The foreign minister of Qatar criticized what he described as the “hypocrisy” of those urging a boycott of the World Cup games in retaliation for alleged violations of human rights in the Arab nation.
In an interview with the French Press Le Monde that was published on Thursday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated that the majority of the planet was anticipating the tourney that begins in Doha this month. The minister of foreign affairs added that the blasts were being made by some very small group of individuals.
To be honest, it’s unfortunate, Al Thani believes. The truth is that everyone in the globe is eagerly anticipating this holiday. More than 97% of the tickets have already been sold. We see European nations like France in the top 10 ticket-buying nations.
Despite being the first Middle Eastern nation to host the FIFA World Cup, Qatar has been under fire ever since it was chosen to host the event 12 years ago. Its mistreatment of migrant labor in particular and the country’s human rights conducts have come under scrutiny, prompting demands for teams to boycott the competition entirely.
Human rights organizations heavily criticized the nation for its prior use of the kafala system, which requires workers to be tied to an employer and requires their permission to change jobs in the form of a No Objection Certificate (NOC). According to rights activists, this legislation tied workers’ existence in Qatar to their business owners and encouraged mistreatment and abuse.
In August 2020, Qatar eliminated the kafala system along with other historic developments including the implementation of a minimum wage.
A number of Gulf nations have recently made changes to their kafala systems, which were once used by all six Gulf Cooperation Council nations.
Disputed World Cup in Qatar
Asked why it took so long for Qatar to do away with kafala system, given that all stadiums will have been constructed by 2020, Al Thani said such improvements “take time.” “This is true for any country – it is not unique to Qatar. There are still flaws and we are determined to fix them,” he said.
Deputy prime minister, however, said there was a “double standard” in Europe where “the tiniest occurrence is thrown on the corporation” and that it was unfair to “comprehensively” blame Qatari administration for laborer issues.
He said that he supposes there are certain individuals who don’t comprehend that a little Middle Eastern nation is holding such a big event. The “entire globe is welcome in our nation,” Al Thani stated in the interview, describing Qatar as a “very hospitable country.”
Just as Qatari people are supposed to follow other countries’ laws when visiting, all Doha asks is that fans adhere to Qatar’s rules, he continued.
There won’t be any clashes between security personnel and spectators, according to the deputy prime minister, unless particular actions endanger others. “That is the only situation in which they would intervene.”
Al Thani responded, “they will be free to do so, we would never ban anyone from expressing themselves,” when questioned Doha’s policy if players spoke on social or political topics.
Denmark, Australia, and England are just a few of the competing teams that have brought attention to how migrant workers are treated in Qatar. The deputy prime minister added that Qatar would keep hosting sporting events to “connect” people.
“Our goal is to carry out actions that bind and unify people.” he added. Sport is a crucial instrument for achieving this objective. Major athletic events may be held in our nation with ease.
