Parents of a prestigious international school in Qatar were reportedly furious after Israeli flags were accidentally displayed in the corridors yesterday.
The blue and white flag of Israel was included in a set of bunting alongside the flags of many different nationalities as part of a language day at Doha International School, an internal memo seen by Al Bawaba said. The bunting was immediately removed, it added.
But parents at the prestigious school, as well as ordinary citizens and residents of Qatar, were outraged at the gaffe.
@ALHADATH_KSA
— أبو صخر (@saeedsaeedsaee8) 28 September 2016
المفروض المدير يحاكم وتسحب منه الجنسية ويرسل اليهم دامه مغرم فيهم وكذالك صاحب المدرسة
The principal needs to be tried and stripped of his citizenship, then turned away until he stops loving Israelis. The same needs to be done with the school owner.
Displaying the Israeli flag is illegal in Qatar, and although Qatar has trade relationships with Israel it does not recognise its sovereignty.
The circular, which was sent by the school principal and seen by Al Bawaba, described the “unfortunate” incident as an “error of judgement”. It said that the flags had been purchased in the UK, and urged staff to ensure that the incident was not repeated.
The memo added that the international school was an “inclusive” environment and recognized that employees may personally disagree with removing the flags. However, it reminded staff that the school was obliged to abide by the laws of Qatar, and said the Ministry of Education in Qatar thanked the college for its “swift action”.
However, some responses from Doha itself regarded the display of the flags as part of a gradual and sinister process of normalization that needed to be addressed immediately.
@Akhbaar24 اذا لم يعاقب سيتمادى ويعتذر وبعدها سيقلده الاخرون ثم يصبح الامر عادي فهذا هو التطبيع البارد وخطة الصهاينه
— محمد بن علي المري (@mdalmarriG5) 27 September 2016
If he's not punished he will keep going and this will become normal. This is cold normalization, and it's a Zionist plot.
An employee of the school, who chose to remain anonymous, said staff were reluctant to discuss the incident. “It's as if it never happened!” they said.
It's unclear if any Palestinian flags were included in the bunting pack.
