A rally against the official's words was held at the FIFA headquarters
“This is haram.” In Qatar, they told which tourists are not welcome at the 2022 World Cup
Qatari official Khalid Salman, appointed ambassador of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, was at the center of a scandal due to controversial statements.
The FIFA World Cup is about to start in Qatar. The championship budget this year will be a record for the entire history – about $200 billion. The country is waiting for guests from all over the world.
The other day, in an interview with the German ZDF channel, Salman said that homosexuality is considered a sin in Qatar and they are worried that the fans – gays will be seen by minor subjects of the emirate.
An employee of the press service of the organizing committee of the 2022 World Cup interrupted the boss and advised him to take back his words. Then 60-year-old Salman, himself a former footballer, clarified his position.
“Who will not be in the championship. If we talk about gays, the main thing is that they can come. They will be accepted, but they must abide by our rules. This is haram. Do you want to know why it's forbidden? I am not the most devout Muslim, but homosexuality harms the soul, leads to clouding of the mind,” Salman said.
These words have already been condemned by the German authorities and FIFA. A protest was held at the headquarters of the international football organization in Zurich against the words of the official.
Later, FIFA clarified that fans would be able to take LGBT rainbow flags with them to Qatar, but not carry them into the stands. In support of sexual minorities, the captains of a number of teams, including the national teams of England, France and Germany, will wear armbands with the inscription One love.
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