‘We cannot avert our eyes from the problems in Qatar’ said shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell (Pictures: Rex/EPA)
Labour is preparing to boycott the World Cup to take a stand against the Qatar’s criminalisation of same-sex marriage and its treatment of construction staff.
As the tournament draws nearer, human rights groups have scrutinised the country’s treatment of local workers.
Concerns have also been raised about how LGBTQ+ fans will be treated during the competition.
Both England and Wales have both qualified for the World Cup and will play each other in Group B.
Lucy Powell, Labour’s shadow culture secretary, said: ‘Of course I am looking forward to the World Cup and I’ll be cheering England on.
‘But we cannot avert our eyes from the problems in Qatar.
‘Dozens of construction workers have been killed putting this tournament on.
‘And LGBT England and Wales fans are having to put up with the tournament being played in a country where their sexuality is criminalised.
Qatar will host the football World Cup next month (Picture: Getty)
‘I’m excited to cheer on the England team from my sitting room and from my local pub.’
Early signals by the hosts had suggested fans would be able to raise rainbow flags and express LGBTQ+ identities inside eight stadiums.
Organisers also stressed all supporters will be welcome in the country.
But in Qatar, even public displays of affection between heterosexual couples are not part of the local culture.
It has been reported that the offence of same-sex relations could result in the death penalty under Sharia law, from which the country’s legislation is derived, although there are no recorded examples of this happening.
Qatar 2022 CEO, Nasser al-Khater, insists gay fans should feel safe in his country during the World Cup (Picture: Getty)
Gay football fans have been told they should feel safe to show each other affection once the competition gets under way, its chief organiser has insisted.
Nasser Al Khater insists no one will be discriminated against at the tournament, starting on November 20.
When asked if gay fans could hold hands, he said ‘yes’. Pressed on whether rainbow flags – the symbol of the LGBTQ+ community – will be allowed at matches, he told Sky News: ‘We’ve always said everybody is welcome.
‘All we ask is for people to be respectful of the culture. As long as you don’t do anything that harms other people, you have nothing to worry about.’
Labour’s potential boycott of the World Cup comes after the first openly gay Qatari claimed he was blocked by David Beckham.
Dr Nas Mohamed had tagged the football legend’s profile in a series of critical posts drawing attention to his community’s plight.
After tagging Beckham’s, including in one post which stated ‘love is not a crime and being an LGBT person is not a crime’, he said he discovered on Sunday that he could no longer view the profile.
The upcoming event has been mired in controversy given the number of human rights issues that have come to light in the build-up.
Just over a year ago, an investigation by the Guardian revealed over 6,500 workers had died while working on preparation for the World Cup.
Thousands of low-paid workers from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka were among the deceased.
Qatar is believed to have built up a migrant workforce of over two million since its successful bid for the competition, undertaking an infrastructure project on an unprecedented scale.
Amnesty International said FIFA should match the value of the prize money it will give to teams at the World Cup in compensation for workers and their families. That figure stands at £355m.
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‘We cannot avert our eyes from the problems in Qatar.’