ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER 23 March 2013 11 Jumada I 1434 - Volume 18 Number 5647 Price: QR2 ON SATURDAY Qatar ready to stage World Cup in summer or winter DOHA: Qatar is ready to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup in summer or winter, the tournament’s supreme committee said yesterday, following recent calls by international sports figures to move the event to winter. “We are ready to host the World Cup in summer or winter. Our planning is not affected either way, as we are committed to the cooling technologies for legacy reasons,” the committee said in a statement. QNA Chances of rain tonight DOHA: The weather bureau has forecast that there are chances of rain tonight and the weather would be partly cloudy or cloudy during the day. The temperature would hover between 19 and 30 degrees Celsius, with the wind direction initially being south-easterly. There could be a lit- tle chill after dusk as the wind changes direction to north-westerly-south-west- erly. The maximum temperature in Doha is forecast at 28 degrees Celsius and the minimum at 20. Al Wakra and Mesaieed would be a little hotter with day tempera- tures soaring to 30 degrees Celsius. THE PENINSULA Lebanese premier resigns BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced his government’s resignation yesterday. Mikati resigned hours after a cabinet meeting in which Hezbollah and its allies blocked the crea- tion of a supervisory body for the parlia- mentary vote and opposed extending the term of Major General Ashraf Rifi, head of Lebanon’s internal security forces, who is due to retire early next month. Rifi, like MAKING MARRIAGES Mikati, is a Sunni Muslim from Tripoli, and is distrusted by Hezbollah. See also page 8 Israel apologises to Turkey JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologised to Turkey yesterday for a deadly raid on a Gaza aid flotilla and announced a full resumption of diplomatic ties as well as compensation. A senior US official said the Israeli leader had apologised to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip WORK Erdogan in a special telephone call from Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv. Erdogan accepted the apology, he said. THE ISSUE Full report on page 8 High wedding costs and failing need is to look at other aspects of married life but such initiatives have never succeeded. as well — social and psychological,” said well- The concept of group marriages has failed Abraham Augusthy marriages are a phenomenon known psychiatrist Dr Tahir Shaltout. because Qataris are too proud to be part of such common to the region and not According to prominent psychologist Dr charitable initiatives, especially as the benefi- Today’s edition of The Peninsula restricted to Qatar. In Qatar as well Moza Al Malki, a major problem in Qatar is ciaries, say community elders. that most marriage and family counsellors A charitable organisation recently launched Illusration: includes a special supplement as the rest of the region, hardly any are non-Qatari and not well-versed with the an initiative to provide support in the form of scientific studies have been done local culture. Qatari experts are invited to give tents to couples getting married, because one of PAKISTAN lectures on how to live a happy married life or the major heads of a weeding cost is the venue. to get to the root of the problem, MARCH 23, 2013 to provide family counselling on a voluntary According to Qatari columnist Faisal Al say experts. basis. “They aren’t paid,” she noted. Marzooki, the charitable body has laid down so A major problem in Qatar is that wedding many conditions for one to be eligible to benefit ociologists as well as psychiatrists costs are exorbitant and the onus of spending is from its initiative that one would feel humili- argue that unless the problem of failed almost entirely on the groom or his family. As ated and would never approach it for help. marriages in this region is diagnosed a result, a large number of Qatari men remain “They are asking for bank statements and Sthrough extensive studies, solutions single until a very late age as they must earn proof of assets from prospective grooms to be cannot be found. and save for years to spend on their marriage. eligible to benefit from its scheme. A Qatari One should look at the way a child is brought This results in a large number of Qatari youth is so proud he would hardly approach the up if the problem of broken marriages is to be women remaining unmarried, too, and once they charitable body for help,” he said in a recent fixed over the long term, says an expert. are past the marriageable age, they never marry. column in a local Arabic daily. PAGEThe finances of 6the husband are indeed Charitable bodies and philanthropists have, Experts say such help should be provided important in making his marriage last, but from time to time, launched initiatives to in a way that the prospective beneficiary does financial resourcefulness alone is no guarantee help Qatari men who are unable to get mar- not feel insulted. that his marriage would succeed. “So what we ried because they lack the necessary finances, See also page 2 THE PENINSULA, 23 MARCH 2013 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 MARCH 23, 2013 ON SATURDAY 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Home Need for more openness among youth Many people cite soaring costs of wedding as a serious obstacle BY AZMAT HAROON today,” argues Dr Tahir Shaltout, Qatari families are not as close- divorces, Shaltout said. a Senior Consultant in Psychiatry knitted as they were before. “Some people may take series of initiatives at Hamad Medical Corporation “This gives them conflicting ideas advantage of the new initiative and launched by Qatar (HMC). about how to keep a family together, get married, only to divorce soon. Charity last week will Surprisingly, there are families which is why disagreements among Financial support should be directed A provide pre-marriage that look at marriages as a potential couples lead to separations and at the right people and there ought counseling and financial assistance opportunity to strike a business divorces,” said the official, citing a to be some criteria for selection of to Qatari couples wishing to tie the deal. lack of communication skills as a According to Qatari families as beneficiaries,” he said. knot. “Some families look at marriage serious problem. sociologists, it Shaltout said in case of early The programme comes in the as a way of showing off social In Qatar, some 30 percent of is important to divorce, there should be a contract wake of concerns of many who prestige and their social status. women aged 34 and above remain between Qatar Charity and the say that weddings have become a For others, marriage has financial unmarried. acknowledge the problem couple to return part of marriage symbol of social status and wealth implications such as getting loans Despite a rapidly changing of high rate of divorce in costs. in the country. or money to investment in business social environment in Qatar, Qatar and the region at Meanwhile, Al Malki says that In a country where people enjoy to make profit,” Shaltout said. many families still don’t allow a majority of family consultants in a very high purchasing power, Yet, despite the extravagance their sons and daughters to meet large. the country are not Qataris. the need for financial support is in weddings, some 61 percent of their potential life partners before “Most organisations have experts not surprising for some, given the divorce cases in the country take marriage. The Qatari government has from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the soaring costs of wedding. place in the first five years of “Some families don’t even allow launched an initiative under which UAE and other countries. They A Qatari groom on average pays marriage, according to statistics. young girls and boys to sit together a number of wedding halls are being don’t realise that it is Qatari a dowry of anywhere between The rate of divorce is also very before marriage,” Dr Moza Al built across the country which will psychological consultants that can QR100,000 and QR300,000, and high, which according to some Malki, a Qatari psychologist, said. be available for Qataris for free. be of best help,” Al Malki said. the cost of wedding is over half-a- experts, is because youngsters are This, she argues, is a The halls, which can seat 500, Another issue is that no million riyals. not educated about married life. contradiction even from an Islamic will be equipped with latest audio- comprehensive study has been This can be estimated from Since 2009, one-third of divorces point of view because Islam allows visual technologies. conducted so far that looked the fact that even wedding cards, among Qataris have taken place on youngsters to see each other under As per another initiative divorces. Most studies aimed to which come in ordinary and VIP the first day of their marriage. certain conditions before marriage. launched last week, the Aspire estimate the number of divorces categories, can cost anything According to Qatari sociologists, The common practice in Qatar Zone will provide Qatar Charity and marriages, without going between QR100 and QR500 a piece. it is important to acknowledge the is that it is usually the sister or with free wedding tents for Qataris. deeper into problems faced by “Previously, people used to get problem of high rate of divorce in the mother of the groom who is The programme aims to support people.