Qatar 2022 and Human Rights

As the World Cup gets closer, Qatar has come under the spotlight over its human rights record since it earned the right to host world football’s biggest event (November 20-December 18). 

 

Human Rights Watch were quick to pounce on Qatar’s human rights record, including around the rights of migrant workers, severe restrictions on free expression and peaceful assembly, state policies that discriminate and facilitate violence against women, and a repressive environment against LGBTI+ residents and visitors. 

 

Qatar has repeatedly pushed back, insisting the country has improved protections for migrant workers and claiming the criticism is outdated and that LGBTI+ fans won’t face arrest. 

 

In a televised speech Tuesday, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani (left) said his country has been subjected to an unprecedented campaign of criticism no host country has ever faced over the World Cup. 

 

“We initially dealt with the matter in good faith, and even considered that some criticism was positive and useful, helping us to develop aspects of ours that need to be developed”, the emir told Qatar’s legislative council. 

 

“But it soon became clear to us that the campaign continues, expands and includes fabrication and double standards, until it reached a level of ferocity that made many question, unfortunately, about the real reasons and motives behind this campaign”. 

 

Already in September, many of the 13 European teams which qualified for the tournament said their captains will wear an armband with a heart-shaped, rainbow design at games to support the “One Love” campaign against discrimination – even as they knew the gesture is a clear breach of FIFA rules. 

 

The Australian men’s football team issued a three-minute video on October 27 calling on Qatar to improve its conditions for migrant workers and change its LGBTI+ laws. 

 

Football Australia also released a separate statement which said: “The tournament has been associated with suffering for some migrant workers and their families and this cannot be ignored”.

 

And in an interview with the ARD network aired on Thursday, Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (right) cast doubt on whether the Gulf state should host the football World Cup, saying: “There are criteria that must be adhered to and it would be better that tournaments are not awarded to such states”. 

 

A day later, Qatar summoned Germany’s ambassador to protest against the comments. 

 

If these participating countries feel so strongly about workers and LGBTI+ rights and that Qatar is guilty as charged by HRW, why don’t they withdraw from the World Cup in protest? 

 

A bunch of hypocrites, they are!