I still don't see the fundamental difference, other than to say that the primary commercial purpose of a hotel is to provide accomodation and for a shopping mall it is to provide retail facilities.
But even hotels have shops inside, such as the Mont Blanc shop inside the Four Seasons, Via Moda at the Ritz and Zai at Sharq. There are banks inside hotel lobbies, such as the Sheraton and Sharq, a newspaper shop inside the Movenpick hotel.
It doesn't matter to me whether or not these guys have the means to stay in the hotel or shop in the shops. At the end of the day the owner of the development, shop or hotel, has the last say about who should be let in.
And if all the guys being barred just want to buy some groceries, they can easily do that at any number of supermarkets throughout Doha. I don't see why this is reason enough for them to be granted access to the mall.
I can easily perceive why it doesn't seem 'nice' to not allow these guys entry, but shopping centers (like the hotels in the counterexample) are businesses. They have every right to dictate who should be allowed entry.
If you don't like it, boycott and see if market forces are enough to persuade the malls to change their policy. But don't hide behind unsubstantiaed accussations of 'racism'. There is no evidence that the malls are being 'racist'. Discriminatory, yes. Racist, no.
I still don't see the fundamental difference, other than to say that the primary commercial purpose of a hotel is to provide accomodation and for a shopping mall it is to provide retail facilities.
But even hotels have shops inside, such as the Mont Blanc shop inside the Four Seasons, Via Moda at the Ritz and Zai at Sharq. There are banks inside hotel lobbies, such as the Sheraton and Sharq, a newspaper shop inside the Movenpick hotel.
It doesn't matter to me whether or not these guys have the means to stay in the hotel or shop in the shops. At the end of the day the owner of the development, shop or hotel, has the last say about who should be let in.
And if all the guys being barred just want to buy some groceries, they can easily do that at any number of supermarkets throughout Doha. I don't see why this is reason enough for them to be granted access to the mall.
I can easily perceive why it doesn't seem 'nice' to not allow these guys entry, but shopping centers (like the hotels in the counterexample) are businesses. They have every right to dictate who should be allowed entry.
If you don't like it, boycott and see if market forces are enough to persuade the malls to change their policy. But don't hide behind unsubstantiaed accussations of 'racism'. There is no evidence that the malls are being 'racist'. Discriminatory, yes. Racist, no.