On Monday (November 21), a journalist was detained by security personnel for wearing a rainbow-coloured T-shirt to the Ahmad bin Ali stadium during the match between the United States and Wales.
The said journalist, identified as US-based Grant Wahl, wore the T-shirt to express solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. He was initially stopped by a security guard and asked to remove his shirt.
Wahl’s phone was confiscated while he tried tweeting about the incident. The journalist was detained for about 25 minutes during which he was told that his rainbow-coloured T-shirt was ‘political’ in nature.
During his detention, the security personnel also inquired whether he was from the United Kingdom. Reportedly, a journalist from The New York Times was also detained briefly when Grant Wahl told him about the chain of events.
“One of the security guards told me they were just trying to protect me from fans inside who could harm me for wearing the shirt … A Fifa representative later apologized to me as well,” wrote Wahl in his Substack newsletter.
He further added,“But the entire episode left me wondering: What’s it like for ordinary Qataris who might wear a rainbow shirt when the world isn’t watching here? What’s that like?”
Eventually, the US journalist was allowed entry into the Ahmad bin Ali stadium with the rainbow T-shirt. However, those who mouth platitudes about LGBTQ rights, free speech and freedom to wear clothes of one’s choice disappeared in thin air after Wahl narrated the incident on Twitter.
He was instead reprimanded for going against the ‘culture’ of Qatar by imposing his humanitarian beliefs, which are alien to the culture and traditions of the Islamic nation.
“Just respect their culture. You can wear that t-shirt when you’re in your own country. Stop making an issue out of it,” dictated one Twitter user.
One Twitter user named Yousuf claimed that LGBTQ+ T-shirt is a political sign, which is disallowed in FIFA World Cup Stadiums. “People need to understand that there are rules and regulations they need to follow for the safety of all”, he said while drawing false equivalence with the Iranian flag.
“May Allah bless the security guard and Qatar. Thank you for sharing this beautiful news,” one user applauded the detention of Grant Wahl.
One Evelyn even went on to blame the LGBTQ+ community for supposedly making the FIFA World Cup about themselves.
“You are here in the Arabs, we do not want what you want, you talk about humanity and you are not good at it and you do not know what humanity means! You have to respect the Arabs. You have to respect the Arabs. We follow our religion above all. Respect respect respect,” claimed a user confused between humanity and xenophobia.
A Twitter user, Michael B Titowsky, pointed out how the Qatari government have been backtracking on its promises.
He said, “Qatar agreed to allow rainbow flags…and then didn’t allow them. Qatar agreed to allow beer sales…and then didn’t allow them. Qatar agreed to allow captains’ armbands with “One Love” logo…and then didn’t allow them. So far, Qatar’s been a pretty crappy host for the World Cup.”
Football fans risk being jailed, and flogged over vague laws in the Islamic monarchy
LGBTQ+ rights aren’t the only problem with Qatar hosting the World Cup, there have been concerns raised over the use of “slave labour” and poor working conditions in the Gulf state as well. Thousands have reportedly died while working on the infrastructure for the World Cup due to poor working conditions.
As per a report by The Sun, football fans are at risk of being charged with ‘public drunkenness’ for drinking and ‘offending’ someone. Importantly, drinking alcohol in public can land visitors in a 6-month-long prison sentence and a heavy fine.
Besides jail time and fines, those found flouting the unclear laws surrounding alcohol consumption can also be flogged. Indulging in flirting, heated arguments, and hurling abuses can also put football fans behind bars. The same holds true for clicking pictures without permission.
Meanwhile, demonstrators can face up to 5 years in prison and get fines of up to £23,000 (₹22.29 lakhs) for harming the ‘public system of the state.’