On the Instagram accounts of the month of models and superstars, the sheikh of Qatar looked like a gleaming party.
High-heeled designers attended the openings of exhibitions and fashion exhibitions in central Doha. The celebrities, as well as a gay rights activist, took selfies on a crowded dance floor.
“As-salaam ‘alykum Doha!” The Dutch style Marpessa Hennink proclaimed on Instagram, the classic Muslim greeting.
The quick reaction. Qataris went online to express their anger over what they called harmful and evil celebrations, saying they threatened Qatar’s classic values ahead of the 2022 World Cup. The Arabic hashtag, Stop the destruction of our values, has been trending for days.
The episode highlights the tensions tearing apart Qatar, a conservative Muslim emirate that restricts alcohol, bans drugs and suppresses freedom of expression, as it prepares to host noisy crowds for the first World Cup in the Middle East.
“Our faith and customs prohibit indecent dress and behavior,” Moheba Al Kheer, a Qatari citizen, said of the avant-garde artists and flamboyant models who mingled with Qatari high society in late October. “It’s generally concerned when you see those kinds of people. “
World Cup organizers say everyone is welcome to the tournament. Already, foreigners outnumber Qatari citizens 10 times more. Some Qataris are liberal and open to mixing with foreigners. Many are extremely happy with the tournament. But human rights teams have expressed fears about how police will deal with violations of Islamic law by enthusiastic foreigners who criminalize public drunkenness, sex outdoors, marriage and homosexuality.
Qatar, a small Persian Gulf country that was once a dusty pearl port, has been remodeled at near-lightning speed into a hub after its herbal fuel boom in the 1990s. Expats, adding Western experts and engineers and low-paid construction staff and cleaners from South Asia, have poured into the country.
Glass and metal skyscrapers, luxury hotels, and large grocery shopping malls soon sprang up in the desert. Paris Saint-Germain football club and London real estate.
The ruling emir’s sister, Sheikha Al Mayassa Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, has one of the world’s largest art buyers. His mother, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al-Missned, has become an icon of global taste and bought several luxury brands in addition to Valentino.
But even as Qatar, one of the world’s richest countries in terms of capital, looked to the West for inspiration, it faced domestic pressures to stay true to its Islamic heritage and Bedouin roots. Qatar’s toughest extended family comes from the landlocked interior of the Arabian Peninsula, where the ultraconservative form of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism was born.
Qatari leaders have walked a tightrope between appeasing their conservative citizens and tribes and strengthening soft force as a major actor.
“Doha’s devoted discourse towards its citizens is very different from its liberal discourse towards the West,” said Qatari Mohammed al-Kuwari, 38. “He can’t accomplish both. “
The dazzling highlight of the World Cup, which is forcing Qatar to relax with alcohol, create fun opportunities for enthusiasts and comply with FIFA regulations promoting tolerance and inclusion, is raising the stakes.
In previous years, the World Cup has made host countries the largest in the world, with cheerful crowds drinking heavily and celebrating together. When feelings are heightened, enthusiasts may be elated, or impolite and violent.
This will shake the calm of Qatar, where such a habit is deeply taboo and virtually unknown. Doha is known for its nightlife. Despite its immediate progression over the years, its entertainment offer remains scarce and its public spaces limited.
Some foreign enthusiasts are concerned about how Qatar will deal with hordes of hooligans on the streets, given national legislation on public decency and strict limits on buying and eating alcohol.
Cursing and making offensive gestures, dressing brazenly and kissing in public can result in prosecution in Qatar. Anti-homosexual sentiment is deeply rooted in society, as in other parts of the Arab world. A senior security official warned that rainbow flags may be confiscated to protect enthusiasts from attacks for selling gay rights.
Fan anxiety is evident in Reddit’s recent message boards: “How would the government know if you’re gay?””How bad is it to wear shorts (can I get arrested)?”Qatar on social media is arrested?”
At the same time, conservative Qataris worry about how well their society can adapt to hosting World Cup guests. Doha plans to hold giant electronic music festivals. Authorities say they will turn a blind eye to crimes such as public intoxication, intervening in reaction to the destruction. of property and threats to public safety.
“I hope the World Cup does not strip society of its religion, morals and customs,” said a 28-year-old Qatari man who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
He said he found solace in a pledge from the country’s Shura Advisory Council last month that the government will “build a strong society that adheres to its religion” and reject “excessive behavior” that violates local taboos.
But because the tournament responds to the vision of the country’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to expand the country, experts say Qatar’s small population still has no options to settle for whatever comes.
The emirate does not tolerate any dissent. Qatar’s oil and fuel wealth has generated a social contract in which citizens, a cradle-to-grave welfare state, and political rights come after state paternalism.
“If Qatar is going to be on the global map, it has to respect global norms and values,” said Andreas Krieg, assistant professor of security studies at King’s College London. . “
Al-Kuwari, the citizen, more direct.
“There is fear,” he says. If a citizen thinks of criticizing, a (prison) sentence awaits him.
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Follow Isabel DeBre on Twitter at www. twitter. com/isabeldebre.