Qatari official’s LGBTQ remarks spark outrage
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Germany and Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka has slammed homophobic remarks by Qatar’s World Cup ambassador, saying they were “oppressive” and “from another millennium”.
Khalid Salman, a former Qatar international, said on Tuesday in a documentary aired on German public broadcaster ZDF that he had a problem with children seeing gay men and women because they could learn something they didn’t should, and to refer to homosexuality as “damage to the spirit.” and “spiritual harm”.
Goretzka said after Bayern’s 6-1 win over Werder Bremen on Tuesday evening: “That’s not what we want to stand for and what we set an example. Such a statement is absolutely unacceptable.”
The 27-year-old has often stood out as one of the more open and socially committed players in the Bundesliga, for example starting the “We Kick Corona” campaign with team-mate Joshua Kimmich during the pandemic.
Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic also voiced his displeasure with Salman’s comments but declined to get drawn into a debate about the club’s long-standing sponsorship links with Qatar Airways.
“It’s a statement from an individual,” said Salihamidzic. “It’s clear that we have to talk about it. But first of all, it’s individual and that’s not acceptable.”
Also holding up banners were die-hard Bayern fans, who have long been critical of the club’s dealings with Qatar, again protesting Salman’s comments during Tuesday’s win.
Qatar World Cup Ambassador: Homosexuality is ‘haram’
Salman’s comments came just days after Qatar’s foreign minister insisted that all people are welcome to attend the World Cup in his country, including members of the LGBTQ+ community.
But the official World Cup ambassador’s labeling of homosexuality as “haram” – which means a sin in the Muslim-majority emirate – struck a very different tone.
“I’m not a strict Muslim,” he said. “But why is it haram? It is spiritual harm.”
Excerpts from the documentary film by German sports journalist and TV presenter Jochen Breyer entitled “Geheimsache Qatar” or “Secret Affairs Qatar” were pre-released by ZDF in its Monday news.
The media officer of Qatar’s World Cup organizing committee, who accompanied the ZDF team during its video recording, ended an interview in the release recordings shortly after Salman described homosexuality as “damage to the mind”.
In another excerpt, Salman said: “A lot of things will come into the country during the World Cup. For example, let’s talk about gays. The most important thing is that everyone accepts that they are coming here. But they will have to accept our rules.”
Qatar’s World Cup ambassador, ex-national player Khalid Salman (right) in conversation with sports journalist Jochen Breyer in a documentary by the German broadcaster ZDFImage: Mateusz Smolka/ZDF
diplomatic dispute
Homosexual acts in public are illegal in Qatar and are punishable by up to seven years in prison. The captains of several European countries participating in the World Cup, including Germany, France and England, plan to wear rainbow-colored armbands during their matches as part of an anti-discrimination campaign.
Qatar has also come under fire for its human rights record and its treatment of foreign workers. Fans in stadiums across Germany waved banners over the weekend calling for a boycott of the event, including television viewers.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has announced she will be attending the World Cup after being given a “safety guarantee” for LGBTQ fans by the Prime Minister of Qatar. Faeser had previously said hosting the World Cup in Qatar was “very difficult” from Berlin’s perspective, prompting Doha to subpoena the German ambassador amid accusations of “double standards” and “racism”.
FIFA, which awards the World Cup tournament to different countries every four years, has stressed that all fans are welcome at the World Cup in Qatar, as is the Qatar Organizing Committee. The Emir of the Gulf state, Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, also said recently that respect for “our culture” is expected.
Edited by Matt Ford