the two faces of the soccer world cup

From November 20 to December 18, the main football world championship will take place in the emirate. It is the first time that there will be women referees in an Islamic country. Controversy over the exploitation and death of migrant workers during the construction of infrastructures. Special attention to civil rights and environmental issues. Bishop Hinder: a country that has developed in “competition” with others in the region.

Milan () – Qatar is preparing to host the world’s main football championship in a setting that some consider historic, because it is played for the first time in a Middle Eastern country and at an atypical time of year compared to previous editions. However, there is no lack of criticism for the complaints that have been made regarding an adjudication against the payment of bribes, repeated human rights violations in the construction of the facilities where the games are played and a balance of blood -in terms of occupational accidents – worthy of a war bulletin

Last but not least, the environmental impact of an event that is only “eco-friendly” on paper and the well-founded fear of arrest and repression in the event of behavior that does not comply with Sharia, Islamic law, such as alcohol consumption (in public) or claims related to homosexual rights. “Qatar is one of the Gulf countries that has developed in competition with others,” Msgr. Paul Hinder, apostolic administrator of the North Arabia headquarters (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain) and an expert in the region. “The issue of the rights of workers, especially migrants, is an issue that concerns all the Gulf countries – adds the prelate – and not only Doha, which, on the other hand, has greatly improved legislation, although it still not be perfect And to this we must also add the enormous pressures to which they have been subjected to have all the facilities and structures finished”.

absolute firsts

Even in cases where the championship has been played in countries of the southern hemisphere -such as South Africa-, it is traditionally played between May and July. The risk of excessively high temperatures in summer has led the organizers to postpone the start of the World Cup in Qatar: the opening match will be played on November 20 -with the debut of the hosts- while the final is scheduled for December 18 , national holiday in Qatar. For the Asian continent, this is the second edition after South Korea and Japan in 2002. And to continue with the issue of numbers, it will be the last with 32 teams, because in 2026, in the United States, Canada and Mexico, there will be 48 selections.

Another of the absolute firsts of the event, with added value due to the fact that it is played in an Islamic country where gender inequalities persist -although less evident in Doha than in the rest of the region- will be the presence of referees and judges female line. They are the French Stephanie Frappart, the Rwandan Salima Mukansanga and the Japanese Yoshimi Yamashita. “It’s a strong signal -says the Frenchwoman- that there are also women” on the field of play. “I am not a spokesperson for feminism – she adds – she, but if these steps can favor change, they are welcome”, especially since sport has already introduced changes that are considered unthinkable.

On the other hand, in Qatar women, although they enjoy rights in spaces ranging from education to the labor market, are subject to male guardianship (father, brother or husband) and often need authorization to make personal decisions related to marriage, study or travel.

Shadows over rights

However, the central theme that has accompanied the years of preparation for the World Cup is human rights, in particular of migrant workers involved in the construction of sports facilities and related infrastructure. According to a survey published by The Guardian, about 6,500 workers would have died on the construction sites for the 2022 World Cup and the vast majority of them were immigrants – out of a total of two million, recruited in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and the Philippines – forced to work in exploitative conditions.

Amnesty International experts have also produced a report according to which migrants have been victims of “forced labor” in environmental and working conditions that are described as “very bad”. In addition to having to pay a kind of bribe to be hired, they have been denied food and water, their passports were confiscated, they did not receive the agreed remuneration for their work and in some cases they even ended up in a true “modern slave” condition. . Finally, the NGO asks the International Football Federation to allocate 450 million euros to compensate at least in part for the hundreds of thousands of victims of exploitation that have occurred since 2010, the year in which the event was awarded.

Among the more or less manifest protests in terms of rights is that of Denmark’s technical sponsor, Hummel, who has decided to withdraw his logo from the official uniforms and that the third shirt will be black, in “sign of mourning”. Finally, many cities in France – including the capital, Paris – have announced that they will not broadcast World Cup matches on giant screens. Also in this case the boycott is due to the protest of human rights violations. However, if on the one hand it is fair to denounce legitimate grievances, it must also be remembered that in recent years – and more so than other nations in the region – Doha has adopted labor market reforms to improve conditions for workers, including migrants, increasing the minimum wage and eliminating what is called the “Kafala” system, which guaranteed wide margins of discretion over the worker’s life.

Benefits and environment

To encourage the influx of tourists, the authorities have relaxed health regulations due to Covid and the strict provisions of Islamic law. During the matches – three hours before and one hour after the matches – beer (a famous brand is a sponsor of the tournament) can be consumed near the stadiums. And vaccination upon entry and subsequent quarantine will not be required, only a negative test and download of a government tracking app. Masks will be mandatory on public transport and in hospitals, but there will be no restrictions in stadiums.

The organizers hope to make nine billion euros of profit, as Qatar World Cup CEO Nasser Al-Khater pointed out. In an interview with al-Jazeera, he explained that the cost of the event – lower than the initial estimates – is about eight billion euros, less than what was spent in Brazil 2014 or Russia 2018. He added that the expected return in financial terms is of about 17,000 million euros.

Some 80 million fans have already reserved one of the 3.1 million tickets available; Of these, only 35% remains to be sold, especially those corresponding to the second phase of the tournament.

Behind this avalanche of money there is also an environmental problem, a sensitive issue at a time in history characterized by climate change and global warming in the Middle East as well. At the center of the criticism is the decision to promote a “shuttle” service between Doha and Dubai, with more than 60 daily connections by the flag carrier Qatar Airways. The emirate does not have enough facilities to accommodate all the expected visitors, so it must send a part of them to the United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia, while guaranteeing transport -expensive and polluting- to attend the matches. An element that seems to deny, once again, the initial promises of a “carbon neutral” event.

“PUERTA DE ORIENTE” IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO THE MIDDLE EAST.

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