From Amsterdam – New book calls for international campaign against Qatari violations
Dutch and Belgian athletes launched a new book entitled “Nooit Meer Qatar”, in conjunction with a book launch at the Olympic Stadium in the Dutch capital Amsterdam.
The book reveals the controversy surrounding FIFA’s decision to grant Qatar the right to host the World Cup, despite Qatar’s poor human rights record and the long history of human and labor rights violations committed by the Qatari regime.
Sportswashing
The book reveals new evidence of thousands of migrant workers dying while building World Cup infrastructure, and details the Qatari government’s horrific history of labor rights abuses, discrimination, lack of press freedom, and violations of women’s rights, according to a Human Rights Watch report.
According to the report, this book reveals the lies of the government and the Qatari authorities who tried to spread it using public relations mechanisms.
Human Rights Watch contributed a chapter to the book, highlighting the human rights violations committed by Qatar since 2010, when it was granted World Cup hosting rights. The organization also warned in its report that other countries may try to cover up dismal human rights records by hosting attractive sporting events, a move known as Sportswashing.
International movement
Human Rights Watch called on all international sports institutions, including the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the Governing Body of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), to put human rights first.
It continued: Specifically, FIFA must allocate at least $440 million, the equivalent of the World Cup, to compensate the families of migrant workers who died organizing the World Cup, and World Cup fans and players can help by putting pressure on FIFA to do so.
It added: While many journalists deserve credit for whistling violations and attempted sports washing, some media organizations deserve a red card to help Qatar cover up its dire human rights and press freedom record.
On June 12, the Swiss-based International Sports Press Association will hold the awards ceremony in Doha.
The Dutch Sports Journalists Association said: In recent years all the Western media have repeatedly reported on abuses in Qatar.
With the World Cup looming, it is crucial that journalists maintain a focus on the book and hold FIFA and Qatari authorities accountable for the tournament’s human rights.
