Today's Cartoon

Posted on 11:55 AM, under



Translation: (Above): A new clean roundabout before Friday. (Below): On Friday.

I can understand the intention behind this cartoon and the cartoonist's concern about the cleanliness of the streets and roundabouts. Abdulaziz Sadiq is a Qatari artist/musician whose work is regularly published in Al-Raya newspaper. Despite that some of his cartoons can be seen as offensive by some none Arabs, his work usually delivers important messages.

In this particular cartoon, Sadiq shows some workers, from the look I'd say from India or Nepal, laying in a roundabout to rest with their trash littering the place. So why Friday?

Friday is when most workers (usually Asians) get their day off and tend to go out for the weekend just to change some scenery away from the construction dust. Friday is also a family day in most malls and public parks. Family day in Qatar means only women and Qatari and white people are allowed in. The exception might also include well dressed arabs. This excludes most other workers who are usually too busy with their jobs to come to places like this.

The Problem? Well, I can tell you that this problem will get worse and, in my opinion, obvious reason behind this. Workers have a day off and they can't hangout in usual hangouts, roundabouts seem to be a good choice. With the new law banning workers from residing in "family neighborhoods", most of these workers will have to move to remote areas. This will not solve the problem. When they get their weekly break, they'll try to find a ride to Doha and get their cut of the weekend. Commuting back and forth might not be feasible for most of them and this keep them in their hangout spots for longer periods.

I see many Qataris throw trash out of their cars. So I don't think this cartoon was intended to deliver a "do not litter" message to the addressed people because in any case, they can't read the cartoon! Then what is the idea behind it? Suggesting banning these from more places on weekends? or perhaps suggesting a curfew after a certain time on Fridays?

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2 Reply to "Today's Cartoon"

  • adem semir on October 20, 2010 at 2:34 AM

    have you seen this video
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VluY5SWfjSI

    A guy called undercoverjim made this video about malls in doha, i do agree that the malls shouldn't be crowded by laborers on the weekends, but then the gov should do something so that they can have a hangout maybe build a park with some entertainment for them.

     

    Ahmad on October 23, 2010 at 8:32 AM

    I'll check the video in a sec. Thanks for sharing it. I heard about undercoverjim.

    The government, or Barwa to be more specific, is actually having a big project going on right now near industrial area. It's got accommodation as well as entertainment and retail stored. It's almost done and I'd like to go check it out when it's ready.

     
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