Doha (AFP)
Transgender and gay fans will be "welcome" to the 2022 World Cup soccer tournament in Qatar, said an official of the organization of the competition, stating that local customs must be respected.
Homosexuality is banned in Qatar and the law is unclear about transgender people. This taboo subject is rarely addressed in public life or by the authorities of this conservative Gulf emirate.
"I want to assure all fans, regardless of gender, orientation (sexual), religion or race, that Qatar is one of the safest countries in the world and that they will all be welcome here, "said Nasser Al-Khater, head of the organization of the World Cup-2022 this week.
"The safety of all supporters is of the utmost importance to us," said Khater at Al-Janoub stadium, where he answered questions from several journalists.
He warned, however, that "public displays of affection are frowned upon" just as "alcohol is not part of" the country's culture.
"For the World Cup, we want to make sure that (alcohol) is accessible to fans who come from abroad and want to have a drink," he nevertheless said, referring to "designated places", in addition to the dozen luxury hotels allowed to serve alcoholic beverages and where the price of a pint of beer is around 10 euros.
According to him, "a little over a million supporters" will visit the Gulf country during the World Cup, the first organized by an Arab state and the Middle East.
Believing that "hooliganism in the World Cups has dropped dramatically", Mr. Khater assured that the country has the ability to "ensure the safety" of the competition.
"What we have here is the possibility of altercations between fans because of the size of the country, with many fans concentrated in the same perimeter," he added.
The organization of one of the most important sporting events in the world is a major challenge for Qatar, in a region shaken by tensions and where the emirate is itself subject to boycott of its main neighbors who accuse it of support Islamists and links with Iran, which Doha denies.
© 2019 AFP