Absolutely amusing to compare Trinidad and Tobago to Qatar

THE EDITOR: It is quite normal for political opponents to lambast each other on social media in TT. But to compare TT to Qatar is unbelievably amusing.

Qatar has 2.4 plus million citizens with 80 per cent of them living in Doha. Qatar has the fourth highest GDP in the world because the country has enormous oil wealth. It is an Islamic state controlled by Sharia law.

In other words, just forget about being Trini to the bone and getting drunk and misbehaving and saying anything that you want. You would be considered farse and dangerously out of place. Lashes upon lashes for disobeying the rules. And if you disappear into prison, you look for that.

Pleased be educated that Qatar is regarded by academics and non-governmental organisations as generally poor regarding restrictions to civil liberties such as freedom of association and the press. Thousands of immigrant workers are treated like slaves and severely punished if and when they break strict Qatari rules.

I saw a report that over 500 migrant workers lost their lives in the construction of those breathtakingly beautiful football stadiums.

I certainly would have gone to Qatar for the World Cup had I been wealthy enough. I would show respect for their religion, their traditions and their rules and still enjoy myself like the millions of visitors.

But I would not in my wildest dreams expect to compare such a wealthy nation to TT. It is therefore a lot of nonsense talk when one hears members of the public comparing TT to Qatar.

It is only in TT that any opposition party at all can trade in blatantly fake news about the Prime Minister and other members of the government via our strong social media.

We are allowed to lie through our teeth and some less educated citizens would believe each fake story. Freedom of expression is what we enjoy and we are allowed to apologise if we overdo with the Ananci stories.

It is only in TT that a sitting opposition can parade as a bunch of angels without wings.

Please letter writer WKS Hosein ("Lessons to be learnt from Qatar World Cup," December 9) and readers of our daily newspapers, check Wikipedia for pertinent information on Qatar.

Admittedly nice for the FIFA World Cup and a grand holiday but I would be completely stressed out to live in Qatar. We cannot sing God bless our nation if we are headless because of religious and social disrespect.

LYNETTE JOSEPH

Diego Martin