‘Football is for everyone’: Qatari ambassador faces LGBT-rights enchantment earlier than World Cup

Qatar’s ambassador to Germany was urged Monday to abolish his nation’s loss of life penalty for homosexuality at a human rights congress hosted by the German soccer federation two months earlier than the Middle East nation hosts the World Cup.

Fan consultant Dario Minden switched to English to straight tackle the Qatari ambassador, Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani, on the congress in Frankfurt.

“I’m a man and I love men,” Minden mentioned. “I do — please don’t be shocked — have sex with other men. This is normal. So please get used to it, or stay out of football. Because the most important rule in football is football is for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re lesbian, if you’re gay. It’s for everyone. For the boys. For the girls. And for everyone in between.”

Minden continued: “So abolish the death penalty. Abolish all of the penalties regarding sexual and gender identity. The rule that football is for everyone is so important. We cannot allow you to break it, no matter how rich you are. You are more than welcome to join the international football community and also, of course, to host a big tournament. But in sports, it is how it is. You have to accept the rules.”

Al Thani was to be given an opportunity to reply later, although his feedback have been to stay off-the-record. Only the opening 90 minutes of the federation’s congress was broadcast to the general public and no journalists have been invited to the occasion.

A consultant of Germany’s affiliation of fan and extremely teams went on stage to talk to the DFB’s convention on human rights in Qatar forward of the World Cup.

Here’s his private speech on LGBT rights within the nation, addressed straight at Qatar’s ambassador to Germany. pic.twitter.com/ODYZrsYWyq

— DW Sports (@dw_sports) September 19, 2022

Federation spokesman Steffen Simon mentioned it was not the organisation’s choice to carry nearly all of the congress off digicam, however “we received a clear request from some participants that they would like to discuss these matters internally with us. They did not want to discuss in public. We respected that.”

Qatar’s legal guidelines and society have come beneath elevated scrutiny previously decade. Major General Abdulaziz Abdullah Al Ansari, a senior chief overseeing safety for the event, beforehand instructed The Associated Press that rainbow flags might be taken from followers on the World Cup in Qatar to guard them from being attacked for selling homosexual rights.

Al Ansari insisted that LGBTQ {couples} would nonetheless be welcomed and accepted in Qatar for the World Cup regardless of same-sex relations remaining criminalised within the conservative Gulf nation.

Before Minden spoke Monday, Al Thani complained to the congress that the problem of human rights was diverting consideration from the event.

“We all care about human rights. But I would have enjoyed (it) more if I saw some concentration not only on just one subject, but the enjoyment of football and the football effect on people around the world,” Al Thani mentioned.

The ambassador referred to the final World Cup in Russia, its invasion and takeover of Crimea in Ukraine, and human rights abuses in that nation, “and there was not focus, neither from Germany, neither from any country in Europe.”

Al Thani mentioned Qatar abolished the controversial kafala system that required migrant employees to have a sponsor, a system that left many employees weak to abuse and exploitation, and that the nation had launched a minimal working wage and a compensation fund for employees to make claims of rights abuses.

“Yes, we are not perfect. We are not claiming we are perfect, but it’s a journey that we will write,” Al Thani mentioned.

The ambassador invited soccer followers to go for themselves to “enjoy the football, see the different cultures,” and meet with migrant employees as soon as they get there. “You’ll see them in hotels. You’ll see them in public transport. Ask them,” Al Thani mentioned.

He then referred to Bayern Munich’s long-standing sponsorship cope with Qatar.

“Bayern Munich has been spending the last four or five years coming for a winter camp in Doha. Why don’t they speak out? Why don’t they say they’ve been to Doha? (If) they think it’s appalling, say it publicly or just shut up,” Al Thani mentioned. “Because you know, you have the ability to be there. You have the ability to meet the people, speak to them. If you think there is something wrong, say it, do not hide behind the bush.”