LONDON: An evening hosted by Paris Hilton is a dream come true for most clubbers worldwide. However, an announcement by the American socialite has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many Qataris, who have expressed anger over her scheduled gig at a Doha nightclub on Friday.
Hey ! Can't wait to see you all at at the on January 26th!
— Paris Hilton (@ParisHilton)
Hilton announced that she would be hosting a special clubbing evening called Black Orchid Night at the Mondrian hotel in Doha. The GCC state of Qatar has been accused of supporting radical Islamists and harboring some of the world’s wanted terrorists — which is one of the reasons some of its neighboring countries have boycotted it since last year.
One of Qatar’s most prominent clerics, Youssef Al-Qardawi, is infamous for his public fatwas, or religious edicts, against Jews, and for his blessing of suicide attacks. He is an adviser and a close confidant of both the current emir, Sheikh Tamim, and his father Sheikh Hamad.
Hilton’s announcement was met with angry reactions by many Qataris, who said she was “not welcome.” Some said the club night was an insensitive luxury by the government while the country was supposedly “suffering under an economic” boycott. Several other Qataris voiced their support for Hilton’s visit, and some defended paying her a hefty fee by saying the profits would go to support Gaza.
The Qatari government is notorious for its support of the Gaza-based Palestinian militia Hamas, a group regarded by many countries as a terrorist organization that constantly fires missiles at Israeli civilians.
