"Holding hands" esp for COUPLES

Blimey who dug up this old thread.

For what it's worth here is my two peneth. I find it incredible that anyone would find a man and a woman holding hands in public offensive. But incredibly it would seem that it is offensive to people in this region of the world. Thus even though I am a hand holder (of females only I might add), I don't do it here. Even though I find it blooming annoying that I can't.

Never had any issues with the so-called 'rule' - I hold hands with my wife and still survining.

hmmm

i figured... anyways, good to know peeps... that helps."To ignore the facts does not change the facts."

Eyyy....it has a simple solution....one of you should pretend to be blind...then you will have all the rights to hold his/her hands....you can even spare some hugs...relieving your doubts...hehehe...;)

oh well, guess all the queries/doubts have been answered well (hopefully)... time to close the curtain then.. Thanks folks for the time! Adelante!

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"To ignore the facts does not change the facts."

We hold hands in public. She wears an Abaya when she feels like it. I never dress like an Arab. Nevertheless, we hold hands everywhere and not a single incident to report.

I think the whole restrictions thing is overblown.

I don't understand, why would you hold hands indoors?

isn't that a bit pre-school?

:-) cheers to you too :-)

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

svelte_saggi -- yup & i respect ur opinion.

Cheers! =D

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”

possibly,yeah.....and each has a reason for his/her own behaviour.i know i've got mine.....and i'll stick to it,no matter what!

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

we just like to do it... And sometimes it helps to avoid other men (specially those maniacs) staring or might harrass me. I had one experienced while waiting for my husband outside the mall, there was one guy who talked to me, first asking for the time then later on asking already for my name, where do i live, & number.

Sometimes its more on security reason my friend.

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”

or maybe reasons will all depends on the person who sees it right? Meaning if ur too malicious or not.

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”

i kinda like that term.....'fat cat' :-D

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

Amoud, your expiantion was perfect. i love to be a fat cat :)

It's cute, just don't overdo it

**************************

Everything happens for a

reason.

sure,it won't kill me......but i usually avert my eyes if and when my eyes accidentally fall on some sight like that....i consider even looking at such a sight equivalent to intruding somebody's privacy.....it's just my viewpoint,gurl.i give a lot of importance to privacy and fiercely protect mine too.

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

I think that the security issue was already brought up and it was agreed that this was something different altogether.

I find it interesting that Svelt brought up the point as to why we do it. Only thing I can think of is I feel proud of my gorgeous honey and want everyone to envy his cuteness with me attached to his arm :). I think he also feels like a fat cat when I insist on going arm and arm with him, like he is my protector. I dunno, I cant really pinpoint it.

"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock - Will Rogers"

svelte_saggi -- seeing couples holding each other hands will not kill u so u don’t have to worry about it!

But if its really bothering u my friend, better to avoid places like malls or any other places that u might see couples holding hands because u cant stop them....

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”

whateva!

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

well, i think it is the right of any couple to hold hands when ever where ever they want. respect to the culture has nothing to do with holding hands. lets not mix the stuff.

besides holding hands (men to men) is fine here but holding hands (wife & husband) is not allowed? Whats that?

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”

but WHY do you have to do it?that's my question!is it a strange feeling of insecurity?or showing off to the world that u're in-love/married/taken/whateva?

i reckon holding hands is a sign of love and intimacy.....and such things are best expressed in privacy.why display it to the world?

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

me & my husband holding hands where ever we go & i dont see any problem about it...

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”

at least you ppl got my point....thank God for that....

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

You can hold hands....But why you wanted to do in public?? I don't understand the logic behind that. Are they trying to show the public that they love each other much????

Love is strictly personal and I prefer to feel it in private moments, will be more affectionate than in public..

Sorry guys, I think me and Svelt took it off track. She had asked why we do it and if we dont do we love our partner any less. I got to thinking of the signifigance and so forth and the post turned out like this.

I think partners who hold hands are cute, especially if they are a little old man and his lady.

"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock - Will Rogers"

I often hold hands with my hubs, nobody ever said anything. Yes we were told that holding hands was not alloud but i also see Qatari do it more then often.. So i just thought that it wasn't a big problem. Just as long as it is just holding hands.. don't show more/extra affection for your partner.

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Life is nothing without friends.... :)

QL.... just a (very nice) way of live..... :)

'cuz its what people like to do and probably to show/prove ur partner that either of u are not ashame to be him/her as ur partner even in public places that ure together...

"To ignore the facts does not change the facts."

i'm not against holding hands or anything of the sort.....the argument is,why do it in public???what's the psychology behind it?

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

all my friends hold their girlfriend's hand, it's fine. There is NO law against it.

__________________________

Mr. Q's Blog - A Qatari's view on Qatar.

