Ayman on Qatar: ‘Is It That European Countries Can’t Stomach the Idea that an Arab Middle Eastern Country Will Host?’

MOHYELDIN From the moment ░░░░░░░░ won the bid to ░░░░░░░░ the 2022 World Cup ░░░░░░░░ have been questions criticisms ░░░░░░░░ concerns surrounding its capacity ░░░░░░░░ deservingness in hosting the ░░░░░░░░ and rightfully so Any ░░░░░░░░ which is going to ░░░░░░░░ people from around the ░░░░░░░░ should be subject to ░░░░░░░░ scrutiny But what has ░░░░░░░░ out over the past ░░░░░░░░ years and intensified in ░░░░░░░░ final few months before ░░░░░░░░ World Cup kicks off ░░░░░░░░ the depths of Western ░░░░░░░░ performative moral outrage and ░░░░░░░░ most significantly gross double ░░░░░░░░ In full disclosure I ░░░░░░░░ in and I worked ░░░░░░░░ Qatar for the better ░░░░░░░░ of five years As ░░░░░░░░ Muslim I m also ░░░░░░░░ aware of the social ░░░░░░░░ and the societal limitations ░░░░░░░░ has to balance and ░░░░░░░░ fans from different backgrounds ░░░░░░░░ preserving cultural and religious ░░░░░░░░ and traditions And as ░░░░░░░░ avid soccer fan I ░░░░░░░░ plan on attending the ░░░░░░░░ Cup which as an ░░░░░░░░ American I m excited ░░░░░░░░ witness in the Middle ░░░░░░░░ But let s be ░░░░░░░░ here In making these ░░░░░░░░ attacks about Qatar a ░░░░░░░░ deal is being swept ░░░░░░░░ the rug FIFA world ░░░░░░░░ s governing body is ░░░░░░░░ one of the most ░░░░░░░░ international organizations in the ░░░░░░░░ It has been plagued ░░░░░░░░ accusations and scandals so ░░░░░░░░ so that the U ░░░░░░░░ Department of Justice indicted ░░░░░░░░ high ranking FIFA officials ░░░░░░░░ 2015 To say that ░░░░░░░░ governing body and its ░░░░░░░░ and awarding countries the ░░░░░░░░ to host the World ░░░░░░░░ needs reforms well that ░░░░░░░░ an understatement Which means ░░░░░░░░ if Qatar is a ░░░░░░░░ in this it is ░░░░░░░░ not alone When Qatar ░░░░░░░░ the bid to host ░░░░░░░░ World Cup some questioned ░░░░░░░░ a country with a ░░░░░░░░ soccer history was allowed ░░░░░░░░ host it But that ░░░░░░░░ belittles the purpose of ░░░░░░░░ tournament and ignores history ░░░░░░░░ fact today Qatar is ░░░░░░░░ reigning Asian champions When ░░░░░░░░ U S won the ░░░░░░░░ Cup the country didn ░░░░░░░░ even have a professional ░░░░░░░░ league and yet with ░░░░░░░░ arrival of the World ░░░░░░░░ this sport has taken ░░░░░░░░ in meaningful and lasting ░░░░░░░░ A major purpose of ░░░░░░░░ tournament is to advance ░░░░░░░░ promote the sport as ░░░░░░░░ form of positive development ░░░░░░░░ no one is saying ░░░░░░░░ is perfect but I ░░░░░░░░ urging us to be ░░░░░░░░ little bit more nuanced ░░░░░░░░ our critiques and resist ░░░░░░░░ parroting generic orientalist tropes ░░░░░░░░ it s fair to ░░░░░░░░ and criticize Qatar I ░░░░░░░░ if this debate is ░░░░░░░░ about migrant workers rights ░░░░░░░░ human rights or is ░░░░░░░░ that European countries who ░░░░░░░░ themselves as the guardians ░░░░░░░░ global soccer for their ░░░░░░░░ selfish economic purposes can ░░░░░░░░ stomach the idea that ░░░░░░░░ Arab Middle Eastern country ░░░░░░░░ host this venerable global ░░░░░░░░ I wonder if any ░░░░░░░░ these American pundits grandstanding ░░░░░░░░ human rights will call ░░░░░░░░ the U S to ░░░░░░░░ stripped of hosting the ░░░░░░░░ World Cup for the ░░░░░░░░ elected leaders in this ░░░░░░░░ and our judicial system ░░░░░░░░ this country have rolled ░░░░░░░░ reproductive rights or are ░░░░░░░░ to ban the word ░░░░░░░░ in public schools or ░░░░░░░░ ban books No one ░░░░░░░░ accusing the U S ░░░░░░░░ trying to sportswashing its ░░░░░░░░ women anti LGBTQ anti ░░░░░░░░ policies And perhaps Europeans ░░░░░░░░ set a better example ░░░░░░░░ how migrants in their ░░░░░░░░ countries are treated More ░░░░░░░░ 24 000 migrants have ░░░░░░░░ trying to cross into ░░░░░░░░ since 2014 Nuance and ░░░░░░░░ matter here And now ░░░░░░░░ have accused Russia China ░░░░░░░░ Qatar sportswashing To suggest ░░░░░░░░ and China which have ░░░░░░░░ accused of war crimes ░░░░░░░░ genocide respectively yet who ░░░░░░░░ both allowed to host ░░░░░░░░ World Cup and the ░░░░░░░░ are in the same ░░░░░░░░ as Qatar is dubious ░░░░░░░░ disingenuous Luckily the fans ░░░░░░░░ in Qatar to watch ░░░░░░░░ World Cup have been ░░░░░░░░ enough to make that ░░░░░░░░ that so many western ░░░░░░░░ have failed to make ░░░░░░░░ the run up to ░░░░░░░░ tournament.”