-
Qatari Al-Murra tribe protests against the election law

According to Al-Monitor, a controversy is unfolding in Qatar over one tribe’s anger at an election law.
A video of the Al-Murra tribe protesters in the state of Qatar has been published on social media.
They said, they were subjected to a security siege and a campaign of arrests due to their refusal and objection to the election law approved by Prince Tamim bin Hamad a few days ago.
The AL-Monitor reported that Qatar’s first-ever elections for its parliament, the Consultative Assembly, will take place in October following several years of delays.
It said, Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, approved the laws governing the election last week. Anyone 18-years-old and over with a grandfather born in Qatar can vote. To run, candidates will need to be of Qatari origin and have turned 30.
زرعتم في الكويت فاحصدوا في الدوحة.. pic.twitter.com/f3QHZz8sOA
— عبد العزيز الخميس (@alkhames) August 9, 2021
The news website added that BBC Arabic reported Monday that the controversy stems from the Qatari origin requirement for candidates. This stipulation prohibits members of the Al-Murrah tribe from running in the election.
The Al-Murrah tribe lives in both Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and has historically had a fractious relationship with the Qatari state.
It should be noted that the security force arrested 7 members of the tribe who spoke out about their protests. This was confirmed by the Ministry of the Interior, alleging that they conveyed inaccurate news.
The tribe demanded the state to release the protesters.
Read more: Lebanon’s Patriarch Bechara al-Rahi calls on Lebanese army to control the country’s south
It gave the state until Tuesday evening, warning against taking escalatory measures otherwise.
The video was tagged with the hashtag Qatar Rising Up, indicating that the Qatari regime deploys Turkish army patrols to suppress the protesters, and the members of the Al-Murra tribe defy them and give them half an hour to retreat.
Qatari tweets confirmed that the detainees belonged to the Al-Murra tribe, and that their arrest came against “their expression of their opinion rejecting the law issued to prevent them from running for elections.”
The Qatari regime deploys Turkish army patrols to suppress the protesters, and the members of the Al-Murra tribe defy them and give them ½ hour to retreat.#قطر_تنتفض pic.twitter.com/zvk4cDwLhL
— سالفة الهاشتاق (@SalefatHash) August 9, 2021
Another videotape showed large crowds from Al-Murra, during which they demanded the withdrawal of the patrols that are besieging them, saying: “Do not challenge us to an armed clash.”
Article 77 of Qatar’s constitution states that “the Shura Council consists of forty-five members. Thirty of them are elected by direct secret general ballot, and the Emir appoints the other fifteen members from ministers or others.
The membership of those appointed to the Shura Council ends with their resignation or their dismissal."
Article 78 stipulates that “the election system shall be issued by a law, in which the conditions and procedures for nomination and election shall be determined.”
Source: news agencies
You May Also Like
Popular Posts
Caricature
BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
opinion
Report
ads
Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the new updates!