Arts & Entertainment

Middle East satire site concedes defeat after labourers forced to run Qatari marathon in flip-flops

“This is beyond our capabilities,” says Pan-Arabia Enquirer editor.

Published on April 7, 2015

Editors at semi-popular Middle East satire news website The Pan-Arabia Enquirer yesterday revealed that they had “given up” in their long-running struggle to keep ahead of reality.

The announcement came following last week’s news that labourers working in Qatar had been coerced into taking part in a marathon, with many bussed in from their dormitories and forced to run in jeans and flip-flops as part of a failed bid to break the world record for number of participants.

“Honestly, simply cannot compete in these sorts of conditions,” said Enquirer acting editor Baltimore Stafford in a statement.

“Over the years, we’ve had to deal with a growing trend of real-life trying to outdo satire, especially in Saudi Arabia, but this is beyond our capabilities. To be honest, we could have probably worked around the whole ‘labourers forced to take part in marathon’ bit, but with the addition of flip-flops, jeans and the fact it was a shambolic attempt to break a record, we’ve had to concede defeat.”

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15 Comments

moonsear

April 7, 2015 at 7:29 am

Is this for real? or is it satire of satire…now I am confused

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- Eric
  
  April 7, 2015 at 9:13 am
  
  http://yahoo.thepostgame.com/blog/heroes-villains/201504/workers-qatar-forced-run-marathon-shoeless-bid-guinness-world-record
  
  Reply
Anonymous

April 7, 2015 at 8:50 am

This is where it gets confusing, so are you saying that other marathons don’t wear flip-flops?

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Kellie Whitehead

April 7, 2015 at 11:00 am

Oh it happened. But then doesn’t it all in some shape or form.

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Anonymous

April 7, 2015 at 6:41 pm

its looks fun

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radekal

April 8, 2015 at 9:28 am

It looks like stalinist mentality dominates among the decision makers in this part of the world…

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Ali Mahrji

April 10, 2015 at 7:30 am

I can just imagine you guys sitting in some hipster coffee shop, “oh look, let’s mock Qatar for people running a marathon in flipflops”. Where were you when the guy did exactly that in the Boston marathon, or the one who ran with a fridge on his back in London, or wore a deep sea dive suit…
So typical that you draw a huge tax free salary and spend your time mocking the Middle East.

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- Sheikh me gently
  
  April 14, 2015 at 2:02 pm
  
  The fridge dude didnt wear flip flops
  
  Reply
- Ari
  
  April 27, 2015 at 5:26 am
  
  Don’t you get it? The labourers in Qatar were forced to do it. Like indentured servants. Modern day slaves. They were dragged out of their beds and made to participate in an event they had no inclination to be part of – just so a little desert-peninsula gas-rich state could claim a stupid record. The reason they were wearing flip flops was because they were not runners, and were not interested in participating in the marathon. Anyway I don’t know why I’m explaining this, you must know it, but have a chip on your shoulder about the embarrassing thing some Middle Eastern governments do.
  
  Reply
radekal

April 11, 2015 at 1:02 pm

Ali those guys in Boston and London actually had a choice and did the crazy stuff out of their own free will…anyways laughter is a way of putting up with all the absurds in this crazy world , so try to chill out dude, this is a satirical website…and bloody good one!

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Hugh J Pendage

April 14, 2015 at 11:17 am

As a keen runner myself i would like to know did these guys break any PB’s using these flip flops? Were they Asic or a new fad from Nike? Air cushioned soles perhaps?

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Anonymous

April 14, 2015 at 1:47 pm

Ali, I think you must be on this site by mistake, please go back to reading Wheels magazine.

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Anonymous

April 24, 2015 at 7:02 am

An even greater exmple of reality outpacing satire: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3050739/Saudi-prince-pledges-free-Bentley-pilot-involved-Yemen-air-strikes-claimed-1-000-lives.html

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Hugh G Rekshun

April 27, 2015 at 5:59 am

Hugh J Pendage! What a brilliant moniker. I’d never have thought of anything so funny.

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M. Asif Tajer

May 23, 2015 at 12:16 am

Does the size of the flip-flop really matter

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