World Cut 2022 (3)

Organizing a global event in an Arab-Muslim country was a good idea. Not in Qatar, though. Least of all a Football World Cup.

A recent decision (November 9) from the Qatari government illustrates its unpreparedness. It ruled that any stray animal (cats, dogs) found in the street – including collared ones – will be exterminated. Official reason is to lower the risk of epidemics and the spread of contagious diseases. Imagine if Paris organized the World Cup, complete with 8 stadiums, and the chief of Police Lallement ordered that all pets found on the street be eradicated.

World Cup versus Qatari culture

I wrote my Qatarina novel with the help of educated men and women from prominent families. They kept telling me: “this event is out of character for us”. A World Cup is an invitation to share, to mix, to embrace otherness. The World Cup often reflects the concerns of the world it mirrors. Today's world – or at least the youth – is mindful of individual rights, concerned about the fate of workers on construction sites and harshly critical of any climate aberration.

No need to go to inclusion and diversity extremes to see trouble brewing. A year ago, I was invited on the set of France TVinfo to debate then Minister of Sports Roxana Maracineanu, following the refusal of Qatari officials to shake hands with female referees. I wasn't surprised in the least. Qatari mentalities simply aren't ready.

Let's talk about respect for women. I remember going to the opera in Doha. It was Giuseppe Verdi's Aida. The dignitaries in the front row, all dressed in white, were eagerly awaiting the moment slaves would dance in revealing clothes. However, censorship dictated that they wear skin-colored tights. The front row quickly thinned out.

According to my sources, a new beach resort opened near the 974 stadium. It costs €9 to get in, but bikinis are so far prohibited. What happens when Brazilian girls come in droves, echoing one of the scenes from my novel Qatarina?

As for the LGBTQ community... Let's not forget that the Head of Security Abdullah Al Ansari has explicitly asked the gay community to keep a low profile and not wave around flags or signs that might offend local customs. In Qatar, same-sex relations are illegal.

The latest scandal comes from David Beckam's interpreter (who cashed in ￡150 million to be appointed ambassador for the competition) who stated that homosexuality goes against nature. A World Cup is a reflection of the world in all its diversity. The one in Qatar seeks to wipe it out.

What is it you want, little man?

Whether from Nepal, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh, small hands mean nothing! Thousands of deaths have been reported on World Cup construction sites. A number of commentators asserted in bad taste that this was to be expected, that accidents are bound to happen whenever and wherever construction is involved. In saying so, they are denying the heavy toll paid by these people. No one talks about the conditions these men worked in. They were dehydrated and often crammed into small air-conditioned rooms to cool off during breaks.

When asking Qatari officials about casualties on construction sites, their answer is that when Notre-Dame or the Eiffel Tower were being built, little thought was given to the loss of human life. An exceptional monument demands an exceptional death toll. Such is the level of cynicism. One might say that history serves to avoid repeating mistakes, that lessons should be drawn from it. But this country has no history, all it cares about is the future.?

Erecting shiny stadiums to host the World Cup is the means to build up a lasting reputation and to make a name for itself. But at what cost in terms of human life?

Breaking news: the bedroom communities housing thousands of workers have been emptied out and the residents expelled. In most cases, they have nowhere to go.

Thumbing their noses at environmental concerns

Let's remember that Qatar was awarded the World Cup against the US on the condition that the competition be held in summer and that, consequently, all stadiums be air-conditioned. The US has grounds to be upset as it has since been decided that the World Cup would be held in winter, making air conditioning pointless. A lie and a waste. Just think of the huge sums of money sunk into this madness, which will only last one month.

The irony is that what will perhaps redeem the organization of the World Cup in Qatar is also what will leave a most considerable carbon footprint. Dubai's proximity will allow fans from all over the world to “enjoy themselves” and avoid the harsh restrictions of boring Doha. Dubai is a 45-minute flight from Doha, so air traffic will skyrocket throughout the competition.

While I believe that the World Cup will shake up Qatar, I am equally convinced it won't change its mentality. It is unrealistic to think that a one-month sporting event can have a lasting impact on the culture of a country so used to looking inward.

It will be a World Cup for the rich, heavily regulated, controlled, restricted, where the media will be kept in check, with many scandals unraveling on social networks. The worst ones will become public after the final... because “the show must go on”. I will address this in my last article, the day before the opening match.