World Cup @ Qatar 2022

[The NZA]

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.

www.nytimes.com

 

Quote

DOHA, Qatar — Beer is out at the World Cup.

In an abrupt about-face, Qatari officials have decided that the only drinks that will be on sale to fans at stadiums during the monthlong World Cup will be nonalcoholic.

The decision on beer sales was confirmed on Friday morning by a World Cup official familiar with the change in plans. The official asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak with the news media, and because Qatar was still preparing its official announcement.

The move is the latest and most dramatic change to an evolving alcohol plan that has for months increased tensions between FIFA, soccer's global governing body, and Qatar, a conservative Muslim nation where the sale of alcohol is tightly controlled. But it also will complicate FIFA's $75 million sponsorship agreement with Budweiser; infuriate fans already chafing at restrictions; and once again leave organizers scrambling to adjust — this time only 48 hours before the tournament's opening game on Sunday.

 

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

[alive she cried]

First time in my lifetime I won't be watching the World Cup. I just can't bring myself to look past the atrocities done in its name. 

[The NZA]

the list keeps going

 

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.

www.npr.org

 

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.

[the division of joy]

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.

 

 

[The NZA]

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

 

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.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

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.

"Fifa has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play," the statement added. "We were prepared to pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations and had a strong commitment to wearing the armband. "However, we cannot put our players in the situation where they might be booked or even forced to leave the field of play."

 

more profiles in courage

[spiffytee]

There's a Netflix special called Fifa uncovered, wonder if Qatar gets some screentime in there

[the division of joy]

I felt they could have gone in harder on the Qatar selection process in the doc, but they didn't. They did however do a good job of undermining Sepp Blatter (Fifa president at the time) as a whole though.