FIFA President Gianni Infantino has responded to those criticising the football governing body for giving the hosting rights of the upcoming FIFA World Cup to Qatar.
According to him, Europeans criticising Qatar should instead be apolosing to the rest of the World for the next 3,000 years.
The FIFA President said that Europe has no right to criticise Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup because of its own history of enslaving people.
“What we Europeans have been doing around the world in the last 3,000 years, we should be apologising for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people.”
Gianni Infantino, FIFA President
Infantino claimed that he solidarises with people from all walks of life who will be represented at the World cup.
“Today I feel Qatari. Today I feel Arabic. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel (like) a migrant worker.
“Of course I am not Qatari, I am not an Arab, I am not African, I am not gay, I am not disabled. But I feel like it, because I know what it means to be discriminated, to be bullied, as a foreigner in a foreign country. As a child I was bullied – because I had red hair and freckles, plus I was Italian, so imagine.”
Ginni Infantino, FIFA President
Infantino however advised that the best thing to do when one feels discriminated against is “to engage; make friends.“
The FIFA boss assured all who will be participating in the football festival that, their security won’t be jeopardised in anyway.
“But when it comes to the security of people – you spoke about LGBT – everyone’s security is guaranteed, from the highest level of the country. This is the guarantee that we gave and we stick to it,” he said.
Infantino downplayed the eleventh-hour U-turn by the Qatari authorities to ban the sale of alcohol at all stadiums, plus the embargo on all forms of LGBTQ+ activism, by insisting that he is in “200% control of this World Cup.”
The Reasons for the Criticisms
Qatar has been under massive criticism since it succeeded in its bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The very first criticism was its treatment of migrant workers who were at the forefront of building the eight (8) stadiums to be used for the World Cup.
In the last 12 years since Qatar started preparing to host the World Cup, there have been reports of migrant worker deaths that range from a few dozen to several thousands.
Qatar has a set of labour laws known as the ‘kafala system’ which allow Qatari citizens or businesses to confiscate workers’ passports and stop them from leaving the country.
Human rights groups have said that the ‘kafala system’ has given developers including those who were responsible for building the World Cup stadiums, a free rein to exploit workers.
Workers are exposed to grueling working conditions for little pay even though they are not allowed to go home until projects done.
Moreover, the small Islamic country has also been under fire for its attitude towards LGBTQ+ rights.
Qatar has placed a ban on all forms of LGBTQ+ activisms during the World Cup period.
Even though all, including LGBTQ fans are welcome to see the World Cup, Qatar said it frowns on any form of public displays of affection by anyone.
“If you want to express your views on LGBT cause, do so in a society where it will be accepted. Do not come and insult an entire society. We will not change the religion for 28 days.”
Abdullah Ali Ansari, Head of Security -2022 World cup
Qatar’s Sharia law means same-sex sexual activity has punishments ranging from seven years in jail to death by stoning.
Again, the Qatari government placed a ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages in all eight (8) stadiums as well.
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