World Cup
Emir of Qatar: “Everyone is welcome at the World Cup as long as they respect our culture”
Qatar’s Emir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, said that everyone is welcome at the World Cup, as long as they respect the country’s culture, of course.
The Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, spoke at a press conference in Berlin, where he also referred to his country hosting the 2022 World Cup.
Responding to criticism that Qatar has received over whether members of the LGBTQ+ community can be accommodated in the country at all, the head of the Arab state stressed that everyone is welcome and that many visitors come to the country, but asked for respect for Qatari culture.
The Emir of Qatar explained in detail:
Whether the LGBTQ+ community is welcome at the World Cup: “Everyone is welcome in Doha. We do not prevent anyone from coming to Doha with a different background or belief. Qatar is a very hospitable country. Millions of people come and visit our country and the World Cup is a great opportunity for people from different parts of the world to learn about our culture.
We will not stop anyone from coming and enjoying football. But I also want everyone to understand and enjoy our culture. We welcome everyone, but we also expect and want people to respect our culture.”.
Regarding the criticism Qatar received for the World Cup: “The Middle East has suffered from discrimination for decades. This discrimination comes mainly from people who don’t know us, and in some cases they refuse to know us. Even today there are people who have not accepted the idea of an Arab-Muslim team hosting the World Cup“.
Source: sport 24
Sophia Jhon is a sports journalist and author. He has worked as a news editor for Sportish and is now a sport columnist for the same publication. Alberta’s professional interests lie largely in sports news, with an emphasis on English football. He has also written articles on other sporting topics.