Qatar’s foreign minister said that Western criticism of the country ahead of the World Cup is “arrogant” and “racist,” as the upcoming tournament puts a spotlight on Doha’s human rights record.

In an exclusive interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said that European and Western countries think that Qatar is “not intellectually or culturally prepared to host a World Cup.”

“It is ironic when this tone is struck in countries in Europe that call themselves liberal democracies. It honestly sounds very arrogant and very racist,” he said.

The foreign minister was reiterating Doha’s complaints about “double standards” toward the country, saying that Germany’s population is “misinformed by government politicians.” He added that the German government seems to have “no problem” when it comes to energy cooperation with Qatar.

“It seems difficult for some to accept that a small country, a small Arab country, should be allowed to host the soccer World Cup. Racist clichés also keep cropping up. But that is not the case everywhere for a long time. There are fewer than ten countries from which such sharp criticism comes. The rest of the world is happy for us. 97 percent of the tickets have already been sold. That is a clear sign.”

In an interview with Sky News, the minister further lashed out at the critics and pro-LGBTQ activists and human rights watchers

“Preaching from a distance is not a solution. Calling to boycott the World Cup or those who are not coming to the World Cup, it’s their decision at the end of the day, but why to deprive the people and the public of attending and enjoying the World Cup,” said Qatar’s foreign minister.

The foreign minister is the latest Qatari government official to go on the offensive against Western criticism, after years of blowback over the country’s treatment of migrant workers and the LGBTQ+ community ahead of the FIFA World Cup which begins on November 20.

LGBTQ+ rights aren’t the only problem with Qatar hosting the World Cup, there have been some concerns raised over the use of “slave labour” and poor working conditions in the Gulf state. Thousands have reportedly died while working on the infrastructure for the World Cup due to poor working conditions.

On labor market reforms in Qatar, the foreign minister said, “the government is committed to implementing the innovations,” adding that “there will be some gaps, and we will work to close them. This is an ongoing process that never stops — and it won’t stop after the World Cup.”

Image source: OpIndia