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ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Wednesday 9 October 2013 4 Dhul-Hijja 1434 - Volume 18 Number 5847 Price: QR2 German Qatar Under-19 exports post hit seven past sluggish growth Turkmenistan Business | 21 Sport | 32 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 GCC plan to ban homosexuals kicks up row Debate rages on social media DOHA: Media reports that is homosexual. He cautioned that Gulf countries are planning to any such law should be drafted deny residency visas to peo- and enforced only after careful ple who are found to be trans- studies. gender and homosexual after “And if we are convinced that medical check up went viral on such legislation is needed, we can social networking sites in Qatar go ahead and implement it with- yesterday. out fear of global human rights The reports trickled down from organisations,” said Tahoos. Kuwait where a senior public Meanwhile, most Qataris health official said Kuwait and commenting on the issue on other GCC states were mulling local social networking sites conducting tests to detect trans- said they welcomed the move gender people and homosexuals wholeheartedly. among newly-arriving foreign But several of them added workers. that they wondered what would If the tests are positive, such happen to the homosexuals and workers would be refused resi- transgender people in their own dency and work visas, the direc- community. tor of public health in Kuwait, Dr Some commentators said the Fourteen giant bronze sculptures have been installed outside the Sidra Medical and Research Center in Doha. The sculptures are the works of British Yusuf Mindkar told local Arabic existing transgender and homo- artist Damien Hirst and depict the journey of a foetus from conception to birth. (SHAIVAL DALAL) daily Al Rai. sexual people among expatriates The tests, he said, could be should be identified and repat- made mandatory for all newly- riated. Only one among a large recruited foreign workers before number of commentators said the stamping their work and resi- issue involved personal freedom, Sculptures make a ‘Miraculous Journey’ dency visas. Mindkar said a but all others supported the call central committee of the GCC for a ban. DOHA: Fourteen monumental required the foundry to make a most influential artists. The step in the growth of a cross- concerned with the recruitment One Qatari said the proposed sculptures depicting the gesta- staggering 19 kilometre-long weld work addresses some of the art- cultural dialogue between the of foreign workers was to be con- ban could create a problem for the tion of a foetus from conception line of bronze. Pangolin described ist’s most enduring concerns and UK and Qatar. vened on November 11 to discuss FIFA 2022 event in Qatar. “I am to birth were unveiled outside it as the largest project they have explores the difficulties inherent Relics and The Miraculous the issue. He, however, didn’t dis- sure Kuwait, if it applies the ban, Sidra Medical and Research undertaken to date. in trying to express the profundi- Journey contribute to five signif- close the venue of the proposed would face world sanctions,” said Center here on Monday. The Miraculous Journey begins ties of our existence. icant cultural projects that will meet. another man, obliquely referring The bronze sculptures are the with the fertilisation of an egg “Ultimately, the journey a baby launch in different spaces across Al Rai daily, in a separate to the human rights issue. work of British artist Damien and ends with a fully-formed goes through before birth is big- Doha in the first week of October, report, quoted some Kuwaiti par- About the transgender and Hirst. baby. The biological variations ger than anything it will experi- including Adel Abdessemed’s liament members as saying that homosexual people among locals, It took three years for the that can occur during pregnancy ence in its human life. I hope The L’âge d’or at Mathaf; Museum they welcomed the idea and such some people said they should be installation — “The Miraculous — twins, and transverse and Miraculous Journey will instill in of Crying Woman, a project by a ban should be backed by law. sent for military training. Journey” — to complete. The breech birth — are shown along- the viewer a sense of awe and Francesco Vezzoli, in dialogue They said it was necessary to Some commentators described sculptures vary from five to 11 side the typical development of wonder at this extraordinary with Rem Koolhaas and Hans have such a ban to protect their their experience in massage cen- metres in height and altogether a foetus. human process, which will soon Ulrich Obrist at QMA Gallery at society, culture and traditions. tres in Doha where they said weigh 216 tonnes. The unveiling coincides with be occurring