Svelte: Yes, i know, it suxs :)

Only God Can Judge Me

الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي

I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer

أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ

mess with the cat, you get the claws....

WHAT>???!!! walking arm in arm is nice to see but holding hands is not?? what BS... so illogical seriously! why the big issue people? couples in love like to hold their partners hands to show afection towards each other...its nice to have a hand to hold. i love it and i will continue to do it. as long as you're not indecent i dont see what the issue is...

"And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course" -Khalil Gibran

it's the same condition in all conservative societies,my dear friend........

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

Svelte: Thanks 4 understanding my point :)

My prob is that my gf may have problems with authorities in Morocco if we go an house to kiss in private.

Only God Can Judge Me

الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي

I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer

أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ

i do understand what u're talking about.....i too come from a very conservative and orthodox family background that does not even allow excessive hugging,kissing,or even touching even between own brothers and sisters after they come of age......it's needless to say about other single men.talking to them freely or mingling with them too much is looked down upon and such a girl is branded to be 'too modern'.....things ahve changed a bit now,since many of us attend universities and interaction with the opposite sex is inevitable.even then,we prefer to keep it low-key.....at least for the sake of the family.

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

well-said.....that's exactly my point!why do something in front of the world what you can't do in front of your own kids?right?

walking arm-in-arm is nice to see.....esp among married couples.somehow,this 'holding hands in public' is a surefire turn-off for me.

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

Svelte: You didn't read all i said. If you are single you aren't allowed to be in same house as a single girl that it isn't part of your familly.

Only God Can Judge Me

الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي

I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer

أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ

Goodness I have been here what seems like forever (over a decade) and have never been bothered for going arm in arm with my husband. I will give you a bit of funny cultural info... my husband refuses to hold hands as this is "boyfriend/girlfriend" behavior, but insists on me looping my arm around his. I guess this is behavior of respectable married people lol...

In all seriousness, I hate to see 2 people kissing in public (I have seen a lot of it with old Expat guys and their toy wives). We dont smooch at home in front of the kiddies and I dont like to see it when I am sitting with my family having lunch.

"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock - Will Rogers"

I DIN KNOW DAT:(

i DO know what it is to love someone and am very happy too(touchwood).....but neither of us have never felt the need to hold hands in PUBLIC....we're much happier and comfortable showing our affection in our privacy.

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

Thanks..

I had a similar experience before I went to saudi.. The "lierature" provided by the company listed do's and don'ts.. But i reality , things were quite easy going..

My point is that is theer actually a prohibition against holding hands in public or is it here say or something that applied to a conservative society 20 years ago, but is not valid in today's Qatar..

Svelte: You know what's to love someone? You know what it is not to be allowed to kiss in public and forbidden to be in private before 2 persons are single?

If you can't kiss why tha heck can't you hold your love hands?

Only God Can Judge Me

الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي

I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer

أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ

I find that strange, but perhaps he was based in or around Buraidah.. which is extremely conservative.. They don't even allow selling of cigarettes..

brit - http://www.qatarliving.com/node/84162#comment-362059

But then you see plenty of Qataris hold hands.

really?the poor fella got into trouble for 'smiling'????sheesh!i'm sure i'd have got sued then! :-D

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

so u mean to say that it's something like an involuntary action of sorts?

i remember one of my cousins at bangalore doing the same thing.once she sees her BF,their hands would stick to each other like super-glue!even when he's ordering pizza and drinks for the two of them,her hand would be securely hald in his hand!and they'd let go only when he drops her back home!when i asked her whether she'd feel insecure if they don't something as silly as that,she told me that if she doesn't walk hand-in-hand with her BF,it's considered "uncool" by her peers.....so much so that she and her BF (fiance,rather) would not even be accepted as a pair!whoa!talk of limits!man!

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

Britexpat...U held hands in Saudi and u DIDN'T get into trouble??? Wow that's amazing! Someone i knew worked in Saudi in the mid 90's and got into trouble simply cos he was simply smiling in the pic on his ID card (he's a married man btw, and morally upright, so it wasn't like he was doing anything he shouldn't have)...needless to say that just cracks him up now :-P

Hold hands but leave them the moment you see any local family/couple...They might object. I think there is a law prohibiting public diplay of affection which include kissing,cuddling,holding hands,sleeping with head on the partners'lap in parks etc.

Life is Beautiful...Indeed!

OK.. I need clarification on something.. Perhaps Amoud, Amnesia or Diamond can help..

Has anyone actually been told off or prosecuted for holding hands with their wife in public??

The reason I ask is that i lived in Saudi for a while.. I often held hands with my wife whe in malls or shopping and no-one ever said anything to me..

