⚽️ Not So "Qomplicated"

People say that Qatar was a complicated choice to host the World Cup. I disagree.

It was an easy choice not to host the World Cup in Qatar.

The rest of the world exists. There were many other countries interested in hosting the World Cup. But Qatar’s wealth and a culture of corruption at FIFA led to the largest sporting event in the world being hosted in a country with a tiny physical footprint, insanely hot weather, and most importantly a legal regime that discriminates against women, LGBTQ people, and runs a system of “modern-day slavery” for its expatriate labor class.

Below I present the “qomplicated” arguments in favor of “sportswashing” and then a much simpler counterargument that clarifies the moral imperative for not choosing Qatar.

The Comparison Trap

Context: The government of Qatar does not recognize same-sex marriage. Any public display of same-sex affection is illegal in the country and punishable with a three year prison term as well as a fine. If the perpetrator is Muslim, the judge may impose capital punishment.

The “Qomplicated” Argument: The first week of the World Cup, a gunman in Colorado Springs killed five gay people in America. During the same time, no gay people died in Qatar. In fact, very few gay people have been killed in Qatar, whereas members of the LGBTQ community are continually under threat in the United States and other western countries. These facts are used to point out the hypocrisy of western nations criticizing Qatar over its human rights record, while they continue to struggle with significant human rights challenges at home.

Not So Qomplicated: The Colorado Springs attack in the U.S. was heinous. But it wasn’t an act of the state. It was perpetrated by Americans, but not the American government. In Qatar, the state itself is discriminatory. The state sets boundaries for behavior and may even kill you for engaging in a same-sex relationship. When the organs of the state diminish your rights, backed up by the punitive power of its police force and justice system, that is very different than individual citizens committing human rights crimes.

Everything is fine now, nothing to see here

Context: Qatar, and many of its regional Persian Gulf neighbors have long relied on a system of labor (kafala) that resembles indentured servitude. The division between classes in these countries is stark, and I remember noticing it even as a child growing up in Kuwait.

John Oliver does a great piece on Qatar and its labor system, so I won’t belabor the point here, but suffice it to say that workers in Qatar living under this system live in abject poverty and filthy conditions, with hundreds of men sharing one toilet. They are forbidden from unionizing, leaving the country to visit family, taking reasonable rest breaks, and often work in harsh weather for long hours.

The “Qomplicated” Argument: But on the eve of the World Cup, Qatar says that all of these things have changed! And to some extent, that is true. Qatar provided a nominal wage increase to workers of about 13% this year and finally set hourly limits in place for workers during summer months.

Not So Qomplicated: But these “workers rights” have been available to the rest of the world for decades, if not centuries. Maximum work hours and minimum wages are respected even in low-income and “developing” countries. Moreover, it’s easy for Qatar to implement these changes as work on the massive infrastructure works for the World Cup has already been completed and many workers have been laid off or deported. It is also unclear whether these changes will remain in effect. Many countries have a history of rolling back rights after sporting events end and the critical spotlight on working conditions fades.

Criticism is Racism

Context: Qatar officials and many supporters of the country say that they have been the target of racism and double standards. FIFA President, Gianni Infantino joined the chorus noting:

“For what we Europeans have been doing for the last 3,000 years we should apologize for the next 3,000 years before starting giving moral lessons to [Qatar]."

The “Qomplicated” Argument: Many celebrities, such as Rod Stewart, were invited to perform at the World Cup, but turned down the offer due to their concerns about Qatar’s human rights record. But they had no such qualms, say Qataris, when performing for the United Arab Emirates or Israel - countries with their own human and civil rights challenges. Leaders of western nations buy natural gas from Qatar with nary a peep for decades, but find it abhorrent to sit in its stadiums for a soccer match? The media coverage has been spotty and uneducated, with many journalists lumping Qatar alongside its neighbors such as Saudi Arabia (which has even more significant restrictions for women and LGBTQ people).

“An article in one British tabloid decried Qatar’s “savage” laws, a reference that was later changed to “brutal.” On the Rupert Murdoch-owned TalkTV, a relatively small British channel, a presenter asked a guest, “How much respect should we show to cultures which we consider to be, frankly, an abomination?” during a segment about Qatar’s treatment of L.G.B.T.Q. people.” (source)

Not So Qomplicated: Its true that to some extent that coverage of Qatar has been underpinned by prejudices based in racism, Orientalism and Islamophobia (see the quote above). The underlying criticism of Qatar, however, is grounded in fact: women do have diminished rights in Qatar, you can lose your life for being gay, and expat workers are mistreated in the country. Outrage related to the tone of the coverage is justified, but outrage around the moral failings of the state, not so much.

Moreover - Qatar isn’t the first World Cup host to be criticized. Host nations often face a barrage of criticism, irrespective of their background: Russia was roundly criticized for its political repression and treatment of same-sex couples, South Africa faced backlash over its terrible safety record, and Brazil over corruption and crime.

There is no exclusivity in the fight for justice - you can, at the same time, rebuke the way in which someone speaks about your failings, while recognizing those failings and working to improve them.

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