Khalifa Saad Al-Dirham

As a Qatari citizen and Arab, Qatar’s prominent and interesting role at the present session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), the largest gathering of world leaders, brought me distinct pride. Qatar’s role in resolving regional conflicts, efforts toward supporting international peace and security, and provision of creative initiatives to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) garnered the focus and attention of international media. The last of these initiatives that Qatar launched in the UN was to build an alliance aimed at strengthening food security. This success reflects important implications because it stems from the national leadership’s vision, which continues to play an exemplary role achieving remarkable success in helping various parties resolve intractable crises such as the Lebanese crisis, war in Yemen, Darfur, and other issues.

H H the Emir’s speech in front of world leaders at the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly of the UN was a historic testimony reflecting an integrated, structured political vision at domestic, regional and international levels. Such was evident from the clarity of ideas and positions put forward by H H the Emir. Particularly, I was struck by H H the Emir’s emphasis in his speech to the General Assembly that Arab countries will not accept the peace that Israel wants to impose according to its whims and outside international legitimacy. A just peace in this context means the need to ensure the rights of the Palestinian people, the establishment of a Palestinian state, and Jerusalem as its capital, which confirms the strength of Qatar’s position in support of the Palestinian people’s rights and its vital role as an actor in the Arab and international community.

Qatar’s increasing presence abroad as witnessed in global summits at all levels reaffirms the success of the wise direction of Qatar’s leadership, which has led to country’s growing role on regional and international levels. Such is displayed in Qatar’s benevolent, tireless, and fruitful efforts to resolve conflicts in the region from Lebanon to Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia, along with supporting the Palestinian cause, and the humanitarian campaign to lift the unjust siege on the Gaza Strip, and other countless issues.

H H Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al-Missned’s address to the high-level roundtable meeting on the key role of education in the MDG placed strong emphasis on the need for universal access to quality education because it is the basis for the future. We must protect students, schools, and teachers as we must protect our civilisation.

Undoubtedly, Qatar’s global role grows day by day since its leadership successfully built a modern legislative state guaranteeing citizens’ freedom and promoting paths to comprehensive reform, led by H H the Emir, to place Qataris at the forefront of priorities.

When I was thinking of where to tour with my family during summer vacation, several different countries crowded my thoughts. However, my selection was Greece as it is infamous for its striking beauty, calming nature, and unparalleled ancient history, which have created a notorious legacy. In Greece, tourism is unforgettable thanks to the juxtaposition of ancient monuments as a backdrop for aspects of modern city life. In fact, the golden sunshine and soothing sea made Greece a perfect destination for my family and me to unwind and relax from the fatigue of work, and spend memorable quality time together.

Researching this country was particularly essential since it was my first visit. Doing so, I came upon some unpleasant news due to the financial crisis in Greece, and the extent to which the economy there has deteriorated. The situation sounded deplorable, especially since crises such as these are known for transforming into breeding grounds for crimes. Suddenly, a tourism trip to this beautiful country was surrounded by many risks, which competed with my desire to spend time with my family exploring the distinct Greek civilization. All of these thoughts battling in my mind resulted in some hesitation, especially the more I read local and international news agencies’ reports on the implications of the deterioration of the Greek economy. After some reluctance, it did not take long before I reached the decision to travel to Greece with the companionship of a friend for a journey of discovery in order to spare my family any trouble and avoid potential risks.

Indeed, I traveled to Greece, the country that boasts spectacular weather conditions, variety of restaurants, hotels, and resorts catering to tourists. The country is infamous for its territories, islands, and cities, which offer all the amenities anyone could ask for. Its mountains are densely covered with pine, oak, and olive trees, waterfalls, and well-known sandy beaches, drawing a portrait of beautiful natural scenery. What surprised my friend and I about the concerns we previously held was that the worries were lost from the first moment of our arrival at Athens’ airport.

We found Greek people to be extremely friendly, and sincerely working as hard as they could to resist the effects of the economic crisis and the recession in a fun spirit, and understanding of the logic surrounding the nature of the crisis. I was impressed by the way the people were challenging their economic circumstances so I focused on speaking with a number of Greeks of different walks of life in order to learn more about how they face of the crisis on an individual level. I found that people’s complaints were mainly on the cost of living and working longer hours than before the crisis. It was clear that the social relationships among the people are strong, everyone is working to address the financial burdens of life, and sons are helping their fathers.

One of the people I spoke to told me with an inspirationally brave character, “yes, we are experiencing a real crisis but the family remains our source of strength during these difficult circumstances”, adding that, “everyone has sought to reduce the impact of the crisis upon others”. That statement sums up my impression that pure materialism has not abolished the humanitarian and social aspects of the hard-working people of this ancient civilization.

Fortunately, the trip was wonderful and we enjoyed visits to exciting tourist destinations in every region and corner of Greece. The nation’s renowned history and civilization surrounded us everywhere we went, and we felt in a safe family environment. From the moment I arrived to this country to my departure, I did not see or hear about a single robbery attempt, scam, or brawl. Something also worth noting is that prices were very convenient and there was no exaggeration. My experience makes me confident that the spirit of the ancient Greek civilization is still deep-rooted in the hearts of its people. Therefore, the Greeks will be able to overcome all of the odds, and I resolve for my second visit to this beautiful country to be in the companionship of my family.

THE PENINSULA