Hosting the World Cup in Qatar Is Bigger Than You Think

A world cup overshadowed by the realization that it happens in a country that treats people harshly for daring to love who they want, where women are treated like second-class citizens. and which helps jihadists in their quest to destroy freedom

With just a few days left before the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, billions of football fans are thrilled to see their favorite teams battle it out for the coveted world title. But the event is already engulfed in scandal.

Ever since Qatar was honored to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup and began building stadiums, activists and non-governmental organizations have raised concerns about the treatment of migrant construction workers. There were credible allegations of forced labor and thousands died on the job. The indifference and meager response of the Qatari government has led some football players and private sponsors to raise their voices against the regime.

But the problem with Qatar hosting the World Cup goes deeper than that, and it has to do with the regime’s reason for hosting the event in the first place.

The Qatari regime is trying to whitewash its fundamentally authoritarian character.

Second-class citizens

This is a regime that oppresses women. Under the Qatari “guardianship” system, women are not allowed to make their own life decisions.

Without the permission of a male relative, a woman cannot engage in certain activities, get married or travel. Unless they are married, it is nearly impossible for women to access basic reproductive services such as prenatal care and ultrasounds.

Extramarital sex can be punished with up to seven years in prison, flogging, and sometimes the death penalty.

LGBT: police brutality, jail and death penalty

In addition, same-sex relationships are also punishable by up to seven years in prison and the possibility of the death penalty in some cases, and there have been reports of police brutality against gay men during detention.

It is almost impossible to speak out against oppression because of censorship. Criticism of the emir, the ruling family, and Islam is prohibited, and foreign publications containing “unacceptable” political, religious, or sexual content are generally banned. Journalists resort to self-censorship because they face jail time if their reporting is deemed slander or “false news” by the government.

Totalitarian Islamic rule

Qatar is not only violating the rights of its own people, it has warm relations with the Taliban, who seek totalitarian Islamic rule. Not surprisingly, the Qatari regime supports the bloodthirsty jihadist group Hamas.

Whitewashing the regime's authoritarianism

By hosting sporting events in golf, tennis, motorsport and now the World Cup, Qatar is trying to clean up its image. It seeks to gain undeserved respectability from the rest of the world by associating itself with the teams of some of the freest nations, popular athletes and the truly remarkable values that sport represents. He puts up a façade for fans, international organizations and the press to hide his horrendous violations of human rights.

Freer and better countries, respectable private companies and organizations like FIFA are helping Qatar whitewash its authoritarianism. Qatar needs them to literally and figuratively play ball with him in order to be considered a moral equal.

Turning a blind eye, teams and sports organizations become accomplices of authoritarian regimes. As the philosopher Ayn Rand put it: “To refrain from condemning the torturer is to become an accomplice in the torture and murder of his victims.”

Hardly an innovator

Qatar is hardly an innovator in this ploy; other authoritarian regimes have done this for years. Earlier this year,

China hosted the Winter Olympics (while sending Uyghur Muslims to concentration camps), Saudi Arabia kicked off its LIV golf tournament (following an international outcry over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi; among other brutal rights violations, as I wrote earlier), and Russia hosted the 2018 FIFA World Cup (Russia’s record was horrendous even before the war in Ukraine).

Helping the regime fund oppression and torture

Regimes like Qatar are fundamentally opposed to the values of a free society, and if we truly care about freedom and individual rights, we must do so at home and abroad.

All football fans should be outraged that FIFA has given Qatar the privilege of hosting this event and once again tarnished their favorite sport by allowing an authoritarian regime to exploit it.

The truth is that by allowing Qatar to host the World Cup in November, FIFA is helping the regime fund the oppression and torture of its victims.

My home team from Argentina will play in the World Cup and they say they have a good chance of winning the tournament. For me, if Lionel Messi lifts the cup, that moment will forever be overshadowed by the realization that this happened in a country that treats people harshly for daring to love who they want, where women are treated like second-class citizens. and which helps the jihadists in their quest to destroy freedom.

Source: cablefreetv.org, Agustina Vergara Sid, November 6, 2022

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