'Homosexuality is haram': Qatar World Cup 2022 ambassador Khalid Salman's comments sparks boycott demands
By Sunita Iyer | First Published Nov 9, 2022, 2:21 PM ISTBarely two weeks before the Qatar World Cup 2022, the ambassador of the showpiece tournament and former Qatari national team player, Khalid Salman, has sparked a massive controversy by stating homosexuality is 'haram' and is 'damage in the mind'.
With just two weeks to go before the FIFA World Cup 2022 kicks off, Qatar is gearing up to welcome an estimated 1.2 million visitors even as criticism over human rights violations in the Middle Eastern nation continues. But what has added more fire to the fuel is remarks by an ambassador, who described homosexuality as 'haram' and 'damage in the mind'.
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In an interview with German broadcaster ZDF, Khalid Salman, a former Qatar international footballer, addressed the issue of the illegality of homosexuality in his country.
"They have to accept our rules here. [Homosexuality] is haram. You know what haram means?," he said.
When asked why it was haram, or forbidden, Khalid Salman said: "I am not a strict Muslim, but why is it haram? Because it is damage in the mind."
FIFA World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman describes homosexuality as a “damage in the mind” during an interview with German television ZDF.
The whole documentary “Geheimsache Katar” is out now: https://t.co/6QEUNDqUCJ pic.twitter.com/qJNOJk2pA8
Salman spoke in his capacity as a 2022 World Cup ambassador, a position he shares with several football greats, including Cafu and Xavi Hernandez.
The ambassador's duties included "harnessing the potential of football to achieve positive social change in Qatar, throughout the region, and around the world," according to the organisers.
Reacting to Khalid Salman's comments, Rasha Younes of the LGBT rights program at Human Rights Watch called the Qatar World Cup 2022 ambassador's comments as 'harmful and unacceptable'.
"Salman's suggestion that same-sex attraction is 'damage in the mind' is harmful and unacceptable. The failure of the Qatari government to counter this false information has a significant impact on the lives of LGBT residents of Qatar, ranging from fuelling discrimination and violence against them to justifying subjecting them to state-sponsored conversion practices," Rasha Younes said.
Katri Viinikka, Ambassador for Gender Equality in Finland, said, "Homosexuality - a mental illness, said Qatar's official representative. - Qatar can play a useful role, e.g. in the good services of peace mediation, but that is different from unnecessary TV entertainment, which is easy to do without."
Homosexualität - eine Geisteskrankheit, näin Qatarin virallinen edustaja. - Qatarilla voi olla hyödyllinen rooli esim. rauhanvälityksen hyvissä palveluissa, mutta se on eri asia kuin tarpeeton TV-viihde, jota ilman on helppo pärjätä. https://t.co/LSlL2JPys2
— Katri Viinikka (@ViinikkaK)"The ambassador of the Qatar World Cup, Khalid Salman, says that homosexuals have "a mental illness" and that we must "adapt". The repugnant statements have many complicit silences and international collusion. A historical shame to remember, " said Eduardo Rubino, President of the Parliamentary Group of Más Madrid in the Madrid Assembly.
El embajador del Mundial de Qatar, Khalid Salman, dice que los homosexuales tenemos “una enfermedad mental” y que debemos “adaptarnos”. Las declaraciones repugnantes cuentan con muchos silencios cómplices y con la connivencia internacional. Una vergüenza histórica para recordar.
— Eduardo Rubiño 🏳️🌈 (@EduardoFRub)A report by HRW detailing alleged "arbitrary" police behaviour towards LGBTQ+ individuals in Qatar was released last month. The report included six instances of severe and repeated beatings and five instances of sexual harassment while in police custody between 2019 and 2022.
Also read: Qatar World Cup 2022: Brazil to Spain - Ranking the early title favourites
World Cup-bound fans have also voiced concerns over safety in the nation. According to reports, police will be instructed not to intervene in public displays of affection or those who demonstrate in favour of LGBTQ+ rights.
In a recent interview with Swiss media Tages-Anzeiger, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter admitted that he regrets allowing Qatar to host the World Cup. "The choice of Qatar was a mistake, and I take my responsibility because I was the FIFA president at the time."
"Qatar is a small country. Football and World Cups are for big countries. We agreed in the executive committee that Russia would host the 2018 World Cup and the USA the 2022 World Cup. It would have been a gesture of peace if the two political rivals had hosted the World Cup one after the other," Blatter added.
