International warnings against attending 2022 World Cup in Qatar
The British Telegraph newspaper confirmed that the controversy will not end over the World Cup because of the organization of the tournament in Qatar, the hardline Middle Eastern country, adding that the world is less than six months away from the most controversial tournament in the history of sport, which is scheduled to be held in Qatar between November 21 and December 18.
Why is the 2022 World Cup in Qatar so controversial?
Corruption and bribery charges have dogged Qatar in the bidding process in all aspects of the tournament since December 2010, when Qatar was awarded the first World Cup tournament in the Middle East, the Telegraph said.
The most serious were reports that more than 6,500 workers from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka were killed and died while building infrastructure – including seven new stadiums – between 2010 and 2020.
The low figure does not cover additional migrants from the Philippines and Kenya, the newspaper noted. The paper also refers to reports by Amnesty International about forced labor and withholding wages, and to Human Rights Watch about stories of workers who have been abused and exploited – while FIFA makes huge profits.
The Telegraph expects that more problems will be revealed as the match approaches, especially with regard to the problems of homosexuals.
What can I take with me?
The newspaper pointed to many complications related to holding the World Cup in Qatar, considering that it is complicated with regard to what a traveler can take with him. The newspaper pointed out that Qatar is a strict country, and there are strict rules on imports, including personal property.
The newspaper warned those wishing to travel to the World Cup that your luggage should not contain alcohol, drugs, pornography, pork products or non-Islamic religious books.
The newspaper added: “If you are in doubt about those caveats – things that seem innocent may cause you a problem. E-cigarettes, for example, have been banned in Qatar since 2014”.
How to dress in the Qatar World Cup
The newspaper noted that what you should pack in your luggage to travel to Qatar is conservative clothing – there is an expectation for modesty in clothing. Women are advised to cover their shoulders and wear long skirts or trousers in public places, including while driving. And avoid wearing bikinis on public beaches (specify it in your own beach or hotel pool). Men should also avoid plain clothes and shorts in public places.
Will it be a dry championship?
Alcohol is not banned in Qatar, but access to it is restricted – generally to licensed restaurants and bars in hotels, the paper said, explaining that the legal age for drinking is 21 years. Drinking outside these standards is illegal and can be punishable by up to QR 3,000 (approximately GBP 660) or six months in prison.
However, after pressure from the beer industry, fans will be able to buy drinks in the game, from booths on the pitch (although they will not be able to put them in the stands or in sight from the stadium).
Private beach clubs offering alcohol are also to be established – but supporters have been warned against taking it mildly, in a country where drunkenness is a public curse.
The Telegraph says the situation is becoming more complicated for homosexuals, as unmarried couples are banned from cohabiting and sex outside marriage in Qatar and can be punished with imprisonment. Which means that even if you and your other half have been together for 30 years, but you’ve never been married, you can’t theoretically share a hotel room.
The same dictates will apply to gay travelers. Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar. When asked in 2010 how homosexuals could attend the tournament, then-FIFA president Sepp Blatter laughed.
Apart from the approval of the display of rainbow flags in the World Cup matches and polished words on “how this tournament [will] leave behind transformative social, human, economic and environmental legacies”, Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy of the Championship, the legal position of the State of Qatar remains firm, the newspaper added.
However, FIFA recently threatened hotels if same-sex couples refused to sign their contracts, saying it was confident that all necessary measures will be available to gay football supporters, so that they, like everyone else, can feel welcome and safe. An investigation by Norwegian, Danish and Swedish journalists earlier this month found that three of the 69 hotels on FIFA’s official list refuse a request for a booking from a gay couple. Twenty others issued warnings about showing affection in public, although this advice applies to all couples.
