One and a half million followers from all around the world are anticipated to go to Qatar to look at 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 of to be immoral below Islamic Sharia regulation.
Punishments embody fines, jail sentences of as much as seven years – and even dying.
Qatar’s World Cup organisers state “everyone seems to be welcome” to go to the nation to look at the soccer matches and claims nobody might be discriminated in opposition to.
Nonetheless, 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 mentioned that in Qatar any public shows of affection between {couples} – whether or not homosexual or straight – are frowned upon.
Human Rights Watch has not too long ago launched 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 mentioned the report comprises 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 remedy of an estimated 30,000 migrant staff who’ve been constructing services for the World Cup finals.
Many staff are mentioned 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 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 mentioned 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 match.
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 mentioned the organisation might have made the unsuitable choice.
What can World Cup followers anticipate in Qatar?
Qatar, which has a inhabitants of two.9 million, is without doubt one of the world’s wealthiest international locations thanks to grease and gasoline exports.
It has constructed seven stadiums particularly for the match.
Greater than 100 new inns, a brand new metro and new roads are additionally being constructed.
As a conservative Muslim nation, consuming in Qatar is generally restricted to bars in luxurious inns. A pint of beer can price £10 ($13).
World Cup organisers say that in the course of the finals, alcohol might be served “in choose areas inside stadiums”, for 3 hours earlier than matches and for one hour afterwards.
Alcoholic drinks will even be obtainable 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 normal?
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 probably 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 yr?
November and December are busy months for European soccer golf equipment. Many main gamers might be known 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 match.
Matches will restart after the competitors has completed.
