Qatar slammed for abuse
AUSTRALIA’S football team has condemned human rights abuses in Qatar, ahead the World Cup, becoming the first participant to collectively criticise the host.
Sixteen members of the men’s team – the Socceroos – appeared in a short video yesterday, explaining their position.
Jackson Irvine, a one-time Celtic midfielder, said: “We have learnt that the decision to host the World Cup in Qatar has resulted in the suffering and harm of countless of our fellow workers.”
The World Cup, beginning on November 20, has been marred by controversy since Qatar was awarded the tournament 12 years ago.
Before making the statement, the Australian players spoke to labour organisations and advocacy groups such as Amnesty International.
Socceroos captain Maty Ryan, a former Arsenal goalkeeper, said: “Over the last two years, we have been on a journey to understand and know more about the situation in Qatar.”
The players acknowledged Qatar’s attempts to improve working conditions for migrants but said these changes had been “inconsistent”.
Governing body Football Australia also released a statement critical of Qatar’s human rights record.
“We acknowledge the significant progress and legislative reforms (that) have occurred in Qatar over recent years to recognise and protect the rights of workers, and we encourage all stakeholders to continue this path to reform.
“However, we have also learnt that the tournament has been associated with suffering for some migrant workers and their families, and this cannot be ignored,” it said.
Football Australia urged the energy-rich country to take a softer stance towards same-sex relationships, which are illegal in Qatar.
“As the most multicultural, diverse, and inclusive sport in our country, we believe everyone should be able to feel safe and be their true, authentic selves,” it said.
Captains from a number of leading European football nations – including England, France and Germany – will wear armbands with rainbow colours and the message “One Love” in an anti-discrimination campaign during the World Cup.
Former Socceroos captain and Crystal Palace midfielder Craig Foster praised the Australian team for its message.
“They are essentially carrying the load of Fifa and other federations around the world – to be upholding their own human rights policies. There’s so much pressure in football to not be talking about this. So this takes courage from athletes,” he said.
Australian athletes have, in recent weeks, been increasingly willing to mix politics and sport – an often-volatile combination.
The Australian cricket team backed out of a sponsorship deal with energy company Alinta, after Test captain Pat Cummins refused to appear in its ads over climate change concerns.
And the Australian netball team objected to wearing jerseys sponsored by a mining company, the late founder of which once suggested sterilising some indigenous populations.
A huge influx of migrant workers has underpinned Qatar’s dash to prepare the infrastructure needed for one of the world’s biggest sporting events.
This has included building new roads, a new airport, a bespoke rail network, and seven new stadiums.
More than one million fans are expected to descend on Qatar when the tournament kicks off.
According to Amnesty International, migrant workers from countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal and India have been paid meagre wages while toiling on World Cup projects.
The International Labour Organization said 50 World Cup workers died in 2020, and hundreds were injured.
Qatar has stridently disputed the extent of worker exploitation.
This week, its ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, hit out at the “fabrications and double standards” in what he described as an “unprecedented campaign” of criticism since the country was awarded the World Cup.
“Since we won the honour of hosting the World Cup, Qatar has been subjected to an unprecedented campaign that no host country has faced,” the emir told Qatar’s legislative council.
Qatar initially accepted negative commentary “in good faith”, and “even considered that some criticism was positive and useful, helping us to develop aspects that need to be developed,” the ruler said.
“But it soon became clear to us that the campaign continues, expands and includes fabrications and double standards, until it reached an amount of ferocity that made many wonder, unfortunately, about the real reasons and motives behind this campaign,” he said.
Fifa awarded the World Cup to an Arab country for the first time in 2010. It has since spent tens of billions of dollars on preparations, but has faced intense scrutiny over human rights.
The emir also said the World Cup was a chance for Qatar to show “who we are, not only in terms of the strength of our economy and institutions, but also in terms of our civilisational identity. This is a great test for a country the size of Qatar that impresses the whole world with what it has already achieved”.
The Gulf state has faced particular attention over the foreign workers who have built the infrastructure for Qatar’s economic miracle.
Foreigners make up more than 2.5 million of the 2.9 million population.