Well its not exactly holding hands really... its not that the moment we're out of the house we're like "ok time to hold hands now" like I said before its not really clear why we do it or when we do it, just happens...

Amoud whats an arm n arm?

I dream of a better tomorrow where Chickens can cross the Road without having their motives questioned - Unknown

i guess it's all personal stuff.....some people hold hands to 'show they are taken',some 'just for the sake of it' and some others have reasons of their own.

while some don't like the concept in totality....i.e.,public exhibition of feelings....esp if they pertain to matters of the heart.....like me.

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

Svelt I am really thinking about this now... and you are right, I dont love my husband less if he doesnt hold my hand. Actually he hates holding hands, and insists on arm and arm.

I think sometimes he just gotta feel like hes "the man".

"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock - Will Rogers"

will there be any less love between a couple if they DON'T hold hands in public?

or does it at least remotely imply so if they don't hold hand in public?

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

only here in this part of the world they are not allowing such thing as holding hands with ur wife or GF....BUT... male to male holding hands with pa sway sway pa are very common here...i wonder y? better ask ur indian friends.. LOL

Don’t be anxious about tomorrow, Let tomorrow be anxious of itself....JC

I like holidin hands with my hubby, donno if its a romantic thingy but its defintely not a "he's mine" thingy, I guess its a habbit, no one cares in Bangalore so didn't really think abt it, now forced to think abt it and cant think of a reason......

I dream of a better tomorrow where Chickens can cross the Road without having their motives questioned - Unknown

yeah....those are dire situations when we're like forced into doing something like that.....but it looks funny when we see people walking hand-in-hand just for the sake of it.

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

Sometimes it is to show people that they are taken. I have had women make a pass at my hubby when I am out with him, he grabs my hand or arm and grins.... and vice versa..

"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock - Will Rogers"

I've seen everyone from locals to expats holding hands in the mall - male/male and male/female.

No one bats an eyelid!

somehow.....i prefer in keeping my emotions for my partner strictly to our privacy.....love is not meant to be exhibited,in my perspective.it's a very personal thing and is all the more charming when it's kept that way.

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

holding hands at a romantic moment in a restaurant or while having a slow walk along the beach is justified.....but why do couples hold hands when they go out.....like in the malls,etc.?are they scared one of them will run away or get lost?or is it just a way of showing the world look-at-us-we-are-so-in-love-na,na,na,naaa,na!

i don't get it....

Keep smiling!

Saggi!

Can't talk about Qatar but in Morrocco it's ok to hold hands, more than that it's forbidden.

Regarding Men holding hands, i read somewhere it has nothing to do with sexual preferences but a sign of friendship, but i guess a Qatari or other muslim will know it better.

Only God Can Judge Me

الله فقط يمكنه محاكمتي

I am you and you are me, if you love i love, if you suffer i suffer

أنا أنت, و أنت أنا, إذا أحببت نفسك أحببت نفسي, إذا عانيتَ عانيتُ

hi sweety are you looking to hold a hand..

yes there was a time we are shy to holding hands and go around doha.but not anymore time has changed..more changes coming hahahah

You can't teach experience...

I was able to get away with more than just holding hands with the gf in Doha!

I dont know how you would be known to be a married couple... I cant imagine the police asking you for your marriage certificate if they caught you holding hands.

"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock - Will Rogers"

I hold hands.. i mean its not a major issue holding hands.. just dont go for more than that in public.. ;-)

WYSIWYG

If you can scratch your balls in public then holding hands should'nt be such a big issue

just eat another pie

Only advice... Just go with de flow... Wanna hold hands, hold... Dont want 2... 4get abt it... Life is beautiful...!!! :)

He is your President for Life :)

Ban Spoon Feeding not Me

robert mugabe?? courageous??!! hmph!!!! why why why must you always bring him up and spoil my day :P

"And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course" -Khalil Gibran

We know you are very courageous like ROBERT MUGABE :)

Ban Spoon Feeding not Me

666 - Don't worry not your G/F. I have a Brand new one these days flown all the way from Thailand:)

Ban Spoon Feeding not Me

i do it and i dont care ;)

"And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course" -Khalil Gibran

Charan who was your partner last weekend?

relax- This is Qatar- not a convent school.

You can see a lot of couples holding hands on Fridays on the areas like Souqs, National, Al Fradan etc.

However They are all Male+Male couples :)

Ban Spoon Feeding not Me

There's no hard and fast rule as far as I'm aware. Some say you can't, some say you can. Some get away with it, others get shouted at. Either way, it's been discussed to death on QL before. Try searching 'holding hands' or something.

Never had any problems holding hands with her indoors.

Is this going to be another us and them and religion bashing thread ?