Qatar is aware of being the target of strong criticism in recent months, as the FIFA World Cup approaches on its soil. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has just made a speech to this effect on Tuesday before the legislative council in Doha. “Since we had the honor of hosting the World Cup, Qatar has been the target of an unprecedented campaign of criticism. No other host country has suffered this, ”said the Emir of Qatar in particular. FIFA awarded the World Cup to Qatar in 2010, and tens of billions of dollars have been spent by the emirate to prepare for the event which will take place from November 20 to December 18.
The gas-rich state faces widespread criticism over its treatment of foreign workers, LGBTQ and women’s rights, and the use of air conditioning at its eight stadiums, which cost $6.75 billion . More than 6,500 migrant workers are said to have died on the construction sites of the stadiums of this World Cup, according to an article by the Guardian in February 2021, while Amnesty International prefers to speak of “thousands of victims”.
“Slander and double standards”
“Initially, we treated this subject in good faith, and we even considered that certain criticisms were positive and useful, helping us to develop aspects which should be, specifies the emir. But it soon became clear to us that the campaign persists, expands, that there are slanders and double standards. It reaches a level of relentlessness that has led many people to question, unfortunately, the real reasons and motivations of this campaign. »
FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently said that Qatar’s World Cup, the first to be held in an Arab country, would be “the best ever”. We can have a slight doubt about this, right?