I expect over the last few months since September 11th and with the start of the Interfarda you have been sitting in your television lounges watching the unraveling events in the Middle East.
And if you have been packing up to come and live and work in Qatar, you may have been watching the various marches/demonstrations against the Israelis and Americans with flags burning in protest. There probably would have been chills go up your spine tinged with fear for your safety, especially if this was the first time you had ever been to the Middle East and you knew nothing about Islam.

Before I continue with my article I would like to say you are going to live in one of the safest places you will ever know. It is peaceful and lovely here.

Yes in all demonstrations there is an element of danger, but we have been programmed in the west to be fearful of anything that does not conform to societies pseuedo Christian paradigms. We are told that anything that does not conform to our ideology and our way of thinking is an abomination and that we should be fearful. This starts at school, and we are continually bombarded with subliminal images from the press, and newspaper articles.
I have been living here in Qatar for two years now and I will categorically state that Qatar is one of the safest places in this World that I have ever had the pleasure to live. I have lived in many countries and traveled to many different Gulf States and I have been made welcomed in every single one. I think one of the reasons I am here is the fact that I can tell people that this stereotypical image on TV was definitely not happening here. And before we become smug with ourselves and our culture to date how many murders, child abductions, muggings and other crimes of violence has happened in your neighborhood. Could you in all honesty say to yourself can I leave my backdoor unlocked whilst I am in the House without being fearful of an act of violence occurring. Well here in Qatar it is so safe you can leave your car running with the keys in the ignition and go into the shops and nobody will steal it.

But before we experience the reality of Islam, we get sucked in to the Myth that life here in the Middle East is dangerous. In April of this year I participated with other Qatari's, Arabs from different nations, in a March (I think I was the only western women in the crowd) in a peaceful demonstration against the Israelis treatment of the Palestinians. The visionary ruling family with wisdom courage and foresight is rapidly bringing Qatar on to the World stage. They triumphantly has brought democracy and freedom of speech to this country particularly with the visionary groundbreaking pioneering AL- Jazeera cable network and for allowing for the first time in the history of Qatar a mass demonstration to be held here.

I felt like I was being part of the sea of unknown faces that are forgotten in the mists of time but who help propel the world foreword and who help to change history. I felt so proud, to be in Qatar at this time in its unique journey to glorious expansion.
I felt so protected and so cherished by the crowd who were in their own small way showing solidarity to another human being who had was being destroyed. The rally started in the afternoon after three o clock prayers. Although the epact community had been given guidance by various embassies to stay away, I told my Husband that I had to go. Something deep inside of me had to stand up and be counted for a people who are being persecuted and nobody is protecting them, apart from a handful of peace activists from around the world physically using their lives to protect ambulances in Palestine the forgotten and unknown heroes. I wanted to demonstrate using my life to those people that they were not alone and that the eyes of the world were watching. I have personal experience of Human Rights abuse happening in Europe to my family. Nothing can compare to the suffering of those in Jenin and without sidetracking I saw how alone my Mother felt as all the legal avenues and the rule of law was allegedly ignored and how the bitterness of this life changing event tore apart and ate at the very heart of each of my family members.

I determined that I wanted to ensure that any nationality or religious group would be supported and would not feel that no one was listening to them. Today the history of mankind is experiencing such a juxtaposition of war and peace, discrimination and equality, poverty and abundance. To be a coward and fearful of my own life would be so selfish I just had to go on the March.

To be honest I was a little fearful, that the crowd could have turned and used me as a whipping boy. But it did not. I went with my banner determined to raise high the banner of world citizenship, with the spirit of tolerance, and respect for human rights and the dignity, sanctity of life regardless of a person's religion. We ordinary people are the guard dogs to the dignity of life. As Human beings we should where ever we live have the courage to transcend our ego an our own limitations to contribute towards the prosperity and safety of our immediate environment as good citizens. We are all interrelated to each other and the events that occur in one part of the World will effect us. We should look at ourselves as World Citizens safeguarding fundamental Human Rights and not discriminate against any individual on any grounds. I had to go on that demonstration as a non Muslim a westerner a woman to show respect and protect the freedom of religion and religious expression regardless of weather I follow that religion.
We have to engender a spirit of tolerance and respect for other religions, engage in dialogue and work together with them towards the resolution of fundamental issues concerning humanity.

We were created from one source; we are all brothers and sisters regardless of the cultural diversity. We all bleed the same we all cry over the same issues. We may not all be able to practice the same ideologies or cultural beliefs after all a cherry is a cherry a peach is a peach, each person's uniqueness add to the rich tapestry of life.

I felt going on that March to the amazement of the crowd that I was helping in a small way to respect cultural diversity and promote cultural exchange, thereby contributing in the Worlds future destiny of an International Society of mutual understanding and harmony. Yes there were flags being burnt but they were to show anger, nobody shouted at me and by being there I changed some of their own perceptions of western expats. People lined the streets passing water to us, looking after us. There was no hatred towards the occupiers of Palestine just anger at the blatant disregard for the rule of law.
I lived through those scary marches you see on your TV screen there is nothing to be frightened about here, come to Qatar and the Middle East and see yourself how peace loving and how fantastic the life is here.