Nonsense!
No comment by me required
From today's Gulf Times
English copy of traffic law not to be released
AN English copy of the new traffic law will not be available in Qatar, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry has told Gulf Times.
“The Arabic text is the only official document of the law and a copy in any other language will not be considered as a legal document in this regard,” Brigadier Rashid Shaheen al-Atiq, director of public relations in the Ministry of Interior, said.
However, more information about the new traffic law will be downloaded on to the ministry’s website soon, he said.
The new traffic law, with provisions for heavy fines and imprisonment for violators, came into force on October 2. It is aimed at improving safety conditions on Qatar’s roads.
Hi Doha Tiger and all others who condemn the non arabic speakers that htey should learn Arabic. Here is a truth right infront of your eyes... analyze this. I made recruitment films for Rasgas, QP and now for Qatar Academy, All these companies want to hire people to come and work in Qatar. I always am asked to paint an extremely beautiful picture of the country and one of the main things that is common in all the films is that they say, "English is widely spoken and understood in Qatar"
Look at the facts now:
1 U have an accident call 999 and speak english, they'll hang up.
2 Need an Ambulance call 999, they say arabi arabi and hang up.
3 Go to Hamad Hospital, Doctors fron Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, and Sudan dont speak or understand much English either.
4 Go to the police station, Immigration deptt and my list is un ending.
The worst part is that if the officer doesnt speak english he gets rude at times and simply tells u to go away.
Now for your info, if u go to India, U will not be asked to speak Hindi or one of the 29 official languages spoken in the country. U will survive with English. U will get an Ambulance, a Police officer, Health services and all other services. If you dont even speak english they'll try and understand your problem rather than disrespecting you.
To my understanding and what it said that the original and legal copy of the law is in Arabic which is the language of Qatar.
"The Arabic text is the only official document of the law and a copy in any other language will not be considered as a legal document in this regard,” Brigadier Rashid Shaheen al-Atiq, director of public relations in the Ministry of Interior, said."
This does not mean that it will not be translated into any other language it just means that the official document is in Arabic, as far as I know all all the offical laws in Qatar are in Arabic.
Jahanum 4 hell
and Jannah 4 heaven
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We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors; but they all have to learn to live in the same box.
That's the real Qatar
Fact is that English is an International language... If you talk about Chinese, French, Japnese, Germans, Italian ... yes it's true that maority don't speak english in their country but when they step out of their country they are forced to speak english otherwise they will have no choice ..
What i mean to say that Qatar represent 75 - 80 percent of Expats from different parts of the world, who are running this Country. To be a successful in job market or in any business Qataris has to learn English and that time is already come otherwise Expat percentage will increase day by day.
Cheers
Ali
must agree Alexa.........theres sure alot of languages spoken out there but mostly not Arabic.........never forget my first trip to Kentucky Fried Chicken, thought here goes with my limited Arabic.......walked in and the guy behind the counter said in perfect English, `what can I get for you sir`..........God the SIR really impressed me........he was of course of Indian origin.................long live the Colonies
Hey DohaTiger, nice one..........in India you might be lucky, English is almost a national language, Nepal....no way, as for France and Germany, the kids learn English starting at 7 years old but beleive me not many want to use it or admit to knowing any when they get older.
I can add the following countries to your list, Russia, Kazahkstan, Bulgaria, South Korea etc.
Why dont u learn how to speak arabic before u start to complain about the clinics or other services, now if i go to Indea, Nipal, or even Germany or France, can i expect them to speak to me in English, i dont think so.
I did a course in Arabic when I lived in Jeddah - I bought my books and cassettes here with me to refresh my memory. The dialect is slightly different, but I think I would be understood.
What I was saying is that most of the working ex-pats here have probably SOME words or more they know in Arabic, what they don't have time for is to study the WRITTEN Arabic, which is what this thread was about in the first place.
Peace bro! :P
why dont u sit with them and chat
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We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors; but they all have to learn to live in the same box.
I believe a lot of us try to learn spoken Arabic, but reading Arabic script is quite a different kettle of fish! Well, unless I google a translation site of course :P
I asked one of my Egyptian friend,What is the meaning of hell and heaven in Arabic.
He Replied me Japan and German.So learning arabic is difficult with my friends.
"Drink Beer Save Water"
Ragnarock, be serious, there are some interenational institutions that use the Englsih language such as Banking, Finance etc but you are talking about the language a country has adopted as its official language. They dont have to pamper to us everytime they change a law, as someone said thats why we have Embassies, its part of their job to inform their local national workers of law changes in their native language.
And your Global Village exists only in the ciber world of e mails and commerce, go out to the country side and find out who speaks English in any foreign country.........you find many beleive me I've been there.
Whay dont u ppl learn arabic
tis is qatar
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We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors; but they all have to learn to live in the same box.
then how come details of it have been posted, in English, on QL?
I appreciate the fact that “The Arabic text is the only official document of the law and a copy in any other language will not be considered as a legal document in this regard,” but surely what we have read, so far, in English is sufficient to see what's what.
When would one have to produce a copy of it anyway? In Court? If so then I guess the accused would have had an Arabic speaking lawyer interpret whatever is it one is accused of.
It's my poor little Keralite driver I worry about! Although even he seems to have read and understood the new laws from somewhere ....
Like it or not English has become THE Language....doesn't matter what country you are in!
I'm not saying it MUST become the official language of every country and all must forget their own languages and switch to English....but its become a global village and imagine the chaos of trying to learn ALL of each others languages to communicate....English has become the language of international communication....so while you can have all your laws in your original language....not having a translated version in English at the very least (if not multiple languages) smacks of ignorance and backwardness (its harsh but i'm sorry this is the world we live in).
I hope no one is offended but that's how I see it.
Stay safe all.
Perfection does not exist. The question therefore, is: what level of imperfection are we willing to settle for?
Yesterday i went to Child Health Clinic in Al Sadd .... i my wife went to the reception and told the lady on the counter that we came 1st time here and we wanted to see the doctor for our daughter .... There were aound 5 Local girls and non of them were able to understand her SIMPLE ENGLISH.
Therefore i was called to translate or speak in Arabic (Thanks GOD I knew Arabic otherwise i don't know how many non Arab people are turned back every day from there ??
Also i read in one of the thread one Brit lady went to police station to logged a complain regarding purse which was picked in the Shopping centre, police truned her back saying to bring the translator ??
I don't understand what all these developments in Doha is for ? what is the BOOM here ? We are entering in 2008 and still i feel like living in desert !
In the Arab world only one country has really impressed me with its moderanization i.e United Arab Emirates .... I moved from UAE to Doha recently now i feel like am back in 1980s of UAE time.
My contract is both in Arabic and English, in case of dispute it is the Arabic version of it (that one I can’t read and understand) that rules …
Why ???? Why ??? Why ??? May I ask..........
But it kinda lends credence to my arguments in another thread about how English is NOT an official language of Qatar.
Not too progressive im my opinion....disseminating copies in other languages can only help, so why are they so adamantly against it? Keep the Arabic one as the "Official" document, but please provide copies in as many languages to all the other residents of Qatar.
Stay safe all.
Perfection does not exist. The question therefore, is: what level of imperfection are we willing to settle for?
For the simple fact that we dont need it as we dont break the rules
could this be the coz
If you can't change your fate, change your attitude.
In my humble opinion this is note very irrational. I don't know if copies of the UK highway code are available in languages other than English and Welsh and I also don't know whether its copy can be downloaded for free.