One and a half million followers from all around the world are anticipated to go to Qatar to observe the World Cup finals, which begin on 20 November.
However the Gulf state, which follows strict Muslim legal guidelines, is receiving an rising variety of complaints about its stance on same-sex relationships.
What’s Qatar’s stance on homosexual rights?
Gay acts are unlawful in Qatar as a result of they’re thought-about to be immoral beneath Islamic Sharia regulation.
Punishments embrace fines, jail sentences of as much as seven years – and even loss of life.
Qatar’s World Cup organisers state “everyone seems to be welcome” to go to the nation to observe the soccer matches and claims nobody might be discriminated in opposition to.
Nevertheless, Qatar 2022 chief govt, Nasser al Khater, says the federal government is not going to change its legal guidelines on homosexuality and has requested guests to “respect our tradition”.
He has stated that in Qatar any public shows of affection between {couples} – whether or not homosexual or straight – are frowned upon.
Human Rights Watch has lately released a report saying that Qatari safety forces are persevering with to arrest residents who’re homosexual, lesbian, and transgender, typically forcing them to endure conversion remedy.
Qatar’s authorities has stated the report incorporates false allegations.
How have individuals been protesting?
Australia’s soccer squad has launched a video urging Qatar to abolish its legal guidelines on same-sex relationships.
Within the video, the squad additionally criticises Qatari employers for his or her therapy of an estimated 30,000 migrant employees who’ve been constructing services for the World Cup finals.
Many employees are stated to have died or been injured due to poor well being and security measures on constructing websites.
Denmark’s soccer gamers say they’ll put on a “toned-down” all-black equipment to protest in opposition to Qatar’s human rights’ document.
England’s captain Harry Kane, together with the captains of 9 different groups from Europe, will put on ‘One Love’ armbands to protest in opposition to Qatar’s anti-homosexuality legal guidelines.
Paris, and different French cities, are refusing to display screen World Cup matches in public areas, regardless of France being the defending champions.
British LGBT rights campaigner Peter Tatchell says he was “arrested and detained on the kerbside” whereas protesting in Qatar’s capital, Doha.
The Qatari authorities has stated claims of an arrest are “fully false”.
Why was Qatar chosen because the World Cup host?
In 2010, Qatar clinched the rights to the World Cup after successful a poll of Fifa’s 22 govt members. It defeated bids from the US, South Korea, Japan and Australia.
It’s the first Arab nation to host the event.
Qatar was accused of paying Fifa officers £3m ($3.7m) in bribes to safe their backing, however was cleared after a two-year investigation.
On the time, Fifa’s then-chairman, Sepp Blatter, supported Qatar’s bid, however has since said the organisation may have made the wrong decision.
What can World Cup followers count on in Qatar?
Qatar, which has a inhabitants of two.9 million, is among the world’s wealthiest international locations thanks to grease and fuel exports.
It has constructed seven stadiums particularly for the event.
Greater than 100 new motels, a brand new metro and new roads are additionally being constructed.
As a conservative Muslim nation, consuming in Qatar is often restricted to bars in luxurious motels. A pint of beer can price £10 ($13).
World Cup organisers say that during the finals, alcohol will be served “in select areas within stadiums”, for 3 hours earlier than matches and for one hour afterwards.
Alcoholic drinks will even be out there in a 40,000-capacity fan zone in Doha, and there might be zones the place drunken followers can go to sober up.
Why is the World Cup not going down in summer season, as traditional?
The World Cup finals are being held between 20 November and 18 December – when the temperature in Qatar is often round 25C (77F).
Had the finals been held in June and July, as they usually are, the matches would have been performed in temperatures exceeding 40C and presumably reaching 50C.
Qatar initially proposed to host the finals in the course of the summer season in air-conditioned enclosed stadiums, however the plan was rejected.
What’s tough about holding the World Cup later within the 12 months?
November and December are busy months for European soccer golf equipment. Many main gamers might be referred to as as much as play for his or her international locations at Qatar 2022.
European leagues together with England’s Premier League, Italy’s Serie A and Spain’s La Liga are suspending their seasons per week forward of the worldwide event.
Matches will restart after the competitors has completed.
