“One of the things I’d say to fans is please be respectful of the host nation,” says Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, regarding LGBT fans at the Qatar World Cup. When in Qatar and all that. Okay then: what is it about Qatar that we have to be respectful? Here are a few thoughts:
- Qatar’s laws are a mix of civil law and Sharia, under which a woman’s testimony is worth around a half of what a man’s is worth.
- Flogging is the common punishment for having a pint of beer or an illicit shag. 100 lashes worth, so make it worthwhile, eh?
- Married men and women who commit adultery can be punished by death.
- Apostasy is punishable by death. So if you arrive in Qatar a believer and become an atheist, forget about that return flight home because you’ll be too dead.
- Blasphemy is punishable by seven years in nick and if you decide to proselytise any religion other than Islam expect ten years of hard labour.
- Homosexuality, if you are a Muslim, means the death penalty but if you are a non-Muslim enjoying a bit of consensual sex with another man, you will ‘only’ get banged-up for five years. Phew!
- Women must not wear leggings, miniskirts, sleeveless dresses and short or tight clothing in public. Men are advised against wearing only shorts and singlets. God goes fucking mental if they do that, absolutely bonkers.
- The World Cup could only take place because of migrant workers, many of whom have been little more than slaves. 6500 migrant workers have died since 2010.
- There’s loads more of this stuff.
But, says Cleverly, we must be respectful of homophobes, misogynists, religious nutcases and slavers because it’s their culture. One of the things I’d say to Cleverly is fuck off.
Why the hell is the World Cup taking place in a state with such a dire human rights record? I find it impossible to respect bigotry, which is what our Foreign Secretary is saying we should do.
I would never, under any set of circumstances imaginable, set foot in Qatar or any state run by religious fanatics. I have too much respect for women and our LGBT friends for that. I have no respect for countries whose laws are based upon religion of any kind, but Islam in particular. Neither Apostasy nor Blasphemy should be crimes. People should be able to wear what they want. Workers should be paid fairly and enjoy proper conditions at work.
I’ve always believed that you should earn respect. Nothing about Qatar’s backward laws makes me want to respect that country. I just wish I had the willpower not to watch the football.
