Qatar uses World Cup to distract from human rights violations

Soccer fans around the world rejoiced on Nov. 20, as the 2022 FIFA World Cup commenced in the host country of Qatar. But while the tournament has historically acted as a global celebration of the sport, and the diverse cultures of the countries competing, this year’s World Cup has begun amid great controversy. 

Qatar was selected as the 2022 host back in 2010, becoming the first Middle Eastern country to be awarded the honor. Qatar’s win came at the same time as Russia’s, who was awarded 2018 hosting duties. However, the shady dealings that facilitated these wins soon became public. FIFA, or the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, is soccer’s global governing body, and its officials are responsible for selecting each host. According to PBS, “the U.S. alleged in 2020 that officials from Russia and Qatar had bribed voting FIFA members to support their ultimately successful bids.” 

Many factors make Qatar a poor candidate for hosting such a massive event. CNN reports that the peninsula nation is smaller than Connecticut, with a population of less than 3 million residents, and lacked all the necessary stadiums and infrastructure. Qatar had to build seven new stadiums, per PBS, and a whole new city, called Lusail, including hotels, an expanded airport, and homes, as the capital of Doha couldn’t accommodate the event’s scale. 

To make matters worse, the workers who built these structures, mainly migrants, were horribly mistreated. According to the Guardian, at least 6,750 died while building in Qatar since 2010. Many of the deaths were attributed to the extreme heat, which posed such a danger to the safety of players and fans, that the tournament, which is normally played during the summer, was moved to the winter, per NPR. Sebastian Contreras, a Sonoma State Men’s Soccer commit, said, “The world cup is a beautiful event, but this one will always be remembered for the people that sacrificed their lives for our entertainment.” 

The nation has also shown a disgusting intolerance for LGBTQ+ individuals, and they enforce oppressive laws on women, making them an awful site for an event that typically celebrates diversity. According to CNN, women need to ask men permission to marry, travel and study abroad in many cases. And the Guardian reports that a Qatar World Cup ambassador described homosexuality as “damage in the mind” in an interview with the German broadcaster ZDF. LGBTQ+ individuals living in Qatar are regularly subjected to conversion therapy, harassment by authorities and imprisonment according to NPR.

Qatar and other repressive nations like China and Russia have arguably engaged in an act called “sportswashing,” a term that Yahoo describes as “the way in which sports can be used to distract from a country’s misdeeds.” CNN reports that, “By hosting the World Cup, Qatar wants to project a cosmopolitan image … signaling it is open for business, welcoming to tourists and a player in global politics.” For Sean Rohane, a 2023 MBA graduate student and SSU Men’s Soccer player, Qatar’s attempt to ‘sportswash’ has completely backfired. “Before this year, I wasn’t aware of much about their country, if anything,” he said. “But now, with social media posts around the stadiums, and seeing people who promoted LGBTQ+ at the games being kicked out, it shows the world how oppressive the country is.” 

Some have asserted that the U.S. and other western nations are partly responsible for Qatar’s backwards regime. According to the Guardian, “The processes of state formation that brought the modern Qatari state into being are inextricably bound up with histories of capitalism and western imperialism.” The U.S. does continue to provide arms and other support to Middle Eastern countries, including Qatar, in exchange for access to their oil. However, the west’s well documented wrongdoings don’t excuse the despicable human rights violations still routinely committed by the Qatari government. 

CNN reports that a group called Human Rights Watch has launched a campaign, called #PayUpFIFA, which demands that FIFA and Qatar “pay out at least $440 million – an amount equal to the prize money being awarded at the World Cup – to the families of migrant workers who have been harmed or killed in preparation for the tournament.” It’s crucial that fans and teams speak out and support this campaign. As CNN notes, “Our activism could also change the calculus for FIFA – which might be less inclined to award the World Cup to countries like Qatar if they know that doing so will result in years of boycotts, protests and damaging press.”

The honor of hosting an event like the World Cup should be awarded only to nations that are willing to fairly make their bid to host, and who have existent infrastructure, safe climates and laws that reflect open mindedness. Providing countries like Qatar with the opportunity to portray themselves in a positive light compromises the spirit and integrity of the event, and lowers the ethical standards required of potential future host countries.