Summary
Qatar’s foreign minister has denounced the hypocrisy of boycotters who wish to call for a boycott of the upcoming football World Cup.
Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told Le Monde. That most of the world was excited about the tournament starting in Doha this month. Also that a very small number was making the “attacks” of people
“Unfortunately, this is the reality of today’s world,” Deputy Prime Minister Al Thani said. “People are looking forward to it, and over 97% of all tickets have been sold, with European countries like France.”
Qatar is the first country in the Middle East to host the World Cup. And will be the 22nd country to host, but it has faced a wave of criticism since being awarded the opportunity in 2010. Qatar’s migrant worker treatment and human rights records have been under the spotlight. Also led to calls for different teams to boycott.
Qatar was the first country in the Middle East to host the World Cup. But it has faced criticism due to its treatment of migrant workers and human rights records. Advocates for a boycott have called for all sides not participating in the tournament.
There was widespread criticism from human rights groups for the previous use of Qatar’s kafala system. There are also called No Objection Certificates. The reforms, a law that tied workers to an employer, allowed workers to change jobs without their employer’s permission.
These changes led to new legal protections, including a minimum wage. In recent years, Gulf states have had several reform measures to their kafala systems, once prevalent across the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
‘Double standard’
Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Thani responded to why it took so long to reform the Kafala system in Qatar, considering that all the stadiums had been built by 2020.
“Reforms take time,” he said. “Not just in Qatar, but in any country. Of course, there are still flaws, and we are determined to fix them.”
Al Thani insisted that there is a “double standard” when people blame the Qatari government for the problems with workers, but Europe gets off without any blame for any incidents.
He said that most people are just proud of the country’s efforts and think it’s amazing that they were able to host such a global event.
‘Very welcoming country
In the interview, Al Thani said Qatar was a “very welcoming country” and that the “entire world is welcome in our country”.
Qatar hosts fans from all over the world and is a very welcoming country. We ask that fans respect our laws, just as we would respect yours when we visit you.
When asked what policy Qatar would adopt if players were to speak on non-sporting issues, Al Thani said, “they will be free to do so; we will never stop anyone from expressing themselves.”
Several participating teams have highlighted the treatment of migrant workers in Qatar. Stories from Denmark, Australia, and England are all available online.
Meanwhile, the deputy prime minister said that Qatar would continue to host sports tournaments because it’s a way of uniting people.
The World Cup is an example of an event that aims to bring people together and unite them despite some different opinions. It will take place from November 20 to December 18.
Related:
