affairs HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani.
Some 46 students from various security departments took part in the course, which lasted seven weeks, said a spokesperson.
The ceremony was attended by the chairman on the Central Municipal Council, HE Nasser al-Kaabi; director of the PTI, Brigadier Mohamed Hassan Youssef al-Saei as well as other ministry officials.
Brigadier al-Saei explained that the course has been conducted to “enhance the role and mechanisms of community policing,” as well as helping to create partnerships with various social institutions to help with national security.
The PTI director added that the graduates of this course will be able to translate the Ministry of Interior’s aims and strategies to encourage understanding between various communities and to help the police to be able to prevent crimes before they are committed.
Brigadier Rashid Shaheen al-Atheeque, chairman of the steering committee of community policing, said: “The graduation of the first course of community policing is one of the stages of qualifying the national cadres at the Ministry of Interior to work in the national project.”
“Qatar is currently witnessing progress in all aspects of development in economic and social fields – this increases the role of all sectors in the country to face all kinds of challenges brought with this development,” he said, adding: “These factors require the improvement of capabilities to keep pace with development.”
Brigadier al-Atheeq explained that the ministry had pursued the initiative of community policing to help reduce crime throughout all institutions, and said that they had pursued the objective with the co-operation of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs as well as other ministries and companies, working towards the National Vision 2030.
He explained that the concept will initially be employed in the North Security Department from April 2010, with plans to apply it across the board from 2011.
Representing the director of the Ummul Qura Independent School for Boys, teacher Areezah al-Yami described the noticeable benefits of introducing the community policing programme in the school over the past year.
“Cross-Dressing” in Qatar – Girls in Thobes? Gutras? Egals?
When I read “Cross Dressing ‘on the rise in Qatar’ in today’s Gulf Times, the article below was totally not what I expected.
What do you think this ‘abnormal behavior’ might be? Girls wearing white thobes, with gutras and egals? Or girls wearing jeans? Girls wearing pants? Maybe girls wearing t-shirts, or pantsuits?
This article would be hilarious were it not so sad. The ‘abnormal’ girls are to be secretively counseled. That sounds very very scary to me.
Cross dressing ‘on the rise in Qatar’
As much as 70% of girls who have taken to cross dressing remain adamant and refuse to give up their abnormal behaviour, says a report published in the local Arabic daily Arrayah.
Quoting the director of the Abdullah Abdul Ghani centre for Social Rehabilitation in Wakrah, Buthaina Abdullah Abdul Ghani, the report says that the phenomenon of cross dressing seems to be on the rise in Qatar and other countries in the Arab world and abroad.
However, in Qatar it is not an alarming situation but efforts to redeem this misguided lot should continue persistently, she said.
The problem has to be tackled carefully and secretively since many of these girls refuse to come out of their closely knit circle. The centre had announced a programme of counselling for these girls.
Highlighting the reasons for the spread of this phenomenon she mentioned lack of parental control, programmes on the satellite channel that seek to encourage wrong values in life and the illusion of being independent in life.
This problem was the subject of a debate in the monthly Lakom al-Qarar TV programme a few months ago. The deputy chairman of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development said in his concluding remarks that this problem is a serious menace to society.
Real Age: 5 Foods that Boost Weight Loss
“I miss the church bells,” I said to AdventureMan last night as we welcomed in the New Year. In Germany, all the bells peal at midnight on New Years, it is a wonderful, rollicking sound. Here in Qatar, where New Year’s is a little suspect, a Western innovation, there is no official countdown, no fireworks – but there are parties. We could hear them!
Traditionally, January is when people get serious about weight loss and better health habits, partially in response to the excesses of the Thanksgiving/Christmas celebrations and partially in anticipation of the austerity of Lent. And the swimsuit season . . .
RealAge sends me the greatest tips, and this is one of them:
5 Foods That Boost Weight Loss
Ready to lose a few pounds in the new year? There are five foods that can help.
And the best part is that you won’t feel like you’re “eating light” with this group of weight-loss-boosting noshes. In fact, it’ll still feel like the holidays!
Salmon: Seems the omega-3 fatty acids in this fish may turbocharge your body’s fat-burning engines — especially when coupled with exercise, one study found.
Eggs: They’re back on the healthy-foods list. In one study, dieters who ate eggs for breakfast were able to stave off hunger longer than the folks who loaded up on carbs at breakfast.
Peanuts: May seem counterintuitive — after all, they are high in fat and calories — but a small daily serving of peanuts may discourage weight gain, research suggests. Possibly because the healthy fats in peanuts are easier to burn off than the unhealthy fats from other fatty treats, like cheesecake and chips. Just make sure you substitute the nuts for another high-calorie food.
Apples: Munch on an apple before every meal and you’ll be less likely to clean your dinner plate, research shows. Apples are fiber-filled yet low in calories, which means you fill up on less.
Fava beans: Why fava beans? Because these creamy beans are loaded with flavonoids. And a 14-year study in women showed that high flavonoid intake may help ward off belly fat.
Qatar Divorce Rate 12th Highest in the World
Today’s story in The Peninsula examines the increasing number of divorces this year, in relation to the number of marriages.
Not a single expert quoted mentions that perhaps many of these marriages were bad alliances in the first place. One expert continually mentions the problem being women having greater access to divorce.
It is no surprise that women who have access to divorce get out of bad marriages.
She is supposed to stay with a man addicted to pornography?
With a man who cannot complete the sexual act?
With a man with a drug problem?
With a man who is openly gay, and she is to provide cover?
With a man who has a fatal sexually transmitted disease which he neglected to disclose?
