| "Every day I asked them if they'd had news from Baghdad; at first they had and their families were safe but with time, little by little they lost touch, there was no line anymore, and they no longer knew what was happening." Emma lives in Tean with her parents and brother. She enjoys travelling, discovering new cultures and learning new languages. Emma is studying towards her PhD at the University of Nottingham.
I wanted to tell my story as I experienced an Islam that is different to the understanding of Islam generally found in the West. I wanted to emphasise that the people in Qatar cared for me and looked after me. They did this regardless of the fact that I was a Christian and they were Muslim.
The Inside Lives experience has been excellent. I have been moved by some of the stories and I will never forget them! It was a great chance to learn new skills and I really enjoyed the session on the editing software!
Qatar is a small peninsula that juts out into The Persian Gulf and borders with Saudi Arabia. I spent two years working as a teacher in Qatars capital, Doha. I have always been curious about the way others live and I wanted to experience what it was like to live in an Islamic state, to live as the religious minority. I heard the call to prayer very early in the morning, the first in 5 prayers throughout the day, every prayer reminded me of my existence - that I had been created. It was a poignant sound, particularly during the Iraq war. In spite of the war, I decided to stay in Qatar, but was in contact with The British Embassy in case I'd have to be evacuated. The school was closed for a few days when the war started but my attention was taken more by some Iraqi women that I worked with. Every day I asked them if they'd had news from Baghdad; at first they had and their families were safe but with time, little by little they lost touch mobiles buzzed dead, landlines became fuzzy, communication intermittent until one morning there was nothing, there was no line anymore, and they no longer knew what was happening. And this was the reality of the war - for days, for weeks they didnt know but they prayed and said "inshalla", meaning God willing, everything will be OK. Now Im back in the UK and seem to keep hearing about an Islam that I do not recognise. In Qatar women drove, worked, socialised and I never heard of anyones hand being chopped off. When I was feeling far from home I was invited to Qatari homes. When I had a car accident it was my Qatari friend who helped me, when I was poorly, my Tunisian friend cooked for me and an old Afghani man made it his personal duty to take me to school in his taxi every morning without fail. Each of these friends prayed and led an Islamic life; their faith both touched and impressed me. | 
