by Xandra Nwaokolo
Philipp Lahm, a legend for Bayern Munich and Germany, has threatened to boycott the Qatar World Cup in 2022 for concerns about human rights.
FIFA has come under heavy fire for choosing the tiny Gulf nation—with a population of just over two million—to host the tournament despite human rights concerns.
Human rights should be the most crucial issue to examine before a country is handed football’s most famous championship, according to Lahm, who won the World Cup for Germany in 2014 in Brazil.
The former Bayern Munich full-back told German tabloid Kicker in his own country: “I’m not part of the delegation and I’m not keen on flying there as a fan.” “I like to watch the competition at home.”
‘Human rights should play the biggest role in the awarding of a tournament. If a country is awarded the contract that is one of the worst performers in this regard, you start to think about the criteria used to make the decision.
‘That shouldn’t happen again in the future. Human rights, sustainability, the size of the country, none of that seems to have played a role.’
Since the nation was selected as the host in 2010, its human rights record and treatment of migrant workers have also drawn harsh criticism.
ALSO READ: MR EAZI SPONSORS GHANA PREMIER LEAGUE WITH OVER N2.4 BILLION
The Guardian revealed in 2021 that since Qatar won the World Cup, 6,500 migrant laborers have passed away owing to hazardous working conditions while Qatar was preparing for the event.
Amnesty International claims that women and the LGBTQ+ group are similarly persecuted in Qatar, where “authorities continue to suppress freedom of expression using oppressive laws to muzzle critical voices.”
Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, stressed that “all are welcome” in the Gulf state in November and asked LGBTQ supporters to attend and “engage, speak, and convince” in an effort to change the state’s policy.
However, it was revealed in May that hotels in Qatar forbade the admission of same-sex couples.
Three hotels reportedly declined to accept the reservation, with one claiming it would be against hotel policy to do so, according to NRK, SVT in Sweden, and DR in Denmark.
