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Comment by freehunter | Hacker News Reader

Agreed. Even if it's one of the richest economies or the most developed Middle Eastern country, they're still Wahhabi, they still ban alcohol for Muslims (but allow it for tourists, because money), gay men can be imprisoned for five years and/or flogged, religions other than Islam are discouraged, there's no freedom of speech, slavery is legal and accepted, and women tourists have to be reminded that shorts, leggings, short skirts, and tight clothing is not acceptable to wear in public.

Sounds like a great place to raise your daughters. Even a great education system can't overcome the oppression they will likely see in the streets on a daily basis.

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> they still ban alcohol for Muslims (but allow it for tourists, because money)

They allow it for non-Muslim foreigners (who must, however, obtain permits to purchase it -- or pork, which is apparently covered by the same permit), which isn't the same as "tourists" -- the vast majority of Qatar's resident population is foreigners (pop > 2M, citizens < 300K), and a fairly sizable share of them are non-Muslim (largely Christian and Hindu.)

they still ban alcohol for Muslims (but allow it for tourists, because money)

I don't see what's wrong with this one. If Muslims don't drink alcohol, yet don't try to stop other people from drinking it- well, that's how it should be IMO.

The way I understand it, Muslims are not allowed to drink alcohol, even if they want to - i.e. the government stops certain other people (the Muslims) from drinking it, but not other other people *tourists).

> *tourists).

Actually "non-Muslim foreigners". Which isn't just tourists; its something between a quarter and a third of the resident population of Qatar.

Oh, interesting. Now, I wonder, is that ethically wrong? I mean, if you chose to identify as Muslim, is someone holding you to the Muslim belief system wrong?

> I mean, if you chose to identify as Muslim, is someone holding you to the Muslim belief system wrong?

If I choose to identify as a Christian, is someone else forcibly holding me accountable to their interpretation of proper Christian behavior wrong? Consider, for instance, if that interpretation includes a prohibition (violations of which are punishable by death) on ever renouncing Christianity? [1]

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostasy_in_Islam#Qatar

Honestly, I think exposure to a country in which the population lacks rights that most Western populations enjoy has a value of its own. It makes it much harder to take those rights for granted.

Why stop there? Why not go to a place that also lacks basic infrastructure?

I do agree that most of the people I've met would do well to actually go see the absolute hopelessness that much of the world lives in. To meet people whose entire existence will consist of scraping by in the mud until they die from some minor injury or trivially curable disease. That the "cute" things they do, like carrying water in a jug on their head miles, is because they have no other choice. That preserving their "culture" means forcing women to repeatedly get pregnant, despite an abysmal survival rate. That they see enough children die, to the point where they delay naming their child so as to not get too attached to soon.

But exposure is different than living in such a place. While I want my daughters to realise the shitty reality of nature, I don't want them to have to experience it too closely.

Ok lets compare to the US...

Alcohol is banned in many places in the US. In the US you can be executed with out trial by jury. If you're a cab driver you can be sent to a torture camp. Police routinely execute citizens with out fear of punishment. Up until 2007 it was illegal to be gay in many states. Religions other than christianity are discouraged. And women can be imprisoned for wearing the same clothes as men. (topless). You can be imprisoned for life for stealing a pack of cigarettes, or smoking a joint. The government operates near slave labour camps where people are paid 25 cents an hour.

Sounds like a great place to raise your daughters. Even a shitty education system can't overcome the oppression they will likely see in the streets on a daily basis.

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