Qatar’s foreign minister, Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, has responded to criticism of his country in recent months in the run-up to the World Cup, stressing that «sport should never be politicized».
The head of Qatari diplomacy gave an interview to the British television channel SkyNews where he criticized those who «cannot accept that a small country in the Middle East» is in charge of hosting the soccer event.
«Calling for boycotting the World Cup, or those who are not coming to the World Cup, is their decision at the end of the day, but why deprive the people and the public from attending and enjoying?» said Bin Abdulrahman al Thani.
Thus, the Foreign Minister referred to the media coverage against the World Cup in Qatar, and denounced the «misinformation» that is published against the country and the working conditions, the persecution of the LGBT community or the respect for human rights.
For Bin Abdulrahman al Thani «preaching from a distance is not the solution», so he invited the international powers that question the holding of the World Cup in Qatar to focus first on their internal problems.
«What about their own problems within their own countries that they are turning a blind eye to? Honestly, it’s not just me or the Qatari people, there are many people around the world who just see this as a sense of arrogance,» he has asserted.
The soccer World Cup, which kicks off on Nov. 20, has drawn criticism since Qatar was named as the host in 2010. The rights of the workers who have built most of the stadiums, or the call to avoid making public displays of affection have sparked controversy, especially as the start of the competition approached.
However, the institution that governs soccer federations, FIFA, has urged competing countries to «not allow soccer to be dragged into all the ideological or political battles that exist», as the aforementioned British television recalled.
