As the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar approaches, tension surrounding the event grows.
After human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell was allegedly arrested for an LGBT protest in Qatar to highlight the country’s treatment of the LGBT community, U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly shared his thoughts on LBC radio, claiming he’s “spoken to the Qatari authorities” about gay football fans attending the World Cup.
- Cleverly: “They want to make sure that football fans are safe, secure, and enjoy themselves” and added that Qatar knows they’ll “have to make some compromises.”
- Addressing fans, he added, “please do be respectful of the host nation.” The comment drew its own criticism.
The protest followed Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani’s publicly expressed frustration over the criticism received by Qatar, which has spent an estimated $220 billion on the event.
“Qatar has been subjected to an unprecedented campaign that no host country has received,” he said. “The campaign continues, expands, and includes fabrications and double standards.”
Qatar’s Cry
There could be even more reasons for fans to criticize the Qatar World Cup.
A man hiking from Spain to Doha for the tournament has reportedly been arrested in Iran after having been missing for over three weeks, his family said on Wednesday.
Days before the World Cup begins, Netflix will release “FIFA Uncovered,” a documentary that includes FIFA’s controversial bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Last year, the DOJ said officials working for Russia’s and Qatar’s bids bribed FIFA officials.
