JAKARTA - A sports journalist from the United States, Grant Wahl shared the story he experienced when he was about to enter the Al Rayyan Stadium to cover the Qatar 2022 World Cup match in group B between the United States vs Wales on November 22. Wahl was interrogated first because the shirt he was wearing had a rainbow motif.
What happened when Qatar World Cup security officers detained me for 25 minutes for wearing a t-shirt that supports LGBTQ rights, forcibly took my cell phone and angryly asked me to take off my t-shirt to enter the stadium. (I refused.), Wahl tweeted on his Twitter account.
After a long debate, Wahl said in his writing, a security guard explained that what they were doing was just to protect Wahl from other fans who didn't like the rainbow t-shirt attributes.
"A FIFA representative later apologized to me too," Wahl said on November 22.
Qatar has indeed implemented strict rules regarding rainbow-motive attributes that are identical to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) communities. No one should wear these attributes in the stadium, including the official team and players.
FIFA pun mendukung dan akan memberikan sanksi tegas untuk mereka yang melanggar. Inilah yang membuat Captain Timnas Inggris Harry Kane dan sejumlah kapitap timnas negara lainnya, termasuk Kapten Belanda Virgil van Dijk menghentikan mengenakan ban arma pengutang bertulisanOneLovedi laga perdana.
"We don't want the captain to start the game with a yellow card. That's why, with a heavy heart, we as a UEFA working group and as a team must decide to leave our plans," said the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) as reported by Al Arabiya News.
KNVB is very disappointed with FIFA's attitude and considers it contrary to the spirit of football that brings everyone together.
The German Football Association (DFB) also considers banning the use of rainbow armbands to be the same as prohibiting them from speaking. German players protested it through the expression of covering their mouths when photos of the team before the match against Japan.
Qatar does not want to change its view on LGBT just because it hosts the World Cup. Everyone can come and watch World Cup matches in Qatar. However, there should be no activity and campaigns regarding LGBT behavior.
This is because the freedom of sexual orientation, which is considered a human right, is very different from the cultural culture in Qatar as a Muslim country. Qatar culture considers LGBT to be immoral behavior and violates the law.
People who violate these rules are threatened with strict sanctions in accordance with the applicable criminal law in Qatar.
The prison sentence is one to three years for persuading or wooing men or women in any way to commit illegal or immoral acts. The sentence can also be up to seven years in prison and even the death penalty by being stoned, in addition to a large fine, "saidIndia Today.
CEO of the 2022 World Cup Qatar Nasser al Khater asked visitors to respect the prevailing culture.
"If you want to express your view of LGBT, do it in a society that can accept it. Don't come and insult the whole community (us). We will not change religions just because of the World Cup for 28 days," said Head of World Cup Security 2022, Abdullah Nasari on a different occasion as quoted from the Reports Ration.
Syrian Novelist Wafa Alloush in an editorial at an Arabic-language news site in Turkey questioned why Qatar, the host of the World Cup, continues to be criticized by Western media.
"As Arabs, we think that if this tournament was held in a non-Arab country, there would be no same uproar," Alloush said as quoted by Deutsche Welle.
There are many things about Qatar that deserve to be criticized. However, it's not about culture. Many Arabic-language columnists disagree if a football event is used by the West to 'invasion' the culture of other countries
"There is a huge gap between criticizing a country for certain mistakes and using statements and cultural stereotypes that underestimate the embedded racism," said Khaled al-Hroub, a professor from Qatar in his writing at the MIddle East Eye.
Qatar academic Dr Nayef bin Nahar when commenting on Wahl's tweet also wrote, "As a Qatar I am proud of what happened. I don't know when Westerners will realize that their values are not universal. There is another culture with different values that must be equally respected. Don't forget that the West is not a spokesman for humanity."
Even now, Western media are still aggressively forcing' Qatar to soften its rules regarding rainbow attributes at the World Cup.
As reported by the mass media in the UK recently claimed FIFA had softened. Allowing viewers to use rainbow nuanced attributes at the stadium. Qatar as the host also provided a guarantee and would not confiscate rainbow-style supporters' goods when entering the stadium.
The Wales Football Federation also said the FIFA policy would be implemented in all stadiums hosting Qatar's 2022 World Cup matches, wrote The Guardian.
However, as of Saturday (26/11), there has been no official statement from neither Qatar nor FIFA regarding this matter. Are Khater and Nasari willing to change their opinion only for the World Cup?
The polemic on the prohibition of using rainbow attributes in Qatar's 2022 World Cup is also a hot topic of conversation among social media activists. Many regret why a world Cup-class sporting event has become a political event. It is appropriate for guests who come to respect the customs that apply in the countries they visit.
"I swear, what's the connection between the world cup and attributes like that, I'm part of again, but I'm annoyed that I'm just fighting, why should I REALLY BRING MY GUESTS, just respect what's difficult, like a day or something, it's just going to die," Lio Nakama tweeted, Saturday (26/11).
"Okay, you support the LGBT community, but price the hosts. Qatar is the most religious of Islam. At the beginning, they just told you not to use rainbow attributes, that's it. Not banning football players who are part of again to not play," continued @toushiroou.
The world championship is a football match, not an LGBT campaign event," tweeted another social media activist.
For the record, the rainbow flag was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978. The gay artist from Kansas, United States was asked by a politician who is also an icon of the gay people, Harvey Milk to make a flag that symbolizes the LGBT community. The flag was finally paraded for the first time in the annual Gay Freedom Day parade in San Francisco on June 25, 1978.
French Football Federation (FFF) President Noel Le Graet from the start has emphasized that he does not want to be involved in the political polemic. FFF remains subject to FIFA regulations during the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
French national team captain Hugo Lloris confirmed, "The players are already under pressure and just want to focus on playing and enjoying the game."
Dutch coach Louis van Gaal also asked the LGBT campaign to no longer be discussed in football.
"We want to focus on the match. The Netherlands must win. LGBT matters have been discussed before, no longer need to be extended," he said as quoted by Reuters.
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