A FIFA taskforce is to urge football’s world governing body to put pressure on Qatar to relax anti-gay legislation ahead of the Gulf state’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup.
Director of Football Against Racism in Euro Piara Powar, who is part of the taskforce, said the issue would be raised during a meeting this week, along with similar concerns over 2018 host Russia.
“Qatar is one of the few countries where homosexuality is still illegal and there are also big challenges in terms of the new law in Russia in regard to the World Cup,” Powar said.
“Qatar wants to host the tournament at the start of a new decade, they will want to present an internationally welcoming face and with FIFA’s help we are sure it will be possible to win over the Qataris so that they come into line with the rest of the world, including other countries in the Gulf and Middle East and change the law on homosexuality,” he added.
Power said that fans of all “sexuality need to feel comfortable” when travelling to the tournament, which is costing Qatar upwards of $200bn to host.
Since being announced in 2010, the decision to award the right to host the 2022 World Cup has been shrouded in controversy.
Earlier this week, former English Football Association chairman David Bernstein said Qatar should be forced to rebid for the event.
The Gulf state is facing the likelihood of having to reschedule the tournament to winter over concerns of temperatures as high as 50 degrees during summer. This would disrupt a number of domestic football leagues around Europe, with some already having threatened to take legal action over the matter.
FIFA’s executive committee is due to meet on October 3-4 in Zurich to make a decision on the timing of the month-long event.
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