The Nostalgia of Performing Hajj from Qatar
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06 Thursday, July 8, 2021 ESTABLISHED SEPTEMBER 3, 2006 HAMAD BIN SUHAIM AL THANI CHAIRMAN Opinion ADEL ALI BIN ALI MANAGING DIRECTOR DR HASSAN MOHAMMED AL ANSARI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF China And India Join The Campaign The Nostalgia Of Performing For A Global Minimum Tax Hajj From Qatar ONALD Trump’s global eco- nomic strategy was to rail Dagainst other nations for rip- ping us off while doing little to A journey that took months in the past now is performed in a few days level the playing field. Indeed, the trade wars he started harmed MOHAMED HAMMAM FIKRI During the reign of Sheikh Ali bin Abdul- American consumers and cost tax- lah Al Thani, the fourth ruler of Qatar in the payers billions in subsidies paid to period from 1949-1960, pilgrims’ centers US farmers. EOPLE of Qatar never stopped recall- were opened for the first time on the edge of Joe Biden looks upon Ameri- ing their memories of Hajj, for the ritu- Doha. It was a point of assembly for pilgrims can leadership differently. His and als had always been present in their before they start their journey. Along the way, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s hearts and minds. They were confident mosques were built and services provided, so-far successful campaign to in their return to the House of God to and it was all supervised by Sheikh Abdullah implement a global minimum Pperform the religious duty, and now they are bin Ibrahim Al-Ansari and other sheikhs. 15% corporate tax is an early sign looking forward avidly to visit the holy place Since 1957, the Qatari Department of that there’s a far better way than once again. Medical Services and Public Health has been Trumpian fits of pique. With the announcement by the Ministry of sending a medical mission every year to the We’ve been living with the Hajj and Umrah in the Kingdom of Saudi Ara- Holy Land during Hajj, in order to contribute problem for years: American cor- bia to grant permits to perform Umrah and together with the rest of the Islamic countries porations, which paid roughly prayers in the Grand Mosque, and that peo- in their efforts to provide full medical care for one-third of federal revenues in the ple who have received the COVID-19 vaccine pilgrims. The mission works in Mecca, Medi- middle of last century, now pay just since the beginning of Ramadan this year can na, Mina and Arafat, and it performs checkups one-tenth of federal revenues. They visit the Prophet’s Mosque, and in light of the for pilgrims from all over the world. dodge about $90 billion in taxes preparations to host Hajj, pilgrims this year With the inauguration of Qatar Radio, it annually and hold $2 trillion in are facing unprecedented challenges – both in used to send its own reporter with the Hajj profits offshore. Meantime, corpo- terms of the need to follow the precautionary for turning his house into a mosque and host- dition to their safety, as travelling on camels mission to cover the pilgrims news, and record rations and wealthy individuals are measures through modern technology, and ing people in it, as well as the guests for listen- required an extensive knowledge of routes their messages to their families. Later on, tel- estimated to cheat governments of in terms of taking individual responsibility to ing to the Qur’an.” to avoid dangerous situations, such as being evision and newspapers joined the mission, to $427 billion in taxes a year. preserve the health and public safety of pil- At the end of the month, it is the time for robbed of money and belongings by bandits. fully cover the Hajj news. When, about a month ago, grims amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. those intending to perform Hajj to prepare for In all cases, there were many stops for rest In the 1970s, the mission established a Biden and Yellen debuted their The challenges facing today’s pilgrims will it. This is when visits from family and relatives along the road, which provided pilgrims with new system related to Hajj affairs, standard- push to build a firm tax floor below be a memory for future generations, just as become frequent, and the elderly are keen to food and drinks. They used to take the postal izing the prices of contractors, and register- which corporations could not fall, the challenges of yesterday’s pilgrims have be- write their wills, and entrust them with God, road, or what was known as Darb al-Saai, and ing pilgrims at the mission headquarters. It naysayers asked what good it was come a memory we now recall. as they never knew when their hour might in summer they walked at night to avoid the also arranged housing with the contractor, to to leave out China and India. The In this context, we have collected in the come, and so they are prepared in