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January 15, 2012 6:50 PM

Qatar? Easy for you to say...

By
60 Minutes Overtime Staff
Topics
Overtime Original

The word "Qatar" has popped up a lot in conversations at "60 Minutes" lately. And how exactly does one pronounce the name of this tiny speck of a Middle Eastern country?

Well, some of us have been pronouncing it "kuh-TAR," others have said something closer to "cutter," and still others have said "KUH-tar." One producer was even overheard calling it "gutter." Several of us just threw up our hands and added an "...or-however-you-say-it" after stating the name of the country Bob Simon visited for his report on the broadcast this week.

So, here at "Overtime," we decided to do some research. We dug out the raw tapes of Bob's interviews with Qataris from all walks of life during his tour of the country.

Turns out, even the natives of Qatar seem to vary in their pronunciation of their country name. To clear up the confusion, we asked Bob Simon to sit down with "Overtime" and help us sort it out.

As Bob pointed out in this week's "Overtime" video, no matter how you say it, you're probably saying it wrong. But, he added, the Qataris are a friendly people and don't seem to mind too much.

Still, we've only got 10 years to figure this out. That's when the World Cup plays in Qatar and the country's name will be on the lips of every soccer fan, sports broadcaster, and news junkie around the world.

Watch: 60 Minutes Overtime, 01.15.12
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Add a Comment
by 60minutes_viewer January 21, 2012 5:32 PM EST
Interesting report, but extremely disappointed you did not report about the treatment the immigrant workers receive. There have been tones of human rights violations and this report did not even elude to them; let alone report them (which would be expected from a high quality program such as 60 minutes).

Immigrant workers are brought into Qatar by promises of high wages but are then forced into underpaid labour once in the country. Laws against forced labour are rarely enforced, and labour laws often result in the detention of the victim. Abuses include sexual trafficking. By the way, I am citing documents from the Department of State not an obscure source.

Also missing from your report is the position of women in the society. Although much better than in other countries (for instance, women are allowed to drive if they have the permission of their husbands), they fall short of what we would consider acceptable in the US.

Hope further reports from the area are much more complete.
Reply to this comment
by Venus_O January 21, 2012 6:03 AM EST
SHAME ON YOU MR. SIMON, for trying to restructure geography and map of the world and re-write thousands of years of history by calling Persian Gulf falsly and erroneously "Arabian GUlf". How much and for what did you sell yourself and dignity and integrity of the title of the "jurnalist" that you were supposed to represent? You play with fires when making such stupid statements in the area that is already aflamed by many fires. Shame on CBS to have people like you in their employment. You owe the viewers, eaders and audiences, as well as the Persian people a big apology.
Reply to this comment
by WNH3 January 24, 2012 9:17 AM EST
Get a grip--it is actually called the Arabian (or Arab) Gulf on that side of the water. And please have a little more respect for Spell-Check.
by KyleIrvine January 16, 2012 7:05 PM EST
Dear Mr. Simon

I am a big fan of 60 Minutes and have been watching it for years. In those years I have come to respect the show and admire the efforts set forth by the staff to get the story right and only deliver facts.

There are challenges the show has faced in the past are too few to name: Dan Rather's reporting of President Bush's military service is probably the only one I can think of in the last decade.
With all the respect and admiration I have for the show, It was a great surprise to me when on your reporting last night on Qatar, when you mentioned it is located in the "Arabian Gulf."

I thought to myself, how can they this one wrong? The term "Arabian Gulf" is in no place that can be verified, trust me, I looked. How did your staff writers come up with the term?

I have my opinions and they may vary from what's being broadcasted, be that as it may, I found your stories valuable and the content to be true. In the days of reality shows and "no typewriter needed" era, 60 Minutes has been a beacon of trust and true journalism.

It sad for me to elaborate what went wrong, whether the writers got it wrong, or you are pandering to you client, and did this intentionally. It is a sad to see 60 Minutes is going to the way of reality shows and "yellow journalism."
Your efforts were admirable while they lasted...

So long Bob Simon
Reply to this comment
by WNH3 January 18, 2012 11:53 AM EST
"Arabian Gulf" is hardly a new term, and is often used on the Arab side of that body of water, which is more usually called the "Persian Gulf." I first became aware of this "controversy" when I lived in the UAE in the early 1970s.
by Sheetal_Dube January 16, 2012 2:56 AM EST
Now only if someone from Qatar could record an Audioname (audioname.com)and post the link here so that everyone knew how to pronounce it correctly.
Reply to this comment
by Uncle_Rob January 15, 2012 8:40 PM EST
Very disappointed in the shallowness of the reporting on this article about Qatar.

There are 250,00 citizens of the country living a Nirvana-like life. There are 1,000,000 mostly-immigrant laborers supporting this lifestyle. What if them? How much of Nirvana to they enjoy?

I'm reminded of H.G. Wells' "Time Machine" future -- the Eloi and the Morlocks.
Reply to this comment
by WNH3 January 18, 2012 12:04 PM EST
Those immigrants are, presumably, in Qatar to earn money for their families back home, or at least to better their own financial & professional situations. Qatar isn't Disneyland, and those workers are not tourists.

As for the Wells reference, I suppose we'll have to wait (IIRC, 802,701 - 2,012 = ) 800,689 years to find out if it pans out.
.

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