It is false that Qatar is going to impose prison sentences of between seven and 11 years on anyone who shows the LGBTI rainbow flag during the World Cup of 2022 that will be held in that Arab country next winter, as reported by misleading messages on social networks and the media.
Social network users spread messages in which a spokesperson for the Qatar World Cup announces that “whoever wears the LGTBI flag in the world cup will be arrested for seven u years”.
“We are in an Islamic country, our religion, beliefs and culture must be respected”, supposedly adds this spokesman. The quote is accompanied by a photograph of Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for the Legacy of the World Cup in Qatar 2021.
Similarly, several media and portals that echoed the statements and pointed to Naser Al Jater, spokesman for the Qatar World Cup, as the author of that statement. This controversy has caused a wave of criticism and reproaches, even among well-known political figures in Spain.
Iñigo Errejón, spokesperson for Más País, asked that the Spanish team wear the colors of the rainbow during the World Cup in protest against the alleged Qatari law against those flags. For his part, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, former president of the Spanish government, considered Al Jater’s alleged statements unacceptable, although he specified that he had not read them.
FACTS: In reality, Qatar is not going to punish people who wear the LGBTI flag during the celebration of the World Cup with prison sentences, as confirmed to EFE by the Qatari embassy in Spain. In addition, there is no record that any Qatari authority has announced this punishment and the posts on social networks do not provide any type of evidence.
Sources from the Qatar embassy in Spain assured that these statements were not made by “any spokesperson or any person” related to the organization of the World Cup. In fact, these same sources explained that “it is not illegal to display a rainbow flag” in the country.
Qatar will not act against anyone who carries a rainbow flag
Furthermore, consulted by EFE on this matter, sources from FIFA -the federation in charge of organizing the championship together with the local authorities- pointed out that they are not aware that any Qatari personality has threatened with prison sentences for displaying the LGTBI flag.
Precisely, FIFA has already declared that these banners would be allowed in Qatar stadiums during the World Cup.
And, likewise, the UEFA Working Group , on his third visit to Qatar since May 2021, received last Wednesday from institutions and personalities of the Arab country the guarantee that the fans who carry rainbow flags “will be well received” during the World Cup.
Al Jater: “A couple homosexual can attend the World Cup”
The image of Hassan Al Thawadi attached to the messages on social networks along with the controversial statements was taken last March during the 72º FIFA Congress at the Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha, the Qatari capital.
Neither at that event nor at Other public interventions, Al Thawadi pointed out that displaying the rainbow flag during the world cup would be punishable by imprisonment, as evidenced by a keyword search on the Internet.
In any case, Naser Al Jater, to whom the controversial statements are also falsely attributed, stated in December 2021 in an interview with CNN that a homosexual couple can go to the World Cup “as fans of a soccer tournament” and that “they can do what any other human being would do”.
Of course, he clarified that “the manifestations of public affection are frowned upon, regardless of sexual orientation”, since Qatar “is a conservative country”. It is true that Abdulaziz Abdullah Al Ansarialto, a Qatari official in charge of the tournament’s security, advocated in an interview with the AP agency for banning rainbow flags to protect fans from possible aggression.
“If he (a fan) waves a rainbow flag and I I take it off, not because I really want it, but rather to protect it. Because I don’t, but someone closer could attack him, “he said.
Qatar punishes sex between men with prison
For all these reasons, it is false that any Qatari spokesperson made these statements, regardless of the harsh policy that Qatar maintains against the rights of LGTBI people.
Qatar does not recognize marriage between persons of the same sex and even its criminal code punishes sexual relations between men with penalties of one to three years in prison.
2022
For all these reasons, it is false that any Qatari spokesperson made these statements, regardless of the harsh policy that Qatar maintains against the rights of LGTBI people.
Qatar does not recognize marriage between persons of the same sex and even its criminal code punishes sexual relations between men with penalties of one to three years in prison.
2022
The choice of the country as the venue for the next World Cup sparked strong criticism from the outset due to the situation in which women live there and LGBTI people. Josh Cavallo, the first and only elite footballer to come out publicly, said he would be afraid to travel to Qatar to play.