Qatar is currently hosting one of the biggest sports events – FIFA World Cup 2022. The controversial location of the most watched football tournament in the world is the reason for the Bulgarian human rights Foundation GLAS and the creative agency proof. to launch a campaign that shines a light on several of the issues related to Qatar hosting the FIFA event.
Among the issues highlighted by the “Is that right, FIFA?” campaign are the arrests and beating up of LGBTQIA+ Qatari fans prior to the World Cup, the treatment of migrant workers building the stadiums hosting the event – from which over 6,500 died, the poor working conditions for migrants in the country, and football fans not being allowed to sit at the stadiums because of them carrying rainbow flags. The campaign on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook urges people to “spread the “right posts” and share it with the world tagging @FIFA and @FIFAWorldCup”.
Simeon Vassilev from GLAS said: “This campaign is our small contribution and attempt to shine a light on the issues LGBTQIA+ people and migrant workers have in Qatar. The World Cup event will be over soon but their problems won’t go away. We should keep Qatar and FIFA accountable.”
Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and some football players had raised concerns for fans travelling to Muslim country prior to the event kicking off. But FIFA and World Cup organisers have repeatedly said that everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or background, is welcome during the tournament. However, just before the start of the event, Khalid Salman, a Qatar World Cup ambassador, told German broadcaster ZDF that homosexuality was “damage in the mind”.
