The small country punishes homosexuality with up to five years in prison or lashes.
Last week, gay football groups said gay fans would be unable to travel to the Qatar for the games because of its oppressive laws.
Sebb Blatter speaking in Johannesburg at a post-2010 World Cup legacy project launch also said;
“We are definitely living in a world of freedom and I’m sure when the World Cup will be in Qatar in 2022, there will be no problems.This shows how naive Blatter is, as LGBT website Queeried put it;
“You see in the Middle East the opening of this culture, it’s another culture because it’s another religion, but in football we have no boundaries.
“We open everything to everybody and I think there shall not be any discrimination against any human beings be it on this side or that side, be it left, right or whatever.”
In other words Blatter seems to believe that the arrival of a football World Cup to the country will suddenly make Qatar forget it doesn’t like gay people and becoming a YMCA loving country.The Gay Football Supporters’ Network said it would boycott all activities related to the 2022 World Cup and have issued a demand that Sebb Blatter should apologise for his comments.
I'm sorry but in this day and age, an apology is nowhere near enough, it is time for Sebb Blatter to resign and for the President of FIFA to go to someone who doesn't think homophobia is funny.
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Sebb Blatter wants to insist that oppressive laws concerning homosexuality, women etc be suspended for the duration of the World Cup.
After all, I understand that Hassan Abdulla al Thawadi, Chief Executive of the Qatar 2022 World Cup bid has said the Muslim state would permit alcohol consumption during the World Cup. Clearly they are not that worried about their culture not to realise that divorcing football from booze would mean nobody would go at all.
I'm sorry either its inclusive or its not, and including piss artists but not gay people is wrong.
And, of course, the choice of Russia isn't without it's problems either - not least the racism on the Terraces...
...but such issues and concerns won't be seen or heard in the corporate boxes (or over the sound of the cash-registers at FIFA HQ)
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