Thrashing, jail for homosexuals: A take a look at Qatar’s LGBTQIA+ legal guidelines after man detained for carrying rainbow tee

A raging row has erupted after a US journalist overlaying the Football World Cup was detained for carrying a rainbow t-shirt to help the LGBTQIA+ group. What are Qatari legal guidelines about LGBTQIA+ and the way has it handled the group? And what do the Qataris really feel about them? Read on…  

Football captains of seven European groups had been set to put on rainbow armbands throughout Qatar’s World Cup to advertise variety and inclusion. However, after dealing with sanctions menace from FIFA, they had been pressured to desert the One Love marketing campaign gesture.

By Tirtho Banerjee: “Take off your (rainbow) t-shirt; it’s not allowed,” the Qatari safety workers ordered a US sports activities journalist as he tried to enter the Al Rayyan Stadium the place the US’ World Cup opener in opposition to Wales was about to start on Tuesday.

Grant Wahl, the journalist, tweeted that he was detained for practically half an hour (for carrying the rainbow t-shirt in help of the LGBTQIA+ group).

The tweet evoked blended responses, some backing Wahl, whereas others, principally Qatari nationals, tutoring him to respect the regulation of the land and the nation’s tradition.

In a pointy response, Dr Nayef bin Nahar, an outspoken Qatari tutorial, stated, “As a Qatari I’m proud of what happened. I don’t know when will the westerners realize that their values aren’t universal. There are other cultures with different values that should be equally respected. Let’s not forget that the West is not the spokesperson for humanity.”

“Respect the culture of the region and follow the rules as civilised person,” one other Qatari nationwide tweeted.

Earlier, soccer captains of seven European groups had been set to put on rainbow armbands throughout Qatar’s World Cup to advertise variety and inclusion. However, after dealing with sanction threats from FIFA, they had been pressured to desert the One Love marketing campaign gesture.

ALSO READ | US journalist briefly detained at FIFA World Cup in Qatar over rainbow shirt

In an announcement in 2020, Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk stated: “This is an important message which suits the game of football: on the field everybody is equal and this should be the case in every place in society. With the OneLove band we express this message.”

WHAT DOES COUNTRY’S LAW SAY?

Qatar considers gay acts as immoral beneath Islamic Sharia regulation. They are unlawful. The regulation in Qatar punishes an individual with a jail sentence of 1 to 3 years for “inducing or seducing a male or a female in any way to commit illegal or immoral actions”.

Punishment can even attain as much as seven years’ imprisonment and even dying by stoning, aside from a hefty effective.

The regulation additionally requires comparable punishment for whoever is “instigating” or “seducing” a male to “commit sodomy”. Men and girls can face motion beneath the Penal Code 2004, which criminalises same-sex exercise.

Since 2004, Article 296 of the present Penal Code (Law 11/2004) stipulates imprisonment between one and three years for sodomy between males.

The dying penalty for same-gender intercourse is relevant solely to gay Muslims as a result of extramarital intercourse (no matter gender) is punished by dying and since same-gender {couples} can’t get married.

In Qatar, there are cultural mores that see homosexuality and cross-dressing negatively. The Qatari authorities prohibits same-sex marriage and doesn’t enable individuals in Qatar to marketing campaign for LGBTQIA rights.

ALSO READ | ‘Proud of what occurred’: Qatari scholar on detention of US journalist for carrying rainbow t-shirt

The sale of alcohol can be restricted in Qatar. Visitors can’t carry alcohol into the nation, not even from the duty-free part on the airport. Beer is offered for $15 (Rs 1,224) per half-litre in some selective motels. FIFA has banned consuming alcohol in stadiums in the course of the World Cup.

TRACK RECORD

In October this yr, Human Rights Watch stated Qatar Preventive Security Department forces arbitrarily arrested lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals and subjected them to ill-treatment in detention. Human Rights Watch documented six instances of extreme and repeated beatings and 5 instances of sexual harassment in police custody between 2019 and 2022.

Security forces arrested individuals in public locations primarily based solely on their gender expression and unlawfully searched their telephones. As a requirement for his or her launch, safety forces mandated that transgender girls detainees attend conversion remedy classes at a government-sponsored “behavioral healthcare” centre, a report identified.

In 2016, Instagram star King Luxy from Poland was held in Qatar for allegedly being homosexual. He reportedly needed to spend two months in custody earlier than being let loose.

In 1998, an American citizen visiting Qatar was reportedly sentenced to 6 months in jail and 90 lashes for gay exercise.

In November 2008, British singer George Michael gave a scintillating efficiency at a live performance in Qatar, making him the primary overtly homosexual musician to take action within the Gulf nation.

ALSO READ | Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk to put on One Love armband at World Cup regardless of FIFA ruling

‘IT’S HARAM: RESPECT OUR CULTURE’

Some time again, a Qatar authorities official had stated that the World Cup host was an inclusive nation. “Everyone is welcome in Qatar.” He added: “Our track record has shown that we have warmly welcomed all people regardless of background.” However, Qatar 2022 chief govt Nasser al Khater categorically acknowledged that the federal government is not going to change its legal guidelines on homosexuality and requested guests to “respect our culture”.

A press release by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), which is answerable for planning for the World Cup, stated it was dedicated to “an inclusive and discriminatory-free” World Cup. It added, “But we are a conservative country and any public display of affection, regardless of orientation, is frowned upon. We simply ask people to respect our culture.”

During an interview in September, World Cup ambassador and former footballer Khalid Salman stated homosexuality was “damage in the mind”.

Ahead of the event, he instructed German public broadcaster ZDF that being homosexual is “haram” (forbidden).

Qatar was awarded the World Cup in 2010. Interestingly, in 2016, FIFA adopted the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The rules require it to “avoid infringing on the human rights of others and address adverse human rights impacts”.

Edited By:

Tirtho Banerjee

Published On:

Nov 23, 2022