FIFA urged to drop ‘two-faced’ Qatar as World Cup host

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani (left) holds up a copy of the World Cup he received from Sepp Blatter. (Reuters)

JEDDAH: A report by a leading think-tank has raised questions about Qatar’s suitability to host the 2022 World Cup.
The report, prepared by the Saudi American Public Relation Affairs Committee (SAPRAC), documents in detail “how a corrupt state is sponsoring terrorism and sports at the same time.”
The report quotes senior US officials as saying Qatar is “the most two-faced nation in the world, backing the US-led coalition against the militants of the Islamic State (Daesh) while providing a permissive environment.”
SAPRAC founder Salman Al-Ansari told Arab News on Tuesday that the analysis was conducted to “highlight the very dark side of Qatar.”
Using “facts and evidence,” the report “sheds light on Qatar’s terrorism, corruption and mistreatment of its cheap labor,” he said.
“Therefore, FIFA (football’s international governing body) will surely open a comprehensive investigation into this tiny country with dual agendas.”
Several countries in the region, led by Saudi Arabia, have recently taken action against Doha, severing ties and saying it supports terrorist groups such as Daesh and Al-Qaeda.
Qatar’s World Cup bid came under investigation from the FBI and Swiss authorities “for money laundering and racketeering, leading to the resignation of FIFA President Sepp Blatter,” said the report.
“It is now an explicit fact that the money used in funding and enabling top terrorist groups around the world, is the same money used to buy European football teams and host the 2022 FIFA World Cup,” it added.
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee must conclude that Qatar has committed a serious breach of FIFA ethics and rules, and that its continued support and promotion of internationally recognized terrorist groups is against the Federation’s code of ethics, and all the nobility and integrity that the sport stands for.”
Among the reasons listed by SAPRAC for why Qatar is unfit to host the World Cup are concerns raised during the bidding process, including a lack of proper infrastructure and an excessively hot climate.
The report also cites the indictment of Mohammed bin Hammam, former president of the Asian Football Federation and a key player in the World Cup bid, who was banned for life from anything related to football due to bribery allegations.
Other reasons listed include continued scrutiny by the US Department of Justice and Swiss authorities of Qatar’s influence on football’s most important organizations; and the death of more than 1,200 construction workers while building stadiums for the 2022 World Cup.
The report said World Cup organizers, officials, team members and fans will face travel difficulties and restrictions due to the air blockade by neighboring countries.
Shipments of building materials used for stadiums and other projects have faltered due to the land and seaport ban, it added.
The report quoted German Football Association President Reinhard Grindel as saying: “The football community worldwide should agree that major tournaments should not be played in countries that actively support terror.”
The deputy speaker of the German Parliament asked: “How is the World Cup granted to a state that sponsors terrorism around the world?”