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עמוד:*62
62 * also true during the reign of Sheikh Hamad, since the 1990 s, when a somewhat liberal social atmosphere sprang up in Qatar . The harsh approach toward alcohol continued in the following years . Visitors in 2000 described the various warnings about the Qatari police's rigidity when it comes to alcohol . Later on, in December 2011, a number of restaurants and bars at the Pearl - Qatar were banned from selling alcohol . Another example of this approach happened when hotel managers were instructed in 2013 to cease alcohol service around their swimming pools or on their beaches . This harsh approach had a financial angle when Qatar imposed its highest customs duty on liquor imported and later on planned to implement a "sin tax" on specific luxury items such as tobacco and alcohol . The second method was indirect . The government planned housing projects for the populations working in the industrial sites, such as Umm Said . The designated areas were planned to be far and secluded from other towns, in order to limit contact with the local population . As we have seen, this separation couldn't limit the exposure . Education, Travelling abroad, alongside films and television affected people's minds . Drinking alcohol appeared in the media and was discussed quite openly . Nevertheless, the separation method made a comeback in the 2010 s when Qatari authorities made the decision to move out bachelors from residential areas . Qatar’s emir ratified a Law to prohibit workers' camps within residential areas . These same methods appeared during the preparations for the 2022 World Cup, when officials warned that public intoxication is forbidden and punishable by law . At the same time, the idea to separate between the foreign and local crowds emerged again as a solution . Special camps were built for visiting fans, so they would be able to enjoy alcoholic beverages away from the population's main living centers . But a third method should be mentioned . As we have seen, sometimes the Qatari leadership chose to deny the presence of alcohol if it was maintained low - key . The dissemble and evasive answer of the ruler concerning the Goanese alcohol smuggling in Qatar in 1947 and the attitude toward the bar in the hotel's designated room in the 1970 s were examples of it . The motto, "do whatever you want… but don’t make waves", sums it up well . It is safe to assume that even during the World Cup, the ruling family preferred that alcohol - related incidents wouldn't become public – and allow the security apparatus to maintain plausible deniability . Acknowledgements Open Access funding provided Qatar National Library, Arabian Gulf Digital Archive, Historical Jewish Press, The National Archives and Records Administration ( NARA ) .
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אדמוני, אריאל
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