FIFA Sends Letter to Participating Countries to "Focus Only on Football"... Ignoring Human Rights Issues?

Qatar World Cup Approaching in Two Weeks Amid Human Rights Controversy
Foreign Workers Labor and Die in Harsh Conditions... "World Cup Stained with Blood" Criticism

On the 3rd (local time), cleaning staff are working at the Host Country Media Center (HCMC) located in Msheireb Downtown Doha, one of the major tourist attractions in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Controversy has arisen as the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) requested participating countries to "focus only on football" about two weeks before the opening of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, which has been embroiled in human rights violation allegations.

According to the Associated Press on the 4th (local time), FIFA leadership, including President Gianni Infantino and Secretary-General Fatma Samoura, recently sent letters to the 32 countries participating in the Qatar World Cup, advising that "football should not be entangled in ideological or political conflicts."

FIFA stated, "We strive to respect all opinions and beliefs," adding, "One of the greatest strengths of the world is diversity." They emphasized, "No individual, culture, or nation can be considered superior to others," and "These principles are the foundation of mutual respect and a culture free of discrimination, which are among the core values of football."

This is related to the growing human rights issues in Qatar, the host country of the World Cup. Since winning the bid for the 2010 World Cup, Qatar has been accused of subjecting most foreign workers involved in construction projects such as stadiums, hotels, and road networks to harsh conditions.

On November 17 last year (local time), about one year before the 2022 Qatar World Cup, workers standing at the football stadium 'Stadium 974' in Doha. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

According to the British Daily Mail, these workers receive only 8.3 pounds per day (about 13,000 KRW) and endure extreme heat and humidity without adequate protection while working. Additionally, reports emerged in January that over 6,500 migrant workers involved in the construction of Qatar World Cup stadiums lost their lives due to these harsh working conditions. At the time, the media criticized the Qatar government and FIFA for remaining silent despite the repeated occurrences, stating "The World Cup is stained with blood."

Recently, allegations have been raised that thousands of workers staying near the accommodation areas for World Cup tourists were forcibly evicted. According to major foreign media on the 28th of last month, the Qatari government forcibly evicted over 1,200 foreign workers residing in apartments near the capital, Doha, without prior notice.

As a result, about ten apartment buildings were closed, and the suddenly evicted workers had to find places to stay. However, many workers had no choice but to sleep on nearby roads. These apartments are known to be adjacent to areas designated for renting accommodations to World Cup tourists.

Human rights organizations strongly criticized FIFA for turning a blind eye to such controversies. Steve Cockburn, head of the Economic and Social Department at Amnesty International, said, "If the world wants to focus on football, there is a simple solution: not to hide human rights issues under the carpet but to take action against them."

He pointed out, "It is astonishing that FIFA has not yet done these things. Hundreds of thousands of workers have been abused for the World Cup. Their rights must not be forgotten or ignored." He added, "The first thing that can be done is to contribute to the establishment of a compensation fund for foreign workers."

On the 3rd (local time), the names of the participating countries of the 2022 Qatar World Cup are displayed on an LED wall of a building in West Bay, Doha, Qatar. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

The voices of criticism seem to be spreading beyond human rights organizations to the international community as a whole. Australia, the first among participating countries to call for improvements in Qatar's human rights issues, had players appear on broadcasts directly addressing Qatar's human rights concerns. Additionally, eight European national teams supported an anti-discrimination campaign led by the Netherlands by having their captains wear heart-shaped armbands during matches.

In France, the winner of the 2018 Russia World Cup, major cities such as Paris and Strasbourg declared a boycott of street broadcasts of the Qatar World Cup. According to the Associated Press, Pierre Rabadan, Deputy Mayor of Sports in Paris, told reporters on the 4th of last month that due to "environmental and social conditions during the organization of this World Cup," the city decided not to hold street broadcasts using large screens.

In Germany, where the culture of enjoying football broadcasts together in pubs is well developed, some pubs have decided not to show Qatar World Cup matches. On the 1st, Fanny Delauene, who runs a sports bar in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, told major foreign media, "Too many human rights violations have occurred in Qatar," adding, "From an ethical perspective, it cannot be justified to broadcast the matches in the pub." Another pub owner in the same region said, "Not showing the World Cup matches in the pub may be economically foolish, but at least it preserves our conscience."

Meanwhile, Qatar completely denies these human rights violation allegations. The criticism that thousands of migrant workers' lives and health were endangered during World Cup preparations is not true, according to their position. Regarding the allegations of forced evictions of workers, they explained that the actions were carried out through appropriate procedures and are unrelated to the World Cup.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.