Qatar: World Cup ambassador justifies homophobic statements

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Al Thumama Stadium in Doha

Photo: Kirill Kudryavtsev / AFP

The Qatari World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman sees his homophobic statements in the ZDF documentary "Geheimsache Qatar" "taken out of context".

The 60-year-old commented on Twitter.

"It is not our religion or our nature to offend or hurt," he said, adding that "everyone" is welcome in Qatar, "but our culture and religion will not change for the World Cup."

The statements by the former national player shortly before the football finals on ZDF that being gay was "mental damage" caused massive criticism in Germany.

The Foreign Office, spokeswoman Andrea Sasse, condemned the derogatory statements.

"From our point of view, this is an incredibly homophobic failure," said Sasse at the federal press conference.

"It also contradicts what our contacts in the Qatari government have promised us." The Qatari government has assured that all fans are welcome at the World Cup, which begins on November 20th.

"We're counting on that," said the spokeswoman.

The World Cup organizing committee and the world association Fifa have not yet commented on the statements.

Salman is one of ten "local" World Cup ambassadors.

“Qatar is not a constitutional state.

There's nothing to complain about."

Homosexuality is a criminal offense in Qatar.

However, Prime Minister Sheikh Chalid bin Chalifa Al-Thani recently issued a “security guarantee” for people in the LGBT community to German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.

The human rights organization Human Rights Watch nevertheless warned homosexual people against traveling to the World Cup.

There is "a great risk" that showing same-sex love "will be punished," said Wenzel Michalski, director of Human Rights Watch Germany: "Regardless of what assurances there are.

Qatar is not a rule of law.

You can't complain about that.«

Qatar is considered one of the most controversial hosts in World Cup history.

The emirate is accused of, among other things, violations of human rights, poor treatment of stadium construction workers and a lack of women's rights.

Just a few days ago, Human Rights Watch accused the police in Qatar of arresting and abusing queer people.

ara/dpa