Ramadan: "Muslim" and "diabolical" tents in Qatar

The first serve food and give spiritual support to believers celebrating Ramadan, while the rest are erected by big hotels to offer luxury and enjoyment to young people of the small state.

Doha (AsiaNews) – In Qatar, there is a clash between "Muslim" and "diabolical" tents. Both the offspring of Bedouin tradition, the first are set up by charitable organisations, geared towards giving food and spiritual support to believers celebrating Ramadan. The rest are set up by big hotels to offer luxury and enjoyment to youth in the small state.

"Muslim tents" are erected in all cities during Ramadan by Muslim charitable institutions and public entities, to offer believers, especially those who are not wealthy, a measure of comfort, cultural activities and religious homilies. Food and drinks, obviously non-alcoholic, are offered only during iftar time, that is, the "breaking of the fast", which allows Muslim believers to replenish after dawn, or during suhur, breakfast before the sun rises. According to official data, during the month of Ramadan, 126,000 people use the services of "Muslim tents".

The "diabolical tents" are entirely different. In these, big hotels offer a luxurious environment for food, music and entertainment, including belly dancers and fortune tellers to predict the future.

One preacher said: "They are places of depravation, worse than heresy", and those who run them "even if they earn good money, are doomed to perish." He added: "These tents are a phenomenon foreign to Qatar's tradition. The true representatives of our legacy are cultural and preaching ones that try to resist this foreign invasion." However he admits that sometimes, religious homilies are "boring", so that they end up by pushing people towards "diabolical tents".

• qatar
• ramadan
• tents
• muslim
• diabolical
• iftar
• suhur