“During the World Cup, many things will happen in the country. We are talking about homosexuals. Everyone will accept them to come. But they will have to submit to our rules,” Salman said, arguing that homosexuality is something “haram” (forbidden by religion, in Arabic) and children could learn something that is not good. “Homosexuality is mental damage,” he concluded, just before the interview was interrupted by an official from the organizing committee of world
In Qatar, homosexuality is prohibited and punishable by years in prison, and the organization has asked that during the event the rules of the regime be respected and that there are no public displays of affection between homosexual people. After the Salman interview transpired, German Interior and Sports Minister Nancy Faeser expressed “astonishment” at the remarks. At the same time, however, he guaranteed the safety of World Cup fans regardless of their sexual orientation. In fact, he had traveled to Qatar last week to “obtain security guarantees for the German fans”.
A trip that did not please the Qatari regime, which has accused it of practicing a “double standard” against the country. In fact, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulraman al-Thani has described European criticism of his country as “arrogant and racist” in statements to the newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine.
The Association of Lesbians and Homosexuals (LSVD) of Germany had already claimed before the controversial statements that it was not advisable to explicitly travel to Qatar and now they are already demanding a diplomatic boycott of the World Cup – which Minister Faeser will officially attend -, the same as were asking for several fan banners in Bundesliga stadiums this weekend.
