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Qatar was proclaimed independent
when the British left the Gulf area
in 1971, and it then joined the
United Nations. Since then, Qatari
culture revolves entirely around
Islam. A monotheistic religion,
Islam's holy book is the Qur'an, and
Friday is its sacred day.
In
1972, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al
Thani came to power after Sheikh
Ahmad Bin Ali Al Thani, and
attempted to modernize the country
by introducing new industries such
as steel, fertilizers,
petrochemicals and medical hospital.
In June 1995
Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani
assumed power with the support and
blessings of the ruling family and
the Qatari people.
On
July 2, 2002 the chairman of the
32-man committee appointed by the
emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin
Khalifa al-Thani, to draft a
permanent constitution for the
emirate, presented the document to
the ruler. It proposed a series of
reforms, such as establishing a
legislative council 30 of whose 45
members would be elected, the
remainder appointed by the emir and
granting women the right to vote and
run for public office.
The
150-article draft indicates a
guarantee of public freedoms,
including assembly, association,
expression and opinion, press and
publishing, religion, and so on.
The
draft document has to be ratified
and promulgated by the emir. The
event will surely start a new phase
in the political reform process
begun by Sheikh Hamad in November
1998, when he promised to modernize
state institutions and provide Qatar
with a permanent constitution and an
elected Parliament.
In
March 1999, Qatar held its first
municipal elections, becoming the
first member state of the Gulf
Cooperation Council to let women
vote and run for office. |