With a man who is still emotionally attached to his long-time girlfriend and was forced to marry another woman?
With a man who hits her?
With a man who ignores her and goes off with his friends all the time in preference to spending time with her? (Yes, expectations for marriage are higher now than they used to be. Times change. Expectatons change.)
(These are all stories told to me by local women about failed marriages.)
I’m not a big fan of divorce. I think marriage is serious business, and a lot of hard work. And I strongly believe that women need to have the exact same access to divorce that men have. I don’t see any of the experts citing male behavior as a possible cause of this divorce rate.
Divorce rate to reach new high this year
Web posted at: 12/30/2009 5:38:55
Source ::: The Peninsula / BY SATISH KANADY
DOHA: Qatar’s divorce rate is steadily going up. Crossing last year’s figure of 939 divorces, a total of 982 couples split in the country during the first 11 months of this year.
Going by the latest data released by the Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA), more than 80 divorces take place every month in the country. The 2009 figure is expected to cross the 1,000 mark once the figures for December come in.
According to the QSA, of the 982 divorce cases this year, 655 involved Qatari women. The number of non-Qatari women who split with their spouse during the period was 327.
The months of April, May and June witnessed a large number of divorces. While 127 women got divorced during the month of May, 107 and 101 women got divorced in June and April, respectively.
It may be noted that a recent international study identified Qatar as the country with the 12th highest divorce rate in the world. The country has 0.97 divorces per thousand people, it said.
The total number of divorces in the country in 1999 was 496. However, the number has grown steadily over the past decade and touched 997 in 2007, with a total of 721 Qataris and 276 non-Qataris getting estranged. Though the rate went down in 2008 (939), this year’s figures are expected to break the 2007 record.
The QSA’s figures are disturbing against the backdrop of the fact that the total number of marriages held this year in Qatar until November 2009 was 2,917, against which the number of divorces was 982.
Against the 266 marriages that took place last month, 90 couples got divorced. Of them, 57 included Qatari women. In the month of May, which witnessed the largest number of divorces — 127 — the number of marriages was 323.
Opinions are divided among Qatari social scientists on the data revealed by the QSA. While a section of them sees the divorces as a direct consequence of Qatar’s “culture shock”, others say QSA’s methodology in collecting the data is not foolproof and the figures do not seem realistic.
“The data collected from the courts need not necessarily reflect the exact divorce rate in Qatar. For, there are a large number of cases where the couples re-join after obtaining a divorce from the court”, said a Qatari woman scholar who is doing research on Qatar’s broken families and divorces.
However, Moza Al Malki, a prominent Qatari psychologist, said: “Qatari women’s exposure to the changing world and their growing self-reliant nature are the prime reasons for this social problem.”
Al Kula, a system that encourages women to approach a court if they are not comfortable with their partner, is also contributing to the growing number of divorces, she added.
Qatar: “We Are a Nation That Does Not Read”
This is one of the saddest articles I could read, a Nation that Does Not Read.
There is a secret to teaching your child to read. The secret is: be readers.
When a child grows up surrounded by books and magazines, when she grows up seeing her parents with books, magazines and newspapers in their hands, guess what happens? The child also grows up to be a reader.
YOU are the key to your child’s reading. Do you read to your children before bed every night? Do they already have their favorite books? Do you use books to reward good behavior?
There is a world of wonderful children’s books out there for children of every age. I commend Qatar for taking these first steps to create a nation of readers, and I urge that this be a long term project, with continuing support.
There are several bookstores in Qatar – the Jarir has a large number of children’s books. Virgin has books. The Dar ath Thaqafa stores have children’s books. There is a store in City Center called Eye Spy which has all kinds of children’s educational resources, it is up on the third floor, I believe. Buy books when you are travelling abroad and give them out during the year as special treats. You CAN create a nation of readers. 🙂
From the Gulf Times
Club will nurture rare ‘book worms’
By Ourouba Hussein
The Childhood Cultural Centre is to launch an ambitious project that aims to inculcate the reading habit among children in Qatar.
Called the “Book Club”, the project was conceived after a study found that children in Qatar read only a quarter of a page per year.
Book Club project manager Abdullah Hamid al-Mulla said that children in Qatar read almost nothing outside their syllabus while children in the US read 11 books a year and their counterparts in the UK 8 books.
“We are a nation that does not read,” he stated.
According to the study, the number of books published in the Arab world is eight for every 12,000 children, al-Mullah said, adding “we know why Arabs are lagging in many fields”.
He said the project, under the slogan “a trip into the minds of people”, targeted children in the age group of 6-18 years and aimed at expanding their perceptions, as well as creating a reading culture.
He noted that since statistics showed that Arabs did not read more than six minutes per year and experience proved that children did not go to libraries or book clubs, the centre decided to reach out to them, in schools and “wherever they are”.
“We will work out agreements with schools and provide the books in schools also.”
Al-Mullah said incentives associated with the project that will be launched in conjunction with the Doha Book Fair 2009, featured excursions inside and outside Qatar, awards and cultural publications. The book fair opens at the Doha International Exhibition Centre today.
He explained that once a child is registered with the club, he will earn points according to participation in activities organised by the forum.
“Points are earned according to the level of the child’s usage of the free library, reciting stories for reading groups or attempts to write on his own, as well as participation in workshops,” he said.
According to the number of points earned, the child will be rewarded.
Al-Mulla also pointed out that experts would be available to help children select the most appropriate books.
He noted that the club’s pavilion at the Doha Book Fair will introduce many interactive educational projects for children.
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