World Cup
For the owner of a sports shop in Doha, the classic headscarf may be just a cultural and sporting souvenir of the World Cup.
Doha, Qatar – In 2002, fans visiting Japan and South Korea for the World Cup met the fans with their hands.
Eight years later, vuvuzelas came into the world through South Africa.
This year, Qatari national Khalifa Naimi is among those introducing football enthusiasts around the world to a new edition of the ghutra, a classic scarf worn by local men, held in position through an ugal, two cord ties that pass around the head with tassels. hanging down the back.
For the 2022 World Cup, Doha blooms with ghutras with the colors of the 32 countries.
Most of the time, Naimi, 26, is in her Ghutra Mundo located on a corner of the Souq Waqif metro station in the capital Doha.
Business is booming as thousands of enthusiasts from around the world flock to the Gulf country for the first tournament to be held in the Middle East.
Eager to show their loyalty to the team, other people rushed to souvenir department stores and bought the brand’s ghutras, which were in every stadium during the games.
But for Naimi, it’s not just about sales, he needs to communicate to visiting football enthusiasts about a culture he’s proud of, he says.
“The ghutra is a wonderful unifying element that is part of our national costume,” Naimi told Al Jazeera. “Participating and sharing our culture makes the ghutra a wonderful hospitality. “
In addition to ghutras with the flags of the 32 World Cup teams, Naimi also offers custom-made robes (traditional ankle-length dresses worn by men) and rosaries.
“Part of our personality”
Some would possibly see promoting classic products with a twist to make them more appealing to tourists as a trivialization of culture, Naimi said.
But he says the comments have been more commonly positive, from locals and enthusiasts alike, even despite ongoing debate among the more and less conservative segments of the community.
As consumers gather outdoors in the store before a football match, Naimi makes sure to personalize their experience, explaining the modest outfits of local men and women.
He shows other tactics of dressing up with the ghutra, especially his favorite flavor: the “cobra”.
This interaction reassures enthusiasts that dressing up in the ghutra is important, he says, so they don’t think of crossing the line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation.
“It’s not just a Qatar issue, it’s in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and throughout the Middle East. It is a component of our personality. I need other people to come to the World Cup and go with our culture,” Naimi said.
For many customers, adding Jouad from Morocco, this is the first time they dress in a ghutra. “I never tried. . . it’s the first time I’ve tried and I’ve been living in Qatar for 10 years. ” he says.
“When you see the Moroccan team and the rest of the people here, you feel proud, especially on Arab soil here for the first time. I feel at home, in the capital of Morocco. “
Ashraf, a Singapore resident and proud owner of a Brazilian colored ghutra, says it’s not the full World Cup delight unless you have the scarf. “[It’s] like going to Brazil, dressed in all the beautiful things of the Rio carnival. . . . It amplifies culture,” he said.
Tunisian fan Belgacem agreed, looking at a ghutra as his wife took pictures.
“I buy it [the ghutra] as a souvenir,” he said. When I return to my country, I will enjoy this glorious occasion and celebrate my presence here. “
With the tournament in full swing, Naimi is proud of her task and shines with pride, though she misses the tournament’s live matches.
“It means the world is this tournament in Qatar,” he told Al Jazeera. “This is the time to show the world how brilliant we are. Qatar is possibly small in size, but they are big in facts, and I hope this tournament will show that.