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World Cup @ Qatar 2022


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www.nytimes.com

Qatar Bans Beer Sales at World Cup Stadiums

The about-face on alcohol could violate a multimillion-dollar FIFA sponsorship agreement, and signaled that soccer’s governing body may no longer be in full control of its showcase event.

 

nevermind the thousands of migrant workers who've died for this so far, i'd say otherwise things are going swimmingly

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the list keeps going

 

www.npr.org

Here are things World Cup fans are restricted from doing in Qatar

A FIFA boss once said, "Alcoholic drinks are part of the FIFA World Cup." But that was then. A beer ban in stadiums is just one of the changes fans face in Qatar.
Fans face religious restrictions

Islam is the official religion of Qatar — and anyone found to be proselytizing for other religions or criticizing Islam "may be criminally prosecuted," the State Department said, in a factsheet about Qatar for World Cup visitors.

It's also not safe to assume you can practice your faith openly: "Qatar allows some non-Muslim religious practice in designated areas like Doha's Religious Complex, but all faiths are not accommodated equally," the U.S. agency said.



Public Speech is Limited

Speech that's deemed critical of the Qatari government could trigger an arrest. Those laws apply both to spoken words and social media.

And while past World Cups have brought a heaping of argy-bargy — scenes of rival crowds yelling or even singing obscenities at one another — open conflicts can bring big problems in Qatar.

"For example, arguing with or insulting others in public could lead to arrest," the State Department advisory video stated.


Sex and Other Social Issues

"Homosexuality is criminalized in Qatar," the State Department notes.

"Advocates say that LGBTQ people in Qatar are subjected to conversion therapy, harassment by authorities and imprisonment," as NPR's Becky Sullivan says in her rundown of controversies surrounding the host country.

Visitors to Qatar can also face harsh punishments for "indecent acts and the act of sexual intercourse outside of marriage," the Library of Congress noted, citing Qatari law.

Recriminations range from a fine or six months' imprisonment for anyone found to have committed "immoral" actions or gestures in public to up to seven years in prison for someone having sex outside of marriage.


Fans will need to cover up, despite the heat

Qatar's oppressive heat forced the tournament to move from the summer to November and December — but fans who find it hot there should limit how much skin they show.

Dress codes in many public areas require that "both men and women cover shoulders, chests, stomachs, and knees, and that tight leggings be covered by a long shirt or dress," the State Department said.
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I'm very conflicted as I do love the world cup and it's something I get genuinely excited for every 4 years. I however cannot abide how it came to be (both in terms of the bribery, the human rights violations in getting things built and the lack of human rights within the country) and the blatant sports washing attempt it is also. I take a lot of umbrage also with Qatar paying large sums of money to extremely high-profile footballers to advertise it (David Beckham, Andrea Pirlo to name 2) to try brainwash people essentially into thinking it's okay. 

 

I do think I'll end up watching some of the more high-profile games, but I won't be making an attempt to watch as much of it as I usually would.

 

As an aside, and for anyone looking to do some education on the issue, there's an excellent, 5-part, video series on how it all came to be on YouTube (linked below). It delves much further than the sport and gives background on Qatar, their shocking workers' rights and some regional history too.

 

 

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yeah that's fair -ive been meaning to do a general thread to talk about boycotts, values, where & how we draw the line etc

meanwhile

 

www.bbc.co.uk

England and Wales will not wear OneLove armbands

England, Wales and other European nations will not wear the OneLove armband at the World Cup in Qatar because of the threat of players being booked.
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