case they heat of the sun and took rest at sites where wa- include water, electricity, fans, and ensuring question has now been answered: book ‘The Hajj from Qatar’s Past: A Collection don’t return home safely. ter was available. They walked for three days that the building was appropriate and safe for The two giants were among 130 of Memories’ (Hamad Bin Khalifa University The first step begins with the pilgrim pay- and rested for one or two days, and so on. Peo- their stay. It also stipulated that they should countries, representing 90% of Press, 2020) a number of narrations told by ing the contractor the costs of his trip, then ple experienced everything through this jour- raise the flag of Qatar on all the housing of Qa- global GDP, that last week okayed Qataris from different generations, recalling the contractor takes care of all the travel ar- ney: sickness, death, and even birth. tari pilgrims, and this made it easier for them the concept as a means to tackle their memories of Hajj. Some of them are rangements and sets the departure date. Hajj Camels remained the only method for Qa- to visit to check on each other. chronic tax avoidance by multina- related to the preparations that preceded the caravans begin to gather in a square in Doha, taris to perform Hajj until the beginning of the Upon their return, pilgrims were always tional firms. Hajj journey, and some are related to memo- near the Amiri Diwan at Al Koot fort. Where 1930s, from Doha to Salwa to Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, celebrated for completing this religious ritual An agreement in principle is ries of the road, its troubles, and the difficul- the pilgrims flock from the outskirts of the Riyadh, Mecca, and back by the same route. safely. People would raise the flags in their not a final deal; definitions are ties they faced on the way back and forth, until country, at this point pilgrims feel their spirit- In case of any danger on the land route, homes called ‘Al-Nushur’ to inform others notoriously slippery. And even if they returned safely to their home and fami- ual journey had started, and in between dawn people from the Gulf used to perform pil- that the owner of the house was performing every last nation purported to sign lies, as if they were reborn once again to live (Fajr) and noon (Duha) prayers they become grimages through sea on ships that sailed to Hajj, and then they awaited their arrival to an ironclad agreement to prevent moments of joy by meeting family and loved fully prepared, so the contractor starts to lead Pompeii, then Jeddah, passing through Abu greet and congratulate them on their safe re- tax avoidance, it’s a certainty that ones after God blessed them to perform this the way and announces the beginning of the Shahr, Bahrain, Qatar, Dubai, Bandar Abbas, turn. When the return of pilgrims approached, many governments will be unwill- great duty. journey by land towards ‘Salwa’. Muscat, and Karachi. The duration of the trip people gave sacrifices to rejoice at their return, ing or unable to resist the lure of People of Qatar used to welcome Hajj On the way, many other pilgrims’ convoys to Pompeii was 10 days, followed by a stay of and feasts were held to celebrate this occasion providing breaks, incentives and season with the advent of the Holy Month of join them, some of which are for well-off Qa- over a week, awaiting the ships departing to in the house of the leader of this Hajj journey, direct investments that undermine Ramadan every year. Youssef bin Abdul Rah- taris. The convoy continues on its path until it Jeddah’s port, passing by Oman, then Mukal- where they would give souvenirs and celebrate the new regime. man Al-Khulaifi describes to us the atmos- reaches Abu Samra on the Saudi border. Some la, Aden and Berbera on the African coast, and with them. But every step forward is one phere of Ramadan, saying: “With the advent of those saying goodbye to pilgrims accompa- finally reaching Jeddah after a 10-day journey. It is absolutely impossible to compare the in which the wealthiest and most of the blessed month of Ramadan, there were ny them to the checkpoint and, when the pil- They often suffered from nausea and diseases pilgrimage in the past with now, after the huge powerful economic interests on reflections of an overwhelming generosity and grims cross the border, they return to Doha. they never knew about before. technological revolution of security, services, Earth come a bit closer to paying giving, joy spread and filled the air, people In Abu Samra, the Saudi authorities verify As for travelling to Hajj by car, the fare means of transportation, roads and travel, their share to governments, which opened their doors and welcomed the poor pilgrims’ papers and health vaccination cards, during the 1940s was about one hundred ri- which have spared a lot of time and efforts.