at Sidra, as well as Katara; and Haj – The Journey One parliamentarian, Osama they were shocked to see people The giant bronze figures were the opening of Hirst’s first solo every second all across the globe,” Through Art at the Museum of Tahoos, however, said he won- who looked “like women but were individually cast in over 500 pan- show in the Middle East: Relics at said Hirst. Islamic Art. dered how a clinical test could be actually men”. THE PENINSULA els at Pangolin Foundry in the Al Riwaq exhibition space. The introduction of Hirst’s THE PENINSULA developed to find out if a person Continued on page 6 UK. The scale of the sculptures Hirst is among the world’s bold work signals an important More pictures on page 6 Mesaimeer centre to provide govt services Three new taxi DOHA: Services of various min- of Environment and the Ministry of service complexes in other areas of The Ministry of Labour and istries will now be available under Administrative Development. the country”, Al Nuaimi said. Social Affairs will provide the companies soon one umbrella, with the first “gov- Minister of Administrative He added that, later all govern- services of National Manpower ernment services complex” open- Development H E Dr Eissa Saad ment services will be delivered Department, Social Security Dept, ing in Mesaimeer yesterday. Al Nuaimi said that a number of through these complexes. He wel- Housing Dept, Department of the DOHA: Qatar will soon after Eid Al Adha holidays. The facility functions at the government services complexes will comed suggestions and comments Elderly and the Disabled at the new have three new private The private taxi compa- Ministry of Interior’s Mesaimeer be opened in the near future in the from the public to be sent at: gsc@ complex. taxi operators, besides nies operate on a franchise Services Center. country. Two such complexes will jqc.gov.qa. The Ministry of Justice will pro- the two private companies basis and are required to In the first phase, the new complex open in Zubara and Umm Salal next He said the complex at Mesaimeer vide services of its real estate regis- that are operating cabs. follow the tariffs and quality will offer services of the Ministry of month. has been completed with full support tration and attestation department Public transport com- standards set by Mowasalat. Labour and Social Affairs, Ministry “The Ministry of Administrative and cooperation of the Ministry of in the first phase and later all the pany, Mowasalat, said yes- Their cabs will carry the of Municipality and Urban Planning, Development will manage these Interior as it has expertise in operat- services of the Ministry will be avail- terday that it will issue Karwa logo, along with their Ministry of Justice, Ministry of complexes and it is coordinating with ing unified services centres in differ- able. THE PENINSULA tenders after Eid Al Adha company logo. Economy and Commerce, Ministry the authorities to find locations for ent parts of the country. Continued on page 6 inviting bids from three An official from Al prospective companies to Million, which launched its operate taxis on a franchise first fleet of taxis in July basis. last year, said the services Shutdown blues The state-backed have stabilised in more than Mowasalat, which runs the a year. The company now International bank account Karwa taxis, opened the operates 500 taxis and is all sector to competition last set to add another 150. year, allowing three compa- “Initially there were number regime from 2014 nies to launch taxi services many complaints from pas- in the initial phase. sengers, especially about DOHA: Qatar Central Bank (QCB) Governor H E Sheikh Abdullah Currently, two companies the drivers, who were bin Saoud Al Thani has said that the international bank account — Al Million and Al Ijarah not familiar with places number (IBAN) will be adopted early next year as a standard for Holding — run more than in Qatar. Now such com- identifying and numbering all bank accounts in Qatar. 1,000 maroon- roofed and plaints have come down. In a press statement yesterday, the QCB governor said that the blue-roofed taxis, respec- The number of passengers new IBAN system will apply to all accounts in banks operating in the tively, that add to the nearly has also increased signifi- country, a matter which underscores keenness of the bank to adopt 2,500 Karwa taxis. A third cantly after the summer best global practices in the banking and money transfer sectors. This is company — Petro Qatar holidays,” he said. part of the comprehensive strategy calling for the adoption of modern — had also been given per- He said the taxi service technology to enhance systems and improve services for customers, mission but it has report- has become more viable, it said.

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