Last week the President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, insisted that "everyone is welcome [at the World Cup] regardless of origin, background, religion, gender, sexual orientation or nationality", echoing comments made by the organisers in Qatar. The comment was part of a letter addressed to football teams and associations in which he requested them to 'focus on football' and not allow the game to 'be dragged into every ideological or political battle that exists'.
Boycott Qatar 2022 trends worldwide
Khalid Salman's comments have sparked a massive public outburst, with several football fans demanding the Qatar World Cup 2022 be boycotted. On Tuesday, during a Bundesliga match between Bayern Munich and Werder, fans spoke their mind with banners that read: "Damaged mind? F*** you, Khalid."
Bayern Munich fans make their feelings clear on Khalid Salman, Qatar World Cup ambassador who told German TV broadcaster ZDF that homosexuality was “damage in the mind”.
Banners read: “Damaged mind? Fuck you Khalid.”
Qatar Airways advertising close by.https://t.co/y4QvtVL7MQ pic.twitter.com/MJ1rlH2EJK
Escándalo en Alemania por unas declaraciones del embajador del Mundial de Qatar, Khalid Salman, en la cadena ZDF. Dice que la homosexualidad es "una enfermedad mental". Los estadios llevan tiempo exhibiendo pancartas que llaman al boicot: pic.twitter.com/V0onow2UKR
— Elena Sevillano (@elenasevillano)On social media, #BoycottQatar2022 has been trending since his comments went viral, and several claims that the Gulf nation should have never been awarded hosting rights of the showpiece event.
"Qatar takes every chance to remind us, that they should never have been allowed to host the World Cup," said one user on Twitter. Another user said, "The World Cup hasn't even started yet and already we have the first suicide goal. The shooter is FIFA World Cup ambassador to Qatar and former footballer Khalid Salman."
A third angry Twitter user said, "If you considered watching or in any other way supporting this corrupt event — think again."
Here's a look at some of the reactions on Twitter following Khalid Salman's comments:
Qatar takes every chance to remind us, that they should never have been allowed to host the World Cup. https://t.co/M8jcVew4Bb
— Marc Loesewitz (@MarcLoesewitz)The World Cup hasn't even started yet and already we have the first suicide goal. The shooter is FIFA World Cup ambassador to Qatar and former footballer Khalid Salman. https://t.co/PpOQRhQXI0
— Robert Miron Staniszewski, Ph.D. (@StaniszewskiRM)If you considered watching or in any other way supporting this corrupt event — think again. https://t.co/R6GzmXvzqh
— Hendrik Strobelt (@hen_str)Horrible views from the
World Cup "ambassador" (how is such a person even in this role....) https://t.co/rbDNqNKalG
If it was not enough, in an interview FIFA2022 ambassador Khalid Salman said fans coming for the tournament "will have to accept our rules" as the being gay is “damage in the mind”. This ruthless approach irked the LGBTQ orgs to further push calls.
3/ pic.twitter.com/s0FCm4mNpc
Per Khalid Salman, ambasciatore dei in "L'omosessualità è un danno psichico". Ogni volta che parlano non fanno che ricordarci l'assurdità di tutto questo.
"15.000 morti per 5.760 minuti di calcio. Vergogna". pic.twitter.com/dqaYLeoSlf
El embajador de Qatar en la Copa del Mundo, Khalid Salman, calificó la homosexualidad de "daño mental" y de "haram" (es decir, pecado en el Islam).
Es un asco todo. El esclavismo en la construcción de estados, la misoginia y la homofobia de Qatar. pic.twitter.com/qhw272ct6A
Former Qatar international and ambassador, Khalid Salman told German broadcaster ZDF that LGBTQ+ people attending the tournament should "accept our rules".
"I am not a strict Muslim but why is it haram? Because it is damage in the mind."
Qatari Khalid Salman says homosexuality is damage to the brain? No mate. Your brain is the one that is damaged. Or at least way too small.
— matthew weston (@westoncreative)Khalid Salman, an ambassador of , calls homosexuality "spiritual damage". Thank you, the next reason to boycott Qatar! They have the greatest damage themselves and are unworldly.
— mklee Ⓥ (@mkleeTnT)Khalid Salman, ambassador: "Homosexuality is a psychological damage", you are a disgrace https://t.co/sxlA6MQFP7
— Michele Galoppini (@MikGaloppini)Homosexuality is ‘damage in the mind’ according to Qatari football ambassador . If it wasn’t before, it’s now time to boycott the
— D1ckdutch (@d1ckdutch)Qatar World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman has said that homosexuality is "damage in the mind". and its sponsors.
— Christopher Syme (@heschemistrypro)(Image Credit: Getty Images - for representation purpose)
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