DUBAI, 10 June 2005 — Qatar took its first step toward greater democracy yesterday, officially adopting a constitution that grants women equal rights and paves the way for the emirate’s first parliamentary elections.
Under the new constitution, the first since Qatar gained independence from Britain in 1971, power effectively remains with the emir, Sheikh Hamad ibn Khalifa Al Thani, but citizens get a greater say in how the country is run. Qatar says that the new charter draws on various sources, including Shariah.
The constitution “states that Shariah is one of the fundamental sources of the legislation, which means it is not the only one, according to Jamal Yahya, an Egyptian expert who helped formulate the charter.
“Qatar is an independent and sovereign Arab country,” the constitution states, adding that “Its religion is Islam and Shariah is the main source of legislation. Its regime is democratic and its official language is Arabic.”
This comes as Syria lifts its 40 year old state of emergency and after they pulled out of Lebanon.
Bush's dominoes just keep falling as democracy sweeps the Middle East. More work needs to be done, especially in Egypt and Iran, but it seems the times they are a changing.
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