Police have been contacted about a recent assault on a petrol station employee in Qatar, state-run Qatar Fuel (Woqod) has said in response to a public outcry over footage depicting the attack.
A 26-second video clip that appears to be CC camera footage shows an altercation between two men, in which a man in a white thobe standing next to a Landcruiser strikes a Woqod attendant dressed in a blue jumpsuit.
In the video, the petrol station employee falls to the ground unmoving, while another employee looks on.
In a message on its Facebook page yesterday evening, Woqod said it “strongly condemns this unfortunate incident.”
‘Not tolerated’
It did not provide specifics about which gas station the altercation took place in or when it happened, but added:
“WOQOD took immediate action through the involvement of the police in Doha. The person who punched the WOQOD employee has been interviewed by the police and action appropriate to the incident is being taken and is being (pursued) by WOQOD’s legal team.
This has always been WOQOD’s position for all such incidents and has led to successful prosecutions. Such behaviour to WOQOD employees will simply not be tolerated.”
Footage of the assault began circulating on Facebook and Twitter last week, garnering hundreds of comments about social injustice and calls for the perpetrator to be punished.
On Qatar Living, commenter BritExpat said:
“Man’s inhumanity to man. I hope the authorities will trace the moron and take action. I hope – but I don’t think it will happen.”
Other commenters accused Arabs and Qataris in general of being guilty of brutality, and lambasted the state for letting them get away with it. However, some residents decried the stereotyping, saying:
“Don’t speak about Arabs like that … Don’t you have such incidents in your countries ????? does that make all of you bad or Savage ???? respect your self and respect others, or don’t write/speak things like that. by insulting anyone means you are much worst than them…”
Thoughts?
