The "Blog-ade" and the Qatari Spirit

                               

               On June 5th, 2017, Qatar’s neighboring countries implemented a blockade on Qatar. This decision shocked and confused Qatari citizens, including myself, who couldn’t believe that this could ever happen 💔. The Qataris have always lived as one family with the other GCC countries. We are literally one big family, as many Qataris have blood relatives all over the Gulf, so you can imagine the shock we all suffered that day. I went to bed one night and woke up the next morning in a sieged country. Countries that I once saw as my second home were wishing to invade my country and make me surrender to their rules 😦. All Qataris felt as if they had been stabbed 🗡in their hearts 💔 by their brothers. We knew the true feelings of our brothers the day we saw that they wished to see us suffer...

However, they thought wrong; they didn’t realize that we are strong and that what they did made us even stronger. I remember it as if it were yesterday. I went out a few days after the blockade and all I could see was the Qatari flag hanging out of every house 💜. Pictures of HH Sheikh Tamim were on every car window, house, mall, and street. For almost 8 or 9 months, every day in Qatar felt like a National Day. The blockade had the reverse effect on us: instead of breaking our spirit and turning us against our government, we became stronger and more united, so THANK YOU brothers! 👏😉

        Thanks to the blockade, our love for our country grew tremendously. We realized how much our country was giving us, and now it was our turn to give back💪. Qataris stood up and worked together to support Qatar’s economy. First, we started by boycotting products from the blockade countries 🚫. Additionally, Qataris focused on buying local products to support the  local economy. Around the time of the blockade, many Qatari brands increased production and became famous in the local market, such as Baladna and Raw’a. I have never been prouder to be a Qatari 🙌💜, and I will do all I can now and in the future to serve and elevate my country with my education, knowledge, creativity, and love.