Qataris brag about a culture that condemns, among other things, homosexuality, with sentences of up to five years in prison
Qatar is a few days away from becoming the center of the football world. The World Cup kicks off on November 20 and will host millions of fans of all colors, although this last point is worrying local authorities. The Qataris are very conservative and boast a culture that, among other things, condemns homosexuality with sentences of up to five years in prison.
Despite such laws and the alleged fraudulent elections, FIFA allowed Qatar to continue to host the 2022 World Cup. In recent months, protests from several Western federations have increased. Denmark will go to the World Cup with a shirt where the country’s emblems are indistinguishable, others like England will wear a rainbow bracelet. These reactions are partly inspired by statements such as those of Nasser Al-Khate, chairman of the organizing committee. “Qatar and its neighbors are much more modest and conservative. That’s what we ask the fans to respect, and we are sure they will,” he warned a year ago.
A direct message to the LGTBI community, which has been denouncing the country’s laws since FIFA designated them as the venue for the World Cup. “Homosexuality is not allowed. Public displays of affection are frowned upon, and that includes everyone,” Al Khater said in an interview on CNN.
It was not the only controversy raised by the chairman of the organizing committee. Regarding the migrant workers who died in the construction of the stadiums, Al Khater boasted of the country’s progress on workers’ rights and well-being: “People also need to recognize the responsibilities Qatar has taken to make progress book, legislate and protect workers”. The truth is that since the major works in Qatar started, about 6,500 migrants have lost their lives. Countries such as India, with 2,711 dead, Nepal (1,641) or Pakistan (824), lead the statistics. Amnesty International (AI) denounced abuses against immigrant workers in a statement two years ago and demanded “urgent” measures to speed up the process of labor law reform.
Qatar’s choice to host the 2010 World Cup marked a before and after in the football world. Subsequent journalistic investigations revealed indications of an alleged fraudulent election of the organizing country thanks to alleged bribes to senior FIFA officials. A judge will rule on these charges in the coming months. The dome that directed football at the time fell like a house of cards, although the new leaders kept Qatar as the organizing country despite anti-gay laws and the thousands of migrant workers who died in the facilities.
Source: La Verdad
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