Trending stories on Twitter this week ranged from how Emiratis and Qataris are uniting against a hashtag calling for a boycott of the UAE, to the question of what you would say to an online stalker. In a lively week, social media users also pondered the nature of happiness and what the world needs.
Boycott backlash
Five Qataris were found guilty of insulting members of the UAE ruling family. When their sentences were handed down, a hashtag sprang up calling for a boycott of the UAE. However, what emerged was people from both Qatar and the UAE defending the court decision and stressing the close ties between the two countries.
Mohammed @mreyaysa tweeted: “Our love for Qatar is endless. We come from the same blood and hereditary. Anyone who tries to go against the rules of Qatar or the UAE must be punished.”
Haya @Haya30048515 noted: “The UAE and Qatar have a strong bond, we share blood and hereditary. No one can cut relations with his family.”
@AbdullahUAE711 said: “There are historic, Islamic and hereditary links between the UAE and Qatar. They cannot force us apart with a hashtag.”
Twitter stalker
What would you say to somebody who is keeping too close an eye on your Twitter account? Social media users have been sharing their opinions, serious or otherwise, about how to deal with a cyber stalker.
@__Brlnt said: “It is better that he comes and talks to me instead of this attention.”
Heba @HebaAlSamt took a more light-hearted view, saying a good response to a stalker would be: “I hope you are liking my tweets today.”
@_hfc54 was a bit analytical: “There are two types of people who are watching you. One is a silent lover, and that is very rare. The other is just trying to find something against you, and that is the most common case.”
@almarri__ha used emoticons in his 19-times retweeted post. He wrote: “I don’t think someone is watching. But if there is, I hope they retweet this.”
In a similar vein, @uniwEG5bNd6uQyX asked stalkers to “RT and let me know who you are”.
Happiness is ...
Can happiness be described in a few words? Well, some tweeters gave it a go.
Heba @HebaAlSamt: “Happiness is realising the value of what we have, not just what we want.”
@Lolo3537: “Every deed that brings us closer to Allah.”
Reflecting the Islamic belief, @foofo14370 wrote: “Happiness lies at your mother’s feet.”
@1409mmm10 said: “To sleep without debt, having a good job and living in a house you own.”
@hanona_77 said happiness “is in the rain, the sound of rainfall and the smell of rain”.
What the world needs
With the Arab world undergoing so many changes, Twitter users decided to share their wish lists for the future.
@HgHs121 tweeted a long list for what the world needs, including “the right kind of education, good knowledge from reading, men respecting women, dialogue, and respect for the mind, thought and oneself”.
Khaled @k_alayed: “Justice, loyalty, peace and equality.”
Sameh @scorpionlawer: “More humanity and patience.”
@joodalkeer: “Knowledge and awareness, so we can become wise.”
@asme_nset: “To abide Allah. This will help change everything in our lives.”
And, finally, from Jassim @Q892: “To learn how can we enjoy our day without using our phones.”
Sarah Khamis is The National’s social media editor
salalawi@thenational.ae
On Twitter: @SarahKhamisUAE
