An ambassador for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday classified homosexuality as a “mental disorder” and said anyone traveling to see the match live “must accept the country’s rules”.
“A lot of things are going to happen here in the country during the World Cup. Let’s talk about gays. The main thing is to accept that everyone is coming, but they will have to accept our rules,” Khalid Salman said in an interview with the ZDF. television channel, which will be broadcast in full this Tuesday fair.
In an excerpt from the interview, Salman, a former footballer, stated that “homosexuality is ‘haram’ (forbidden),’ and before being interrupted by an assistant, he added: ‘It’s ‘haram’ because it’s a mental disorder.’
On September 21, Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, pledged a non-discrimination World Cup to the United Nations General Assembly in New York in an effort to reassure the LGBT+ community.
Recently, FIFA President Gianni Infantino responded to concerns about respect for women’s rights and the LGBT+ community during the competition, reiterated that “everyone will be welcome regardless of race, education, religion, gender, sexual orientation or nationality” and that the tournament will be “the best ever, both on and off the field”.
Qatar, a country where homosexuality is illegal, will host the World Cup from November 20 to December 18, in which the Portuguese team will participate.
Source: DN
