We came over brow of the four-lane highway to be greeted by something shining extremely brightly in the distance below.

For the late Sister Ethel Nomoyle, an Irish nun who established the Missionvale Care Centre in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), her first encounter with the area had been sun glinting off thousands of tin shacks. For me, in Qatar, it was a car park full of vehicles reflecting the sun in Doha’s Religious Complex.

Not one or two cars, mind you, but thousands of vehicles, including buses.

The Religious Complex, which houses all the Christian churches related to the Protestant, Orthodox and Catholic groups, has a massive car park for 8000-plus vehicles. It is found close to Barwa City.

On Good Friday, all 8000-plus parking spots and the surrounding wasteland was brim-full with cars that had carried the Christian faithful to church.

I was, and still am, pretty gob-smacked by this. I mean, this is the Middle East. It’s a Muslim country. And yet, I have seen more Christians gathered here than I have ever witnessed at any one time in South Africa or anywhere else for that matter.

How come, you ask?

So, this is what I have learnt to date.

Embracing others

One of the noticeable traits of the Qataris, led by the ruling al Thani family, is their hospitality. They genuinely embrace foreigners, and endeavour to make outsiders feel welcome. Hospitality is part of their culture.

The Quran, which is the central religious text of Islam, requires its followers to be loving and cooperative of their neighbours. That neighbourliness extends to people beyond their own faith as Muslims.

Mindful of this, and the reality that foreigners, many of whom are not Muslim, make up 90% of the population, the ruling Qatari government set aside land in Doha for “people of the book” to enable them to practice their faith at a dedicated site.

This happened in the early 2000s. The Religious Complex, which is about 25 minutes’ drive from the city centre, in an area called Ar Rayyan, officially opened in 2006.

I am told that before then, services were held in school halls and the like.

Religious Complex

Within the Religious Complex, which probably is on par in size with the Bay West Shopping Mall in Gqeberha, are dozens of church buildings, but neither a spire nor steeple to be seen. The parking area surrounds the Religious Complex, which stands behind six-foot walls.

All roads lead to the Religious Complex for the Christian faithful on Fridays.

There are four key divisions within the complex – the Orthodox, the Protestants, the Catholics and the Inter-Denominational Christian Community, who are all Indian. The Catholics account for the largest numbers.

On high days and holidays (Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and the “cross-over” service at New Year) there are queues to get into church.

Security checks

There are security checks to enter the church complex, with parishioners showing their Etheraz (the vaccination status app) and/or other passes.

On special days in the Christian calendar, church services sometimes start late to accommodate those who are still in the long queues at the security checks outside.

Yes, travelling for 25 minutes or more, dependent on where you live, parking in a car lot that’s bigger than those supporting large shopping malls and then queuing to go through security, is a tad different from ambling around the corner to your local church. That, at least, is what I used to do – take a 12-minute walk to St John the Baptist Anglican Church, in Walmer, Gqeberha.

People of all nationalities walk long distances from their cars and the bus stops to come to church which, in Doha, mainly takes place on a Friday.

The Religious Complex is a destination church.    

Anglican Church of Epiphany

The Anglican Church of Epiphany, which heads up the protestant division within the massive complex, has 51 nationalities in its own Friday and Sunday services, but there are as many as 90 other groups from different countries around the world who worship in the 20-odd rooms of varying sizes.

About 51 different nationalities worship at the Anglican Church of Epiphany, Doha.
Children attend Friday School (Sunday School). Here they lead the Palm Sunday celebrations.

These rooms are used by different denominations at different times, which means there’s an operational team running the Anglican Centre. As one group finishes worshipping, the next is awaiting its turn, but only after the room has been cleaned and prepared to meet strict COVID protocols.

And there’s a waiting list to use the facilities!

The Anglican Church of the Epiphany formally opened its doors in 2006 at the Religious Complex and oversees numerous other buildings which are used by Christians of other denominations from all over the world. The Church of the Epiphany sanctuary can accommodate up to 600 worshippers outside of COVID restrictions.

Diversity / Sense of belonging

The Christian faith which follows the same practices and rituals in its services means that different nationalities are able to come to worship together. This shared understanding and common purpose offers individuals a sense of belonging.

While the believers may all look, sound and dress differently, it’s their faith that brings everyone together. The shared Anglican rituals of the service are the same regardless of your nationality and, offers a sense of belonging. The tunes of the songs or hymns, and the words of the Eucharist, for example, are all the same, they’re simply sung or said in a different language.

(I have sung in both Tamil and Arabic – or at least tried to – because I know the English version of the song).   

As shared, despite our differences, there is more that unites us as people from around the globe than sets us apart.

Parishioners come together after their working day to make palm crosses.

Church times

Since Sunday is a working day in the Middle East, Friday is now treated like you would a Sunday in South Africa and much of the western world.

The majority of the services take place on Friday, but they do start on Thursday evening (the start of the weekend here). The Seventh Day Adventists come in on a Saturday, and the truly committed will also try to come on Sunday after a full day’s work.

Easter

Easter is the highpoint in the Christian faith and even though Easter Sunday falls on a working day here, many take leave to attend church, and they dress up for the occasion too.  All this praise and worship of Jesus is acceptable within the structured confines of the church, but evangelising is not acceptable elsewhere. It’s then that the Qataris might become less than hospitable to their neighbours. 

But generally, you are welcome to wave your palm branches, hand out palm crosses, purchase your Easter eggs and, in our case, even make arrangements with a local baker to make hot cross buns for the congregants.

We were pleasantly surprised to each receive a hot cross bun after the Easter service. They’d been especially baked by a local baker who baked them using a recipe provided by the church.

With more than 500 people attending the two Friday services, that’s a good few dozen buns.

(PS. They weren’t quite up to the Woolies hot cross bun standard, but they were lovely and spicey).

Blessings!

This new car and all who will travel within it received a blessing. Given my experience of the traffic in Doha, I can appreciate this!

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