Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, finds himself in a whirlwind of controversy after defending Qatar just before the 2022 World Cup. Qatar is a Muslim nation that sits off the coast of Saudi Arabia just across the Persian Gulf from Iran. They are the very first Muslim nation to host a World Cup.
Certain things are illegal in Qatar due to their monarchy system being heavily religious. Drinking alcohol in public was a thing that was negotiated for the World Cup but ultimately scrapped because it is typically not permitted in Qatar… with certain exceptions. Qatar is also not LGBT-friendly. This is the case with most middle-eastern countries. It is all of a sudden a problem now because the World Cup is there.
Then there is the issue with migrant workers. Places like U.A.E. (Dubai) and Qatar typically important workers from very poor countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan to do very dangerous and back-breaking labor. A recently published report estimates that 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since the World Cup announcement.
Gianni Infantino, as head of FIFA, is of course asked to comment on all of the controversy surrounding the host location. What happened next was over an hour of what some would call a “rambling” speech from Infantino that was not accepted with wide open arms by much of the mainstream media or anyone else who was truly paying attention.
SOURCES:
Live: FIFA President Gianni Infantino holds news conference on eve of 2022 World Cup in Qatar – YouTube
FIFA President Gianni Infantino Press conference – YouTube
World Cup 2022: Fifa president Gianni Infantino accuses West of ‘hypocrisy’ – BBC Sport
World Cup 2022: FIFA president says criticism of Qatar is ‘hypocrisy’ in ‘crass’ and ‘infuriating’ news conference
Revealed: 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since World Cup awarded | Workers’ rights | The Guardian
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