It was a huge surprise last week to learn of a new museum dedicated to a deeply sensitive topic: slavery in the Gulf. More surprising still, the museum is excellent. The slavery museum, one of four heritage museums built as part of Doha’s massive Msheirib Downtown project, had been kept under wraps and is not yet open to the public. The VIP ribbon cutting ceremony led by Sheikha Mouza bint Nasser, chairperson of Qatar Foundation, allowed prominent Qataris the opportunity to view the completed exhibits firsthand, before opinions formed elsewhere.