Doha, Oct 28 (AFP\/APP): Qatar on Friday summoned Germany’s ambassador to protest comments made by a minister casting doubt on whether the Gulf state should host the football World Cup.<\/p>\n
Comments by German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser were “unacceptable and provocative” and required a “clarification”, Qatar’s foreign ministry said.<\/p>\n
A letter handed to the ambassador highlighted Qatar’s “complete rejection” of Faeser’s comments, who had been due to visit Qatar on Monday.<\/p>\n
The conservative Islamic state has faced widespread criticism over its treatment of migrant workers, as well as rights for the LGBTQ community and women.<\/p>\n
This is the first time a foreign ambassador has been summoned over such comments.<\/p>\n
Faeser, in an interview with the ARD network aired Thursday, said that Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup next month was “very tricky” for Germany.<\/p>\n
She added: “There are criteria that must be adhered to and it would be better that tournaments are not awarded to such states.”<\/p>\n
Faeser, in a statement released ahead of her visit with the head of the German football federation Bernd Neuendorf, said that rights would be raised in talks.<\/p>\n
“No World Cup takes place in a vacuum. Human rights always apply everywhere – and now the whole world is paying special attention,” Faeser said.<\/p>\n
Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said this week that his energy rich country had been confronted by an “unprecedented campaign” of “double standards”.<\/p>\n
The country has highlighted widespread reforms to its labour and industrial safety record in recent years, that have been hailed by international labour unions.<\/p>\n
Rights groups have accused it of under-reporting deaths on construction sites over the past decade, and have campaigned for Qatar and football governing body FIFA to set up a compensation fund for workers.<\/p>\n
Australia this week became the first World Cup team to release a statement on rights in the host country highlighting the “suffering” of workers.<\/p>\n
Qatar responded by insisting that “protecting the health, safety, security, and dignity” of every worker was their “priority.”<\/p>\n
Several European captains have said they will wear armbands with rainbow colours and the message “One Love” during games to highlight support for LGBTQ rights.<\/p>\n
The spat comes at an awkward time for Germany, which has been negotiating for supplies of Qatari natural gas to make up for losses in Russian deliveries.<\/p>\n
It is one of several European countries that have approached Qatar since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Doha, Oct 28 (AFP\/APP): Qatar on Friday summoned Germany’s ambassador to protest comments made by a minister casting doubt on whether the Gulf state should host the football World Cup. Comments by German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser were “unacceptable and provocative” and required a “clarification”, […]<\/p>\n
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