Oliver Bierhoff has expressed skepticism about Qatar and its treatment of homosexuals
It won't be too long now until the European Championship takes place in Qatar. Soccer fans should have already marked the days from November 21 to December 18, 2022 in red on their calendars. However, the human rights situation in Qatar is repeatedly mentioned in connection with the tournament.
Many people cannot understand why an event of such magnitude is being held in a country that has been criticized for its treatment of queers, among other things.
Now Oliver Bierhoff has also expressed skepticism. Among other things, he wonders what criteria are used to decide where a World Cup can take place.
Bierhoff calls treatment of homosexuals in Qatar unacceptable
Oliver Bierhoff was recently interviewed by the Funke Mediengruppe. Among other things, it is also about the World Cup host country Qatar. The DFB director described the situation there with regard to the treatment of homosexual people as unacceptable. The whole thing is "in no way" in line with his convictions.
Bierhoff is likely to receive a lot of approval for his statements from the wider community. He is also not the first person to stand in public and make such statements. Among other things, it is always the "little details" that come to light with regard to the treatment of queers in Qatar that make people sit up and take notice. Only recently, an investigation revealed that many hotels in the country refuse to accommodate gay couples.
Qatar and homosexuality - what does the law say?
The legal requirements regarding queerness and same-sex love are clearly regulated. Because: In this country it is forbidden to be homosexual. Anyone who defies this law can be prosecuted with a prison sentence of up to seven years.
In addition, it does not "only" remain with this kind of discrimination. Among other things, due to the fact that homosexuality is declared "bad" and "sinful" "from the very top", large parts of society also hold this opinion. This is reflected in many other forms of discrimination, such as the fact that many hotels do not tolerate gay guests.
Life for people in Qatar is accordingly not easy. Those who want to stand by themselves and their sexuality must inevitably do so behind closed doors.
Bierhoff apparently has a hard time believing the Qatar government's statements
In the meantime, the Qatari government has also reacted to the accusations from the international side. Both they and FIFA have announced that everyone is welcome at the World Cup. According to Bierhoff, this is a promise that Qatar will have to measure itself against. He himself could "only assess this with difficulty". He had already held many talks in the past, including with FIFA. He has also exchanged views with various members of human rights organizations.
In an interview with Funke Mediengruppe, however, he addresses another issue: the basic award criteria. He wonders what details are actually taken into account when it comes to deciding where a tournament can be held. This is, after all, "the sharpest sword" when it comes to enforcing changes.
He said it was important that said changes happen BEFORE the award, otherwise the leverage would be gone. In Bierhoff's opinion, questions about human rights in connection with the venues would have to play a far greater role. Whether and how many queer soccer fans will decide to watch the World Cup games in Qatar on site remains to be seen. What is certain is that it is a risk for homosexual people to visit a country that makes law on the basis of homophobic laws.
Have you already noticed? The ESC in Ukraine is on the brink!