By Salman Al-Khanji
He sits every day at a different coffee shop in Doha. Stacks of the daily newspapers lay on the table waiting to be unfolded, marked, highlighted and cut up. On the corner of the table are two sets of eyeglasses. Sipping espresso with three sweet and low, he quickly reads the newspaper to find the stories of the day. This is a story of a man who loves his country and it’s people. He is open minded and committed to helping the community. He is a businessman, a writer, a social environmental and a human rights activist. You will find him “the soldier” at any seminar, event and or social gatherings in Doha. He is everywhere you turn. He is Hassan Ibrahim Almulla Al Jefairi.
Al Jefairi was born in Brahat Al Jefairi, an area in the heart of Doha, al Musherib. He comes from a middle-class conservative family with strong values. His ancestors were seamen and sea traders. His great grandfather was a famous naval captain named Ibrahim who commanded the “Maqdim”. His grandfathers and father were the most influential men in his life. They had very strong personalities that came from their experience of the environment, which they lived in at that time. At their time, they owned a shop, which was the center of political discussion. People from all around the area would sit freely expressing their political views with members of the Al Thani family and other locals. This was an important factor in Al Jefairi’s life, which shaped his personality and left an imprint. He describes himself as “Hassan Al Jefairi, the voice of democracy and the oxygen of freedom in Qatar.” He is passionate about his work as a writer and activist. He is referred by some ex-pats as “ the nightmare” because once you give him the microphone; he does not stop voicing his opinion. Despite this, Al Jefairi continues daily to advocates hot topics such as fighting for quality education and hiring qualified experienced native English speaker to teach in Qatari independent schools. He speaks about the domestic workers that are often subjected to abuse that in some cases amounts to slavery. “The labour law is not protecting them,” Al Jefairi says. Dan Hague, an American audiovisual expert and friend of Al Jefairi says, “At times it is a thankless position” fighting for human right. “Quite so fearless” it takes courage and persistence “ He went on to say “I never found anyone with that kind of courage to talk about those kind of issues.” Dan Hague met Al Jefairi through his son Fahed who was a student at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar studying business administration. Fahed was an active intelligent student in the community.
He was always asked to be the spokes person at youth seminars in Qatar and abroad. Al Jefairi fight to advocate and voice his opinion became stronger when his son “Fahed” died in a car accident in 2005. This was the saddest day of Al Jefairi’s life when he received the news on the phone. According to Al Jefairi, he learned that his son was invited to a youth conference in Bahrain through a youth club, which taught radical and extreme ideas. The death of his son changed the course of his life. It gave him the strength and courage to stand up and speak against what he saw as wrong. He wanted to improve the quality of life for the betterment of the Qatari people.
As a child growing up, he looked up to his father who taught him patient, bravery, and struggles of life’s road. When he complained of the bounty he had, his father would remind him of the blessings. He learned to appreciate the basic necessity of food and water because it was rare in the past. Al Jefairi’s father told him how hard life was in those days. People would kill each other over fresh water that was found in an area near Ras Al Khaima. Al Jefairi talks much about Qatar’s past history to many ex-patriots to clear misconceptions about Qatari culture and traditions. He explains that Qatar is not a new civilization but existed for hundreds of years. Qatar has always had an identity and culture. Listening to Al Jefairi talk about Qatar’s past history, I see how proud he is to be a Qatari. He loves the Qatari people. He recalls his first day of school being dragged by one of his relative by his arm to the bus. Frighten, he cried because he thought school was a place were bad things were taught. Crying in a corner of the class room, the students began to sing “madrasatiy madrasatiy kall ma fiee ha Hassan “ my school my school everything is nice”. He heard his name Hassan and thought they were singing about him. He stood up and said to the children and teacher “ya Hassan it means good” “ I am Hassan” “ My name is Hassan”. “They all laughed at me, but I stopped crying and since then I loved the school” This chorus made Al Jefairi like the school. He excelled in school and later in his youth became popular and the best tennis player and goalkeeper.
Al Jefairis loves to write about birds because as a child the pigeons liked him and love to play with him in the hot afternoons. They would often fly over him and form shade to protect him from the sun light. “Pigeons symbolize peace”, he said “and I am a man of peace”.
He studied in the Arab University in Beirut in 1970, and was frustrated when he compared the open society with the conservative. He didn’t have the freedom to express himself in the past. He became active when democracy came to Qatar in 1996. Qatari’s were given the freedom of speech. This would be the beginning of Al Jefairi true struggle to fight for truth and the rights of Qatari’s. While studying in the United Kingdom, he visited the courts, which helped him to learn how to speak in front of people. He took drama courses as well, which helped him stand in front of an audience.
He is a funny man with a sense of humor. When he studied in the UK. He explained how he invited his friends over at the end of the month when he was completely broke without any money. He would serve them bread sandwiches. It consisted of a piece of bread on the top and the bottom with the middle piece of bread dabbed with a bit of water. He giggled and smiled shrugging his shoulder. “That’s all I could afford to offer my friends”.
His favorite books are “Around the world in 80 days” and “Black beauty”. Around the world in 80 days reminded him of himself, a man of adventures.
When asked, where and when would want to live in at any time? He answered “Hasten’s in the 1970’s.” Because he knew the people and they love him. Hague describes Al Jefairi as a friend who is there for you at a drop of a hat. He further added “What more can you ask”
Al Jefairi believes he will never get older. He said, “If Al Jefairi is in ten events today, tomorrow you will see him in twenty. ‘He will always be active until he dies”, he added. He often speaks of himself in the second person. He continues to say he would like to be remembered as Hassan Al Jefairi, a brave Qatari activist who is fighting for equal opportunities, freedom of speech, empowering women, for a cleaner environment and reducing the gap between the rich and poor. He wants all Qatar Foundation students to remember him when they wake up in the morning and see the Qatari sunshine upon their faces. He goes further saying, you can find him every morning if you concentrate on the morning light, whether dead or alive because “When I die my body will die but my soul “Hassan Al Jefairi spirit” will never die”. “I am feeling younger everyday”! I am Hassan Al Jefairi.
