Berkley Center

Here in Qatar, the first article of the constitution states that sharia law is the main source for legislation and that Islam is the official religion. Islam is omnipresent in everyday life in Qatar, but many of the religious practices or aspects of Islam manifest themselves in such a way that they seem less religious and more cultural—natural parts of everyday life.

The abaya and shayla, the black robe and scarf that most Qatari women wear, are very common. From my understanding, it is worn for religious reasons, but also cultural reasons. Socially, it would be noticed if a Qatari woman chose not to wear the abaya, although many do change their dress while abroad or in different contexts. While the abaya is designed to conceal, underneath it women wear a variety of outfits, ranging from leggings and sky-high stilettos to jeans and flip-flops, or even pajamas. While veiling is part of religious practice for many, the abaya is also very much a part of customary social practice and culture in Qatar.

Religion is also present in other aspects of daily life. Pork is unavailable in restaurants and supermarkets in Qatar, as are all products made with lard or any pork products, such as Skittles or Jello. The student spaces in Georgetown’s new SFS-Qatar building have been constructed with plenty of glass windows and walls, to facilitate male and female students feeling comfortable studying together in semi-public spaces. The fashion magazines in the library are missing pages with potentially inappropriate material.

Religious practice is also present in everyday life outside of traditionally religious settings. I help teach an English class for Qatari high school girls, and halfway through the two-hour class, we take a break. Before resuming class, their usual routine consists of responding to text messages and phone calls, getting coffee at the café, and also praying. So many customs and habits of everyday life in Qatar have been shaped directly or indirectly by the influence of Islam.

When thinking about daily life in the United States, religion does not have the same scope of influence that it does in Qatar. Events and traditions with religious roots are clearly denoted as such, and practices such as habits of dress, dietary considerations, and reading material are on the whole much less influenced by religion when compared to daily life in Qatar. Modern Qatari culture is intrinsically linked with Islam, even given the incredible rate of cultural adjustment and adaptation that has happened in the past few decades as the population of non-Arabs and non-Muslims has exploded and Qatar has deepened interactions with other religions and cultures.

Experiencing daily life through a religious lens has been a fascinating and eye-opening experience that has helped me understand more about the complicated relationships among Islam, law, and culture in a rapidly developing state.