WORLD CUP IS JUST A MONTH AWAY.
Qatar's foreign minister has said the country's critics are 'arrogant.
The 2022 World Cup which takes place in Qatar is only a month away. To celebrate the global sports event, FIFA has collaborated with eight emerging artists from different parts of the world to launch the “Spotlight: Your Dreams” campaign. The artworks produced by these global creatives for the games are inspired by the unifying symbolism of the World Cup’s Jules Rimet Trophy. But on the other hand, Qatar's foreign minister has said the country's critics are 'arrogant' and 'cannot accept a small country from the Middle East' is hosting the World Cup, amid criticism of the nation's LGBTQ rights record.
'Preaching from a distance is not a solution, said Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani in an interview. He goes on to say Calling to boycott the World Cup, or those who are not coming to the World Cup, it's their decision at the end of the day, but why deprive the people and the public from attending and enjoying the World Cup.' FIFA awarded the World Cup to Qatar in 2010 and it has since spent tens of billions of dollars on preparations ahead of the competition that kicks off on November 20. But the energy-rich Gulf state has faced constant scrutiny over its treatment of foreign workers as well as its poor record on LGBTQ and women's rights.
Football stars have come under fire for taking money from the Qatari government in the lead up to the tournament, including David Beckham and Gary Neville. Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani has said critics should look to problems in their own countries first, suggesting 'there's a lot of people from around the world who are just seeing this as a sense of arrogance.' 'What kind of message are they sending to their own public?' by boycotting the World Cup, he asked. Qatar's emir raged against what he called an 'unprecedented campaign' of criticism over his country's hosting of World Cup in October, saying no other host nation has ever faced the same level of scrutiny. Energy-rich Qatar has spared no expense in its grand plans for the first World Cup in the Arab world, promising the country will enjoy a lasting legacy. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said the Qatar World Cup, the first in an Arab nation and which is expected to attract at least one million foreign fans, will be the 'best ever.
But since being awarded the honour of hosting the tournament, the country's human rights record and treatment of migrant workers has been firmly in the spotlight. Former Manchester United footballer Gary Neville was humiliated during a guest host appearance on the BBC's Have I Got News For You over his World Cup commentary role in Qatar.
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In February, it was announced that David Beckham agreed a £10million deal to become an ambassador for the country over the decade, which has resulted in him being the face of the advertising campaign for the event. Several captains including Harry Kane are planning to wear armbands in support of LGBTQ rights during the tournament. Human Rights Watch said police in Qatar have arbitrarily detained and abused members of the LGBTQ community ahead of the World Cup next month. Homosexuality is illegal in the Gulf state.
HRW said it had 'documented six cases of severe and repeated beatings and five cases of sexual harassment in police custody between 2019 and 2022'. The most recent case was in September, only two months before the World Cup, the US-based rights group said. Four transgender women, one bisexual woman and one gay man all told how members of the interior ministry's Preventive Security Department detained them in an underground prison in Doha.
It was revealed last week that Prince William will not travel to Qatar to watch England play in the World Cup. Prince William has long been a staunch advocate for LGBTQ rights. In 2016, he became the first royal to appear on the cover of gay magazine, Attitude. It has also emerged that Amnesty International has urged Fifa to pay at least £350million of compensation to Qatar stadium workers for the 'human rights abuses' they have been subjected to.
