Qatari media closely linked to the government have in recent days denounced criticism, mainly European, of Doha's human rights record ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
Since the awarding of the organization of the World Cup to Doha, the rich Gulf emirate has faced numerous criticisms aimed in particular at its environmental footprint, the place of women and LGBT + minorities and the treatment of migrant workers.
On Monday, to illustrate these criticisms, the Arabic-language daily Al-Raya published a satirical drawing representing the World Cup trophy surrounded by arrows.
In an editorial, the newspaper said the European press had been waging "a furious attack on the World Cup in Qatar since it was announced in December 2010".
"Let's stop the smear campaigns and cooperate for a World Cup that unites people," the daily added.
"Systematic Conspiracy"
For its part, the Al-Sharq newspaper published an interview with former Algerian football star Lakhdar Belloumi on Monday, who assured that "malicious campaigns will not discourage Qatar".
In an editorial, the daily denounced on Sunday the "lies, rumors and calumnies" written in Europe on the preparations in Qatar.
There is, according to this text, a "systematic conspiracy" of the media of many European countries on the subject of the rights of migrant workers, "while these media have forgotten the miserable conditions experienced by workers in Europe".
"We see that these miserable media create these kinds of stories every time a country outside the Old Continent hosts the tournament," Al-Sharq concludes.
In an op-ed for the English-language news site Doha News, artist Ghada Al-Khater writes: "Forgive me for doubting the intentions of European countries which, over the past decade, have looked at migrants fleeing conflict, devastation and poverty to drown at the bottom of the Mediterranean."
As the tournament, which begins on November 20 and will draw more than a million spectators to the emirate, approaches, international NGOs and European media are pointing out Qatar's human rights shortcomings, which Qatari authorities dispute .
>> To read also: "World in Qatar: a political, economic or 'hypocritical' boycott?"
In protest, some French cities will not install a giant screen to broadcast matches in public.
Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, lamented attacks on Arab countries last month at the UN General Assembly, but said all supporters would be welcome "without discrimination".
With AFP
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