I was reviewing the paper’s on Stephen Nolan’s BBC Radio 5 Live show last night, and I was astounded at the number of callers and texters who were outraged over the decision by Fifa to award the 2022 World Cup to the emirate of Qatar. Even liberal bloggers on Twitter joined in on Thursday, after the announcement was made.
- “Qatar is ludicrously wealthy . . . Since money is no problem, one thing we can be reasonably sure of is that when 2022 arrives, Qatar’s World Cup infrastructure will meet the highest standards and there won’t be a last-minute cliffhanger over facilities as happened with the Commonwealth Games in India.”
- “Alcohol is not actually illegal in Qatar, though it’s an offence to drink or be drunk in public. The bigger hotels sell alcohol and foreigners living in Qatar can buy it under a permit system. I’m baffled as to why some people think this should disqualify Qatar from hosting the World Cup. Considering the problems that can arise with drunken fans, Qatar’s restrictions don’t seem unreasonable.”
- “Gay sex is illegal in Qatar, though the authorities don’t normally go out of their way to track gay people down . . . very few gay-related cases have been reported in Qatar.”
- “Compared with some parts of the Middle East, the country has had very little trouble with jihadist militants.”
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