A Qatar World Cup ambassador said that homosexuality is damaged in the mind during an interview recently. The remarks, which come just two weeks before the World Cup begins in the Gulf state, add to already existing worries over the country’s treatment of LGBTQ+ people and its human rights record.
“[Homosexuality] is haram. You know what haram [forbidden] means?” Qatar World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman said. “Many things will come to this country during the World Cup. When it comes to LGBT people, it’s crucial that everyone accepts their presence while also adhering to our norms.”
The tournament, which is anticipated to draw 1.2 million foreign tourists to Qatar, has drawn criticism and mistrust ever since FIFA chose the gas-rich nation as the host in December 2010. Faeser, who is also in charge of sports, claimed that during her visit to Qatar a week ago, the country’s prime minister had assured her that supporters would be secure no matter where they were from, who they loved, or what they believed in. Faeser asserts that the prime minister, who also serves as Qatar’s interior minister and intends to personally see Germany’s opening World Cup play against Japan, has not changed his position on the matter.
When Sepp Blatter was president of FIFA, he made the “error” of awarding the World Cup to Qatar. Concerns about the plight of low-paid migrant laborers building the nation’s infrastructure and discriminatory laws that penalize same-sex relationships have plagued the World Cup’s preparations this year. When FIFA’s executive committee controversially decided to hold the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and Russia in 2018, Blatter, then 86, was in charge of FIFA at the time. Blatter asserts that he did not vote for Qatar and that his preference was for Russia and subsequently the United States to host the two competitions as a “gesture of peace.”
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