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Foreign Minister: There is hypocrisy in the attacks on the World Cup, and the alleged reasons for boycotting it are wrong
November 04, 2022, 07:59 PM
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His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
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Doha – Al Sharq website
HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that the alleged reasons for boycotting the Qatar 2022 World Cup are not correct, indicating that the whole world is welcome in Qatar.
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His Excellency added in an interview with the French newspaper “Le Monde” that there is a lot of hypocrisy in these attacks on Qatar, and they are promoted by very few people in ten countries at most, which do not represent at all the rest of the planet, noting that the fact is that The world is looking forward to this celebration, as more than 97 percent of tickets have been sold, and among the ten countries that bought the largest number of tickets, we find European countries such as France.
In response to a question about workers’ rights, the minister explained that Qatar invited NGOs to attend and monitor its system, stressing that Qatar has come a long way to reform its legislation, noting that these reforms take time, as is the case with any other country. Systematically the blame for these problems lies with the Qatari government, while in Europe, at the slightest incident, the blame is placed on the company? Why this double standard?”
He also noted his happiness in his belief that some do not accept that a small country in the Middle East hosts such a planetary event.
In response to Le Monde’s question about the air conditioning system installed in stadiums during the World Cup matches, His Excellency explained that the temperatures in his country, from November to December, are almost lower than the temperatures in Europe during the summer, so air conditioning will not be used.
He also noted that some European stadiums are heated during the winter, and no one considered that a problem. So why is the fact that Qatari stadiums are air-conditioned, a problem, even though the technology used is more modern and its impact on the environment is more limited?
On the issue of Britain sending police to Qatar to help secure the World Cup, His Excellency said that the World Cup in his country is like any sporting event in the world, explaining that Qatar has friendly relations with countries in Europe and South America, and cooperates with them in the field of security, and in this context, Security forces from France, England and other European countries will work alongside the Qatari police, and the Qatari side will coordinate everything, stressing his happiness that his country is one of the safest countries in the world.
In response to a question by “Le Monde” about the expectation of observers of a “clash of cultures” between fans around the world and Qatar; His Excellency said that the whole world is welcome in Qatar, and all that Qataris ask for is that the fans respect the laws of the country.
On the fate of the stadiums after the World Cup, His Excellency said that there is an ideal compatibility between the infrastructure built by Qatar for the World Cup, and those that the country needs, explaining that some stadiums will be dismantled, one of them completely, to be reused in another country, and parts may be donated to other countries, All other stadiums will be used after the World Cup, and many major sporting events are planned after the World Cup, such as the Asian Games in 2030.
On the future of soft sports power in which Qatar has invested for two decades, His Excellency said that Doha began this policy long before the World Cup was won, and it will continue after that, explaining that Qatar’s ambition is to do things that bring people together and sport is an important tool to achieve this. The goal, Qatar is ready to host the most important sporting events, and the World Cup is just one of those manifestations.
