Qatar once again under scanner for human rights negligence after death threats of a feminist activist

Despite continuous scrutiny over its approach of handling the human rights situation in the country, Qatar has been conveniently ignoring the incidents that are taking place in its territory. Part of the reason for this approach is a failed leadership which ignores pressing concerns of someone’s life.

The ignorance was highlighted in the media recently when it was revealed that a femist activist Noor al-Maadeed had demanded help from the Qatari authorities after she found that there was a plot against her where she might actually get killed. Even after being informed and asked for help, the authorities did not do anything to protect its residence.

She has been missing since mid-October this year, which was the same time she returned to Qatar from the United Kingdom. The young activists left the country two years ago after she an alleged murder attempt was planned on her and she documented eac of her move on social media. This created a lot of buzz in and around the region and Qatar was pressured to work on its human rights policies.

She chose to return to the country after authorities assured her that her safety will be taken care of by the security personnels but that promise has also been broken. This was noticed when she had abruptly stopped posting about herself on social media–Twitter and Instagram.

The followers she has started to express their concern for her because she has been silent for many days. Soon a hashtag called whereisNoof started trending. The matter was taken to the Qatari officials who said that she is safe and is in good health but they were unable to let her speak publicly because of her request of privacy.

“She said that if she is not posting on social media then it means she is dead. So we are just acting based on what she told us to do,” said Khalid Ibrahim, head of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) while talking to the Guardian.

As per other reports in media, the activist has been held against her will in a psychiatric wing where she is being treated for the ‘issues’ that her family feels she is dealing with. Many started to doubt the situation and it was when Rothna Begum, senior women's rights researcher at Human Rights Watch that they had not heard from her for two months when concerns began piling up.

She has been extremely critical of Qatar’s affairs and authorities neglecting women’s rights. Outspoken and blunt by nature, she started raising voice for thousands of women from the nation even when she was in the country two years and continued to do the same after fleeing away.