Dr. Khalid Al-Shafi
Does national identity mean the values, ethics, customs, practices and beliefs of a group of humans in an independent geographical area? Is any community today capable of preserving its national identity without clashing with materialistic values and globalisation?
Today, the issue of national identity is related to continuity and existence. The proportion of Qataris in Qatar’s population rose from 28 percent in 1993 to 31 percent in 2001, but then changes occurred. Suddenly, the population increased from 700,000 in 2004 to 1.2 million in 2008. The population is expected to reach three million in the next 10 years. The percentage of Qatari citizens in the whole population decreased from 40 percent in 1970 to 12 percent in 2010. If the influx of expatriates continues at the current rate, the percentage of nationals will drop to five percent by 2030.
There are several challenges that threaten national identity at a time of change. Everyone without exception suffers feelings of alienation, social isolation and segregation. There are family and tribal affiliations, with the internal and external conflicts they entail, and allegiances to the universal identity and collective identity of the society. All these are linked to the wider identity of the Gulf, with its customs and traditions, and the Arab-Islamic identity, with all its ups and downs and the eternal conflict between tradition and modernity.
The question is: What is the road map for the future to counter these aggravated problems and stormy changes? Are we capable of laying foundations for positive interaction and cultural exchange with the various communities that coexist with our national culture, and of preserving our identity at the level of the individual, family, tribe, community, nation, and the Gulf, Arab and Islamic world? What if we fail? Will that mean becoming like the Native Americans on the Gulf shores?
Does national identity mean the values, ethics, customs, practices and beliefs of a group of humans in an independent geographical area? Is any community today capable of preserving its national identity without clashing with materialistic values and globalisation?
Today, the issue of national identity is related to continuity and existence. The proportion of Qataris in Qatar’s population rose from 28 percent in 1993 to 31 percent in 2001, but then changes occurred. Suddenly, the population increased from 700,000 in 2004 to 1.2 million in 2008. The population is expected to reach three million in the next 10 years. The percentage of Qatari citizens in the whole population decreased from 40 percent in 1970 to 12 percent in 2010. If the influx of expatriates continues at the current rate, the percentage of nationals will drop to five percent by 2030.
There are several challenges that threaten national identity at a time of change. Everyone without exception suffers feelings of alienation, social isolation and segregation. There are family and tribal affiliations, with the internal and external conflicts they entail, and allegiances to the universal identity and collective identity of the society. All these are linked to the wider identity of the Gulf, with its customs and traditions, and the Arab-Islamic identity, with all its ups and downs and the eternal conflict between tradition and modernity.
The question is: What is the road map for the future to counter these aggravated problems and stormy changes? Are we capable of laying foundations for positive interaction and cultural exchange with the various communities that coexist with our national culture, and of preserving our identity at the level of the individual, family, tribe, community, nation, and the Gulf, Arab and Islamic world? What if we fail? Will that mean becoming like the Native Americans on the Gulf shores?
