By: Neville Kanga
In 2010 the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, also known as FIFA, named the small, Middle Eastern country of Qatar as the host for the FIFA World Cup in 2022. This would be the first time in history that a nation from the Middle East would be hosting the tournament plus the first time that Qatari National Team plays (since it is hosting the tournament, Qatar gets automatic admission). Millions of dollars were spent on creating new stadiums and tourist accommodations, and so far, the World Cup has been running smoothly. However, allegations of migrant worker abuse, corruption, and human rights violations have all created a worldwide controversy over Qatar. It is virtually impossible for a nation of approximately 330,000 citizens to prepare for the world biggest sports competition alone which is exactly why Qatar heavily relied on migrant labor. Millions of people from South Asian countries like India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka immigrated to Qatar with the hopes of getting jobs and money. However, when they arrived, they were immediately placed under the cruel kafala system: a labor system in which workers were sponsored to migrate but were then legally bound to labor contracts and their employer. Moreover, migrants were subject to harsh labor and living conditions and barely received basic necessities from Qatari officials. According to an interview of Anish Adhikari by PBS, “‘Sometimes, the company gave us rotten food. The fish would smell disgusting…Wedidn’t get the water we needed,” and this only scratches the surface of the downright abuse that laborers received on a daily basis. Furthermore, more than 6,700 migrant workers perished while working in Qatar however only a small fraction of the victims’ families have received compensation and the cause of death. However, “Qatar says that only three people have died as a direct result of work on World Cup construction sites, and acknowledge the deaths of 37 workers that were ‘non-work-related’” which only highlights the secrecy of the host nation (Sullivan). Corruption of hosting rights was also a major aspect of the controversy of this year’s World Cup. According to Tim McPhillips of PBS, “In 2010, in an unusual move, FIFA awarded the rights for two tournaments at the same time – the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The winning host countries were Russia and Qatar, respectively. ‘There was pretty wide expectation that the United States would win that tournament,’ said Sam Stejskal, who covers soccer for The Athletic. ‘And as we’ve learned in subsequent investigations, it wasn’t quite on the up and up.’” Officials from around the world accused Russia and Qatar of bribery, convincing FIFA officials to grant their respective nation the privilege of hosting. They claim that “‘[Russia and Qatar’s] participation in a 24-year scheme [enabled them] to enrich themselves through the corruption of international soccer,’” and even FIFA acknowledged the Qataris’ bid was not completely clear of suspicion (McPhillips). Although no definite motive or proof has been uncovered, it is safe to say that the decision of the 2022 host nation was not as fair as it should have been. Lastly, Qatar’s controversy extends to its human right violations for both visitors and footballers as well. Due to its anti-homosexuality laws, players were not allowed to have any sort of rainbow design, which is a symbol of LGBT pride on their jerseys, captain armbands, or boots. Although many people around the world were against this ruling, FIFA threatened players with yellow cards if they weren’t obedient, causing this movement to die down. FIFA and Qatari officials argued that visitors and players should respect Qatar’s culture however in the past, there have been numerous allegations against Qatar’s mistreatment of LGBTQ people. This is an alarming fact that makes many people question why Qatar is allowed to host the World Cup when doesn’t necessarily welcome all people. The sudden ban on alcohol also raised doubt in Qatar’s ability to host the tournament as well as the situation of women’s rights in the country. Although corruption, migrant labor exploitation, and abuses of civil freedoms are clearly evident in Qatar’s World Cup, it is important to peacefully and appropriate protest in order to successfully advocate for change and enjoy the World Cup. Sources: https://www.npr.org/2022/11/18/1137204271/qatar-world-cup-controversies https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/the-world-cup-is-officially-underway-in-qatar-heres-why-its-so- controversial https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/world-cup-2022-why-is-qatar-controversial-location-fifa- tournament-2022-11-15/
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