A Roman Catholic church now under construction in Qatar is the first to be built in the Arab emirate since the coming of Islam in the 7th century. Prince Hamad bin Khalifa al-Than, a tolerant emir who assumed office in 1995, decided in 2005 to allow public church buildings for the Christian minority.

Like other countries in the Arabian peninsula, Qatar does not have an indigenous non-Muslim minority, but among the guest-workers that have come there in the past decades are many Christians. The new church will serve no less than a hundred thousand Catholics residing in the tiny emirate, most of whom are from the Philippines, India and Lebanon. A Protestant church is also under construction.

The decision is very controversial among Qatari Muslims.

The building of the church has shocked conservative Muslims of Qatar and has led to heated debates in the local media. Most Qatari Muslims belong to the Wahhabi sect, one of the most conservative currents in Islam and the state-doctrine in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

Opponents of the church quote a Tradition attributed to the prophet Mohammed which reads: "There shall be no two religions in the Arabian peninsula." Alluding to this Tradition, articles have appeared in the local press bearing titles such as "No cross shall be raised under the sky of Qatar and no church-bell shall ring!"

Other Islamic clerics say that Islam allows buildings for non-Muslim worship and that the tradition outlawing other religions in the Arabian Peninsula refers only to Mecca and Medina.

The Catholic church will not have a cross on the outside and will not sanction any missionary activity.  It is scheduled to be open in time to celebrate Easter.