As I write this, Qatar and Ecuador are about to face off in the first match of the 2022 Men’s World Cup. A clash with a deep history, with geopolitical intrigue interwoven between each pass. You’ll be able to cut the tension in the Al Bayt stadium with a knife. Probably. I don’t know. I’m not watching. In my own, petty, inconsequential way, I want to make a futile and useless gesture. So, I’m going to boycott the World Cup.
I'm the first to admit that I'm a fickle football fan, with a
relationship driven more from masochism than joy through supporting both Forest
and England, both masters of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. But the
World Cup was different. A festival of football, of wall charts stuck to the fridge,
of ludicrous europop anthems, of Ally McCoist dispensing a brief history of Stalin’s
dacha in the midst of a dull 0-0. The excitement of TV being wheeled into the
school hall at 7am for us to glimpse the exoticism of Japan, to be thrilled and
ultimately broken-hearted by Brazil. I have sympathy for those who despise
football, that the World Cup is omnipresent, a month of watching Channel 5. But
for me, it was a month-long sugar rush.
This time is different. I can’t get excited for a tournament
so brazen in flaunting the corruption at its heart. A tournament where migrant
workers have been worked to death to build the infrastructure for a nation that
has no significant footballing tradition. A nation where the male guardianship
system means women need to get permission from male guardians to marry, travel
or study abroad. A woman can be considered “disobedient” if she refuses to have
sex with her husband.
Most personally for me is the fundamental lack of rights for
LGBT people. Male homosexuality is illegal, and punishable by death for
Muslims. Same sex marriages nor civil partnerships are recognised, and people
in Qatar cannot campaign for LGBT rights. The stories of the treatment of LGBT people
in Qatar from Human Rights Watch are truly sinister. A transgender Qatari woman
was beaten by police, being told that “You gays are immoral, so we will be the
same to you.” LGBT detainees are forced to unlock their phones, so police could
extract private pictures and chats, as well as contact information of other
LGBT people. This is then used to surveil and entrap, with police posing online
to try and ascertain the location of other members of the LGBT community. Following
detention without charge, which included one person being kept in solitary
confinement for two months. And whilst for four weeks, I’m sure that for four
weeks, visiting LGBT fans will mostly be OK – the Qatari government know that
the eyes of the world are on them. But once the cameras and pundits have left,
the repression of LGBT residents of Qatar will continue.
I understand that Qatar is far from the worst offender for human
rights globally. I understand that visitors need to be respectful of local
customs. But the World Cup is about inclusion, and by hosting it in a society
so hostile to LGBT rights means that I am excluded. I may not plan on visiting
Qatar, but there will be fans globally who could not travel and be themselves. By
rewarding Qatar with the prestige of a tournament, FIFA is blatantly endorsing
that the right to make money is held above human rights. Be it Infantino’s
bizarre rant hinting that he would love to hold a tournament in Iran, his
belief that hosting the World Cup has made Russia a better place (hint: no).
The hypocrisy of Coca-Cola, who have “a history of
supporting…inclusion and equality for the LGBTQ+ community,” Adidas, whose site
on Diversity and Inclusion ironically is down for maintenance as I write this.
AB InBev likes to “leverage [our] global influence to support relevant initiatives
in society and inspire action” – hopefully, Budweiser Zero can inspire a tidal
wave of support for LGBT people in Qatar and beyond, but one doubts it. Even
the statements of support from international football associations tend to be
boiled down to the most insipid bland statements of “OneLove,” so vacuous and
vapid, yet apparently inflammatory to FIFA.
It may be an overreaction, and maybe I should just shut up
and watch the football. Worse, maybe I should pull a concerned face and tweet
about how I don’t like it, whilst selling lager, ala the edgy, “mired in
allegations” Scottish brewery. But, to maintain my own vague sense of morality,
I’ll just sit this one out. Best of luck to England, but it’d be a shame if it’s
this one we win.