![]() ![]() ![]() Deflection and whataboutery have always been at the core of Qatar’s PR efforts to defend its rank failures, and now they have the Fifa president doing their work for them.”Īmnesty International also released a statement, saying: “In brushing aside legitimate human rights criticisms, Gianni Infantino is dismissing the enormous price paid by migrant workers to make his flagship tournament possible – as well as Fifa’s responsibility for it. Nicholas McGeehan, director of FairSquare, said: “Infantino’s comments were as crass as they were clumsy and suggest that the Fifa president is getting his talking points directly from the Qatari authorities. Infantino’s speech drew immediate criticism from human rights groups. He added: “Do we want to continue to spit on the others because they look different, or they feel different?. “You can crucify me, I’m here for that,” he said. Infantino also maintained that any criticism of this World Cup should be directed at him and not Qatar. We tried and that is why I give you the late change of policy. Here it has become a big thing, because it is a Muslim country? I don’t know why. “The same rules apply in France, Spain, Portugal and Scotland. ![]() “I think if for three hours a day you cannot drink a beer, you will survive. “If this is the biggest issue we have for the World Cup then I will resign immediately and go to the beach to relax,” he joked. Incredibly, he also brushed off the ban on alcohol from stadiums introduced two days before the tournament kicks off, which on Friday sent Fifa officials and sponsors into a panic. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. For more information see our Privacy Policy. Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If someone thinks that hammering and criticising will achieve something, well I can tell you it will be exactly the opposite. “You want to stay at home and say how bad they are, these Arabs, these Muslims, because it’s not allowed to be publicly gay. If you have a person here and there who says the opposite, it’s not the opinion of the country, it’s certainly not the opinion of Fifa,’ he said. “They have confirmed and I can confirm that everyone is welcome. Give them some future.”Įven more controversially, Infantino insisted that LGBTQ+ rights would be protected in Qatar during the World Cup. Create some channels, some legal channels, to increase the percentage of these workers to come to Europe. So if you really care about the destiny of these people – these young people – Europe can do as Qatar did. “Those who reach Europe, or those who want to come to Europe, they have to go through very difficult journeys. We don’t allow practically any workers from these countries who are trying to come to work legally in our countries. “Qatar is offering them this opportunity,” he said. However Infantino said such criticisms were hypocritical given that 25,000 migrants had actually died trying to get into Europe since 2014. Last year the Guardian reported that at least 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since preparations for the World Cup began. ![]() Indeed, he noted that Fifa had been a guiding light in helping it improve the situation for migrant workers by scrapping the kafala system that tied workers to employers, introducing a minimum wage and heat protections. The 52-year-old then claimed that just as Switzerland as a country had progressed on many issues, Qatar could too. “I feel like a woman too!” Infantino added. Later it was pointed out that in his opening monologue, he had missed out half the world’s population. As a child I was bullied – because I had red hair and freckles, plus I was Italian, so imagine.” But I feel like it, because I know what it means to be discriminated, to be bullied, as a foreigner in a foreign country. He added: “Of course I am not Qatari, I am not an Arab, I am not African, I am not gay, I am not disabled. The speech began, though, with Infantino appearing to suggest that his own experiences as a son of Italian immigrants in Switzerland gave him a deep understanding of migrant workers and other minorities in Qatar. Infantino also played down concerns over whether LGBTQ+ fans faced danger in a country where gay people risk torture and imprisonment, and insisted that Qatar – with Fifa’s help – had reformed workers’ rights beyond all recognition. ![]()
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