2022 World Cup:The treatment of LGBTQ+ people in Qatar, where same-sex relationships and the promotion of same-sex relationships are criminalized with penalties ranging from fines to the death penalty, has sparked concern. Qatari ambassador calls homosexuality "harmful and unacceptable."
"Everyone is welcome" to visit the host nation to watch the games, according to the World Cup organizers, and no one will be treated differently.
However, Qatar 2022 CEO Nasser al Khater has stated that the government will not alter its homosexuality laws and has asked visitors to "respect our culture."
The Gulf State, where the World Cup will be held from November 20 to December 18, has also come under fire for how it treats migrant workers and protects human rights.
In a recent letter, Fifa urged the participating nations to "now focus on the football" rather than the contentious buildup to the competition.
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and LGBTQ+ activists in England and Wales criticized the letter, which was signed by Fifa president Gianni Infantino. Ten European football associations, including those in England and Wales, stated that "human rights are universal and apply everywhere."
The South American football confederation Conmebol, on the other hand, asserts that it is "time to leave controversies behind."
Following Salman's remarks, the LGBTQ+ advocacy group All Out urged Fifa to "end the silence and hypocrisy."
A spokesperson for All Out stated the following during a Zurich protest outside the Fifa museum:This comes just a few days after All Out and other groups presented testimony from LGBT+ Qataris who claimed that they had been taken from their homes, held without charge, tortured, or converted in recent weeks.
"However, Fifa president Infantino maintains that the World Cup will be open to everyone.
"It is time for Fifa to stop looking away and take responsibility with just two weeks remaining until the start of football.
"It's time for Fifa to stop being silent and being hypocritical.Human rights must finally take precedence over greed.Everyone is watching."
According to a recent report from Human Rights Watch, Qatari security forces continue to detain citizens who identify as gay, lesbian, or transgender and sometimes force them to undergo conversion therapy.
The report, according to Qatar's government, contains false allegations.
Human rights were being "disregarded and disrespected," according to Robbie de Santos, the director of communications and external affairs at the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall.
He added, speaking to Sport Today on the BBC World Service, "The fact that the government of Qatar has promised to respect human rights and make commitments to social progress to the United Nations and other multilateral organizations during the tournament is surprising and disappointing. However, these promises are not being kept.
"That's why it's so critical that we all speak, that we all listen globally, that we all follow the tournament
