Why Are Women And Queer Football Fans Scared Of Attending FIFA In Qatar In This Year?
Football fans from all across the world are super excited about this year’s FIFA tournament! This year, the mega football tournament is going to take place in Qatar from November 20, 2022. But the josh is all high only for the male fans of the sport, it seems. Because female fans and LGBTQIA+ fans of football are fearing for their lives and contemplating whether they should attend FIFA in Qatar this year. This is because apparently, the country is quite strict about women’s rights and LGBTQIA+ rights as well.
There have been reports of women getting beaten for reporting sexual crimes against them and also how couples get sentenced to jail for having sex outside of marriages. But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar has issued a statement saying that everyone is welcome in Qatar and there is no fear of being discriminated against as it is one of the safest countries in the world. But there is a reason why Qatar has been accused of not being safe for women and queer communities.
HE @MBA_AlThani_ , in an interview with "The Frankfurter Allgemeine" : Qatar has always been open to constructive criticism of its foreign labor laws or its system.
We have opened our doors to NGO's and international human rights organizations.#MOFAQatar #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/byL7M3CPdX— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) November 7, 2022
It is reported that a group of women were asked to undergo an invasive gynaecological exam without their consent. They were also forcibly removed from Qatar Airlines at gunpoint, too. Later, the women sued the airline for violating their rights. In October 2022, the women’s lawyers appealed to the government of Qatar asking them for reassurance that the rights of all those women visiting their country will be respected.
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There is also a restriction on couples who have sex outside of marriage. Those who chose to do so can be arrested and can also face deportation, once their sentence is complete. Because the laws related to sex are discriminatory in nature against women, it makes it difficult for them to go and report sexual crimes. It is also reported that female footballs may face punishment if they report sexual crimes against them, and they might not be given contraception pills if they fail to produce a marriage certificate.
Also read: Twitter User Wants To Trade Her “Pretty Girl Privileges” For Women’s Safety. When Has Violence Against Women Ever Been About Looks?
Given these many restrictions, women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community are fearing for their safety and are hesitant to attend FIFA in Qatar this year. And rightly so because imagine going to a foreign land and constantly looking out to protect yourself because you don’t know if the law enforcement there will help you or not. This makes us wonder if the promise made by the Qatar ministry on claiming the country to be safe for all is genuine or not.
