I think the issue is differences in the types of crimes. Sure, in the US or Europe or even in my blissfully wonderful Canada (lol), there is crime-- I lived in a part of Halifax for years where you wouldn't walk thru at night lest you get mugged. and in Qatar, yes, I can leave my handbag unattended, leave my door unlocked, and take money from the ATM without fear.
But discriminatory crime is high here. And sexual crime is high here, as it is everywhere. the difference? You're right, the way it's reported, and the way it's talked about. Look at this thread here: it's become an embittered debate between us vs them, devolved into fingerpointing, with a constant thread of people saying it's not Qatar/Qatari's how dare we say it is.
We need to change how we talk about crime here, and that will help with reporting it. Which means we have to get rid of this idea that Qatar and Qataris can never be critized without someone calling unfair or racism and demanding we all pack up our toys and go home. We're talking about bigger problems of censorship, both in the media (and please remember the media is very very strictly controlled in this country before you start blaming us for not reporting things) and in personal conversations.
I think the issue is differences in the types of crimes. Sure, in the US or Europe or even in my blissfully wonderful Canada (lol), there is crime-- I lived in a part of Halifax for years where you wouldn't walk thru at night lest you get mugged. and in Qatar, yes, I can leave my handbag unattended, leave my door unlocked, and take money from the ATM without fear.
But discriminatory crime is high here. And sexual crime is high here, as it is everywhere. the difference? You're right, the way it's reported, and the way it's talked about. Look at this thread here: it's become an embittered debate between us vs them, devolved into fingerpointing, with a constant thread of people saying it's not Qatar/Qatari's how dare we say it is.
We need to change how we talk about crime here, and that will help with reporting it. Which means we have to get rid of this idea that Qatar and Qataris can never be critized without someone calling unfair or racism and demanding we all pack up our toys and go home. We're talking about bigger problems of censorship, both in the media (and please remember the media is very very strictly controlled in this country before you start blaming us for not reporting things) and in personal conversations.