by Shumaila Fatima
Identity Crisis
Where are you from?
This frequently asked question is not as simple as it appears, especially to individuals like myself who associate with more than one place and are greatly influenced and impacted by globalization.
The question is significant because it puts my identity in crisis. I wonder if I should consider it funny or infuriating when people refuse to accept my answer and try to impose their own idea of my identity.
Some find it hard to accept that I am from India because I don’t “look” Indian to them.
Some find it hard to accept that I am from the United States because I don’t “look” American.
Some find it hard to accept that I am not an Arabic speaker because I wear a headscarf.
Some want to assume that I am from Pakistan because I “sound” like I should be and some want to assume that I am from Egypt because I “look” like I should be.
Some even have an instinct that I am from Indonesia.
So, what am I doing in Qatar (being a “single woman”)? Oh yes, not only do I relate to India and the United States but I also relate to the Middle East, especially the Gulf, due to my longstanding academic interest in the region. Also, residing in Qatar as a single woman is neither difficult nor against the law nor oppressing.
Added bonus – women can drive here!
All these assumptions and ideas remind me of Amin Maalouf and I relate to him now more than even before, therefore I will use his words to explain my position – that my “identity cannot be compartmentalized; it cannot be split in halves or thirds, nor have any clearly defined set of boundaries. I do not have several identities; I only have one, made of all the elements that have shaped its unique proportions.”
Where does Qatar stand in Globalization?
Identity is but one of the numerous issues that have increasingly become subjected to debate. It stands as a proof that globalization’s fold is limited – it has initiated the idea of global identity but cannot reduce the impact nationality has on identity. In Qatar, nationality has significant effect on formal and informal connections; it plays a role even at school level where all children learn about “global citizenship” but in their respective national schools.
Globalization has certainly taken Qatar in its limited-fold. Both, positive and negative, impacts of globalization are evident and inevitable. The country seems to be in a constant conflict of balancing modernity and tradition.
The need for the country to satisfy both modernity and tradition is to cater to the large expatriate population (>80%) as well as the minority of nationals (<15%) and maintain its status as a Muslim country.
This strange position of Qatar has lead to establishment of over a hundred malls, where people have access to almost every product from around the world but these places adhere strictly to cultural norms such as limited to no music during the holy month of Ramadan. Of course, the range of food is my favorite; as much as I am astonished at the availability of food here, I am equally tickled by the rule that one cannot eat in public during Ramadan. While it is nice to be considerate towards people observing fast, it is also imposing towards those who do not.
Qatar Living, the Craigslist of Qatar. . .
This versatile website stands in support of the fact that more than 80 percent of the population is non-Qatari and people are constantly moving. The website is so widely used that people recommend individuals, like me, to utilize it not only for temporary domicile search but also to seek recommendation on making friends and assistance on assignments. Globalization has certainly contributed to migration and technology, and Qatar Living is clearly a proof of the increasing dependency on technology.
(Pictured is a public area in Qatar.)
Qatar is more convenient than I expected it to be; except for the fact that I enter a furnace when I step outdoor (one of the few things globalization cannot impact).
Besides the heat, the living conditions are fairly good. Since only a little over 10 percent of the entire Qatar’s population is Qatari (one can find more Arabs at a mall in Florida than at a mall in Qatar) it is quite easy for a non-Qatari (with a stable income) to settle and not feel entirely alienated. The country is a hub for expats.
My opinion about the convenient living conditions should not be taken for a fact or generalized because not every expat has the resources to make a decent living.
It is no secret that most of the low-income labor positions are filled with South Asians. Directed research on migration from South Asia to the Middle East has been greatly informative but witnessing it in the field is enlightening and disturbing.
Globalization is certainly into play as it has increased migration but has done little to improve the conditions of migrants.
Qatar has a unique heterogeneous population of the very rich, the moderate, and the poor. These differences are not only visible but also alarming.
Qatar is the richest country and here is the proof.
(on a lighter note)
At the local market (pictured), souq, a non-Qatari can sell a $1 worth article for $5 to a non-Qatari and for $10 to a Qatari.
Welcome to Qatar, a place where tourists pay less than the citizens!
Shumaila Fatima is a second year SIA student currently interning in Qatar at the UNESCO Doha Office in the education sector. She has extensive experience in grassroots and nonprofit education all around the world. Shumaila is originally from India and is focusing on international development at Penn State SIA.