QATAR: A church cross rises in the Persian Gulf

Muslims in the Middle East have been criticized for insisting on religious freedom in the West while refusing to grant it in their own countries. But a reform-minded leader of the kingdom of Qatar is trying to change that perception.

Thanks to a 2005 decision by Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Catholics recently completed construction of a church in Doha, Qatar’s capital. It's the first church in the Persian Gulf state since the 7th century arrival of Islam.

This is controversial. The majority of Qatar’s citizens belong to the puritanical Wahhabi school of Islam that inspires Osama bin Laden and is prevalent in Saudi Arabia as well.

And, of course, the construction of St. Mary’s Church has stirred up debate among the peninsula’s Muslims.

On the one hand, conservatives cite a saying attributed to the prophet Mohammed that reads: "There shall be no two religions in the Arabian Peninsula."

Indeed, some made harsh comments about the church, which is set to be inaugurated this weekend. "The cross should not be raised in the sky of Qatar, nor should bells toll in Doha,” wrote columnist Lahdan Bin Eisa Al Muhanadi in the Doha-based daily Al Arab.

But the church is not without its supporters, even among Qatar’s religious experts. "Places of worship for various religions are a fundamental human right guaranteed by Islam," Abdul Hamid Ansari, the former dean of the Islamic law college at Qatar University, told Agence France-Presse.

The church has also sparked hot debates on blogs. On the blog of Radio Netherlands, one commentator, who said he was from the U.S., praised the decision:

This makes me feel proud to be a Muslim. Freedom of religion. This is what Islam is about.

The $7-million church will provide a place of worship for those who have been practicing their faith mostly at home. The complex will include conference facilities, living accommodations, a library and a cafe.

As in other oil-rich Gulf States, migrants and guest workers make up most of Qatar’s population. According to the U.S. State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report of 2006, the majority of these workers are Christians coming from different parts of the world.

Its population is an estimated 900,000, of whom approximately 200,000 are believed to be citizens.... The Christian community is composed of Indians, Sri Lankans, Filipinos, Africans, Europeans, Arabs and Americans. It includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic, Anglican and other Protestant denominations.

The church will welcome worshipers in time for Easter Sunday services March 23.

— Davigh Karamanoukian in Beirut

Photo: The first church in Doha, Qatar, has sparked a debate in the tiny, oil-rich gulf state. It's set to open in time for Easter. Credit: AFP / STR

Comments

[Kevork]

Davigh, excellent article! Proud to see your name in LA Times.

Kevork

[Citizen of the World]

What's a human without a name,
What's a mosque without a minaret,
What's a minaret without a muezzin,
So is a church without a steeple, bell AND a cross!

The intentions of the 'reform-minded leader of Qatar' are highly appreciated, but if a thing is worth doing it, then it is worth doing it well.

God Bless You All!

[nibal]

very nice article.well done