Qatar's new repressive law sparks popular protests

Qatar's emir last month approved laws for elections to choose two-thirds of the Shura Council, with Sheikh Tamim continuing to appoint 15 members of the 45-member body.

The new law states that anyone who is of Qatari origin and is over the age of 18 is allowed to vote. Those who are not of Qatari origin but whose grandfather is of Qatari origin and was born in the country are exempt from the “original nationality” condition.

It also states that candidates who would like to run for the Shura Council elections will need to be originally Qatari and aged 30 or above.

Human rights groups called on Qatari authorities to respect citizens’ right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly amid concerns over “repressive policies” against protestors who gather to oppose new and discriminatory election laws announced at the end of last month.

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) called on authorities to protect public freedoms, and called on the government to amend the new laws and ensure that they “do not contain discriminatory articles of any citizen of Qatar, or marginalize different groups of society, especially women, migrant workers and resident migrants, as well as the Bedoon community.”

The statement also cited reports of security forces storming the homes of protestors and targeted arrests of citizens “only because they express their opinions.”

In 2005, Qatar stripped some tribe members of their citizenship, saying it was because they held dual nationality, denying it was punishment for suspected involvement in a failed 1996 coup to reinstate deposed emir Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad.

Several people took to social media to speak out against the conditions for running for Qatar’s Shura Council elections, which are scheduled to be held in October.

The al-Murrah tribe controlled vast parts of the Arabian Peninsula and made up a large proportion of Qatar’s ethnic population, took to social media and posted several videos in protest of what they described to be the “arbitrary law” that was against them, essentially preventing them from running for the Shura Council elections.

Some activists on social media also launched an Arabic hashtag which translates to something along the lines of: “Al-Murrah was found in Qatar before the government.