At a time when prickly questions are being requested about Qatar and its internet hosting of the World Cup, Khalifa Al Haroon affords a smile, a sigh and a shrug as he seeks to elucidate its mysteries.
Recognized to his rising variety of followers as Mr Q, the 38-year-old has turn into a social media hit by partially lifting the veil over the tiny however mega-rich Gulf state that describes itself as a “conservative” Islamic nation.
The primary World Cup in an Arab nation has put a highlight on Qatar’s remedy of international staff, gender rights and even using air con in stadiums.
Haroon’s cheerful #QTip movies broach all the things from saying “Hey” in Arabic to the correct approach for males to put on the flowing ghutra headdress. There’s additionally an version on labour rights.
With lower than 60 days to the November 20 begin of the match, he now has greater than 100,000 followers on Instagram and greater than 115,000 on YouTube. And the numbers continue to grow.
Qatar has dozens of on-line influencers on matters starting from “modest” however costly trend, to the newest sports activities automotive being imported into what’s now one of many world’s wealthiest nations.
Haroon carved out his area of interest by elucidating Qatar’s unknowns to its rising expat group — and now the hordes of soccer followers anticipated for the World Cup.
Haroon — who was born to a Qatari father and British mom and spent 16 years in Bahrain — stated he was first confronted by international stereotypes about Qatar and the Center East whereas learning for a legislation diploma in Britain.
He had needed to turn into an actor, however as a substitute launched his social media presence in 2008 with a weblog.
“I used to be within the good place as a result of I used to be a Qatari who has by no means lived correctly in Qatar,” he stated.
– ‘Belief your individual eyes’ –
“In essence, I used to be like a foreigner in my very own nation and so I had the identical questions that foreigners did, and so it simply made it straightforward for me to start out placing collectively data.”
Haroon stated there must be a distinction between “detrimental information” and misinformation about his nation.
“In the case of pretend information, clearly, I feel everyone understands that it isn’t true and so the one factor that I may do is present folks movies and footage and present them what we’re actually like as a result of you’ll be able to belief your individual eyes.”
Some folks, he stated, have instructed him they determined to maneuver to Qatar after watching his movies.
Haroon, who’s now a guide to the Qatar Soccer Affiliation and an eSports entrepreneur, stated he’s excited concerning the World Cup “as a result of folks can now come right here and expertise it for themselves and make their very own judgements as a substitute of simply believing what’s written”.
His major grouse is how outsiders see one thing detrimental about Qatar after which consider that each one Qataris “settle for it or all of us agree with it”.
Many supporters of the 31 international international locations who will play in Qatar have raised issues, nonetheless, concerning the welcome awaiting them. Can they drink? And what is going to occur to same-sex {couples} in a rustic the place homosexuality is illegitimate?
The federal government has insisted that beer, usually restricted, might be obtainable and that everybody is welcome. Haroon desires outsiders to expertise “actual Qatari hospitality”, with its meals and low tradition.
“After all there are going to make sure social norms,” stated Haroon. “What we’re asking for is simply respect the nation. And naturally the nation will certainly be respecting everybody that comes.”
“Some folks may make errors as a result of they do not know what the principles are and that is OK,” he added.
“The purpose is our tradition is all about intention, our faith is about intention, so so long as you will have good intentions and also you wish to do the correct factor, you don’t have anything to fret about.”
