England captain Harry Kane will wear the “One Love” crest at the World Cup in Qatar
Ten European football associations, including England and Wales, say “human rights are universal and apply everywhere” after FIFA asked countries participating in the World Cup in Qatar to “focus on football now”.
FIFA has written to all 32 teams following the controversial preparations for the tournament, which begins on November 20.
Qatar, which hosts the World Cup, has been criticized for its stance on same-sex relationships, its primacy over human rights and its treatment of migrant workers.
The FIFA letter was criticized by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and LGBT activists in England and Wales.
Recognizing Qatar’s “significant progress”, a joint statement issued by members of the UEFA Working Group on Human and Labor Rights said it “will continue to pressure” FIFA to get answers on outstanding issues relating to migrant workers.
“We recognize and welcome, as we have done in the past, the significant progress made by Qatar, in particular with regard to the rights of migrant workers, with the impact of the legislative changes outlined in recent ILO reports,” reads the Note.
“We welcome the assurances made by the Qatari government and FIFA regarding the safety, protection and inclusion of all fans who go to the World Cup, including LGBT fans. We also recognize that every country has problems and challenges and we are agree with FIFA that diversity is a strength ».
The statement continued: “However, embracing diversity and tolerance also means supporting human rights. Human rights are universal and apply everywhere.”
The FIFA letter, signed by president Gianni Infantino and general secretary Fatma Samoura, urged football not to be “dragged” into ideological or political “battles” and not to be “distributing moral lessons”.
Peaceful protests were planned by some players, while England’s Harry Kane and nine other European team captains would wear the “One Love” badges. To promote diversity and inclusion.
Danish national team players will wear “modified” shirts to protest Qatar, with Hummel, the team’s kit supplier, saying he “does not want to appear” at the tournament he claims “cost thousands of lives”, while the Australian national team posted a video urging Qatar to take action. Repeal its homosexual relations laws.
photo released, Getty Images
Don Ron – BBC sports editor
Although written diplomatically, this joint statement is a powerful and provocative response to last week’s FIFA “stick with football” message, which surprised the Football Association and the American Football Association, stunned many in sport and was widely condemned. by human rights groups and activists for the rights of gay and transgender people.
These 10 Western European federations aim to firmly reaffirm the right of their national teams to take a stand on social issues in Qatar, such as England and Wales players’ plan to wear rainbow armbands as part of an anti-discrimination campaign in a country where it is illegal to be gay.
It is an apparent rejection of FIFA’s request to put aside political concerns and human rights for the duration of the World Cup, amidst a crowd marked by countless moral and geopolitical controversies and the increasingly aggressive approach of the hosts to their criticisms.
There is also a growing frustration felt by many in European football over what the declaration calls “two major outstanding issues”: the status of migrant workers and a compensation fund for those who died or injured in preparations for the game. World Cup.
Recognizing the “important” labor reforms, members of the UEFA Human Rights Working Group expect FIFA to help advance these two issues for several months and hope this will prompt them to make a new effort.
Within days of the tournament, it remains to be seen whether this statement is useful, but it is definitely a reminder of the tension and division surrounding the event’s final preparations.
