The surprise decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar today prompted a mixture of bemusement and criticism outside the Middle East as eyebrows were raised at the prospect of a nation which has a chequered human rights record hosting football's greatest tournament.
Members of the Qatar bid committee were immediately forced to go on the defensive as they faced questions about terrorism, the treatment of women and the blistering heat in what will be the smallest country to stage the World Cup finals. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Thani, the bid committee chairman, spoke of "misconceptions" in relation to the climate and urged people to "get beyond these perceptions" as the conversation turned to security. "The perception that women are oppressed is another wrong perception," he said.
Others, however, may well take a different view. In May this year, Amnesty International published their summary of concerns in relation to Qatar. Their report, which covers the period January to December 2009 but is still regarded as current, claims women face discrimination and violence and says hundreds of people continued to be arbitrarily deprived of their nationality.
The report also details how at least 18 people, mostly foreign nationals, were sentenced to flogging of between 40 and 100 lashes for offences related to "illicit sexual relations" or alcohol consumption. In June this year Amnesty International called on Qatar to "lift restrictions on the rights to freedom of opinion and expression and to take steps to promote freedom of the press".
Another controversial issue is that homosexuality is illegal in Qatar. "It's obviously very disappointing to see Fifa giving their backing to a country where homosexuality is illegal and where people can get imprisoned," said Ed Connell, a spokesman for the Gay Football Supporters Network. "The governing body of football are trying to send out a message that homophobia is unacceptable but they are endorsing a country where it's illegal. It just sends out a very bad message. You wonder how people are meant to interpret Fifa's commitment to tackling homophobia when they endorse a country in this way."
The sense of disappointment at seeing Qatar emerge as the winners in the 2022 race was most acute in the US. They were considered the favourites by many but lost out in the fourth round by 14 votes to eight.
"I'm surprised and most of America is surprised," said the Major League Soccer commissioner, Don Garber. "I'm disappointed. It's not just soccer fans who took a little shot in the head today. I think it's our entire country that could have shown the world how passionate we are about the global game. We'll take a deep breath and go back to … what we do every day, which is building the game. It just might be a little harder now."
Alexi Lalas, the former USA captain, also expressed his surprise at Qatar's success "given the size of the country, the heat... everything", before suggesting there is a "political craziness" involved in the decision-making process.
For Qatar, however, a landmