The inaugural World Cup has managed to become one of the most scandalous global political events, with the host country, Qatar, facing a storm of accusations and boycotts. The reason for this is that Qatar, despite the pressure, has firmly decided to adhere to its own Islamic rules.
Open-air consumption of alcohol, nudity, erotic gestures in general and homosexuality in particular, offensive slogans — all of which often accompany modern mass sports events — are forbidden. This is the main reason for the anti-Qatar campaign and hysteria, which has been masked by the slogan «human rights violations in Qatar», implying that such a country has no right to host the World Cup.
And were human rights not violated at the 2018 World Cup in Russia? Four years after the open annexation of part of the internationally recognized territory of another country and the actual annexation of other parts, after the mass bombings of Syrian cities, the terror of death squads in the Caucasus, the growing political repression and the murder of journalists, it is clear that for the overwhelming majority who are boycotting Qatar, all this was disregarded simply because alcohol, public debauchery, homosexuality (despite the laws in force) and other «joys of life» were fully permitted by the authorities during the World Cup in Russia. By the way, this is a question of «tightly screwed caps» — as you can see, when the Russian ruling class had to conform to the global mainstream, they conveniently forgot about them. And it is not Russia’s traditionalism, as its propaganda claims today, but rather the fact that its regime has completely lost its mind in international relations, which forced the world to drastically revise its attitude towards it.
Qatar, on the other hand, did not seize any territory, did not engage in wars with its neighbors, did not engage in nuclear blackmail or terrorism, but it did demonstrate admirable principles in terms of its values. And this applies not only to what is forbidden to the fans, but also to what is done for them — spreading the truth of Islam in various ways. From the reading of the Koran at the opening of the championship to the numerous banners with the Prophet’s Hadiths, Islamic literature in hotel rooms, inviting the best muezzins to the mosques to recite the call to prayer, the work of Da’wah preachers, Islamic exhibitions, and so on. In general, Qatar has shown phenomenal steadfastness compared to the plastic policies of most Muslim countries, including those that have recently been leaders of Da’wah. May Allah reward its rulers and people for this!
But, of course, not everyone was pleased. Accusations have been made that the traditions of football fans have been trampled upon and that the «celebration for all» has become an event under the control of one religion. What can be said about this?
The big question is whether countries whose way of life is incompatible with the culture of «spectacular events» should host them on their territory. After all, the question may arise for the inhabitants of peaceful countries who are overwhelmed by streams of noisy guests who are not accustomed to their customs, just as soccer fans may wonder why a country that cannot accept the event in the way they are accustomed to has been chosen to host it. In reality, this is a question for FIFA, but if for some reason they have decided to hold this event in Qatar, then it is quite natural that it is not FIFA that should adapt to the whims of the fans, but rather the fans should abide by the rules of the host country. And those who want to boycott this championship are free to do so.
As for the talk that this global event is being held according to the rules of one religion, well, that’s not the case on a regular basis, but rather as an exception to the rule. In this regard, Muslims today represent one fifth to one sixth of the total human population, which, even from a democratic point of view, gives Muslim countries reason to take such measures occasionally and conduct them according to their own rules. Moreover, do not think that it will be an ordeal for 100% of non-Muslim fans. Not everyone who loves watching soccer is thrilled by the stench of alcohol in the stands, naked, drunken fans shouting nonsense, fighting, and other «pleasures» of mass spectator sports.
And for many of these people, hosting the World Cup without all this will cause them to reflect on the wisdom of Islam, which separates good from evil and allows people to experience the former while protecting them from the latter. As they say, «Was it allowed?» Qatar shows that yes, because this is what Islam offers to humanity.