‘Ancestral Meadows: A Matter of Trust’ has been confirmed to be the slogan for Qatar National Day 2021 to honour Qatar’s environment.
The slogan for this year’s Qatar National Day (QND) has been revealed by authorities as ‘Ancestral Meadows: A Matter of Trust’.
The State National Day Celebrations Organising Committee announced the slogan on Monday, which aims to pay tribute to immemorial customs and exemplify Qataris’ gratitude toward their environment, as well as their belonging to the land.
From the time of its birth, Qatar’s people and leadership has maintained a close-knit relationship with the land.
The new slogan is based on the poetry of the founder of Qatar, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani, founded the nation on 18 December 1878 CE.
“Oh, how many caravans have passed by, Leaving behind vestiges of the fluctuations of the times, Abodes our sights are accustomed to as the seasons slip by, Our meadows ornamented with herbs,” reads Sheikh Jassim’s verse that inspired the slogan.
The words are also a manifestation of trust in the land, and highlights Qatar’s beginnings as a desert that came to bloom. It also encompasses Qatar’s nature, sea and seasons as a source of national pride.
“[Qataris] were raised by the characteristics of the land, coexisting with its nature, the colours of its soil and sea, the seasons, and they explored its depths so that it formed their personality and identity,” revealed the State National Day Celebrations Organising Committee.
“Our celebration of the National Day this year is inspired by our loyalty to the legacy of our forefathers in preserving their homeland, thanking Allah through their action, beyond words, for the cultivation of this gifted land. And with this, we will have rendered the trust to its people: the coming generations,” said Chairman of the State National Day Celebrations Organising Committee and Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali.
QND slogans of the past
QND slogans are mostly derived from the verses and works of Qatar’s founder, Sheikh Jassim.
In 2020, QND’S slogan was ‘We praise You, o, the Lord of the Throne, we accept your judgment in all actions’ inspired by a poem by the late sheikh. The slogan was meant to represent the foundation of faith and strength on which Qatar was founded.
2019 saw inspiration for the slogan derived from Sheikh Jassim’s lamentation for his martyred son. “The path of excellence is difficult. Ten years embraced glory and arts, Obtained all excellence and manliness,” it read. It expressed the inevitability of challenges, and praised Qatar for its preparedness for any and all challenges that may arise for the country.
In 2018, QND’s slogan was revealed to say “as long as it was proven by our deeds’, a line from a poem by Sheikh Jassim, followed by ‘Qatar will remain free,’ a verse from the national anthem. The two sources of inspiration combined created a slogan that fell under the theme of resilience against the unjust 2017 blockade against Qatar.
A similar theme came in 2017, with the slogan being the “Promise of Prosperity and Glory,’ this time taken from a quote by Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The slogan promised of a bright and prosperous future despite the blockade by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, and Bahrain, which was imposed on Qatar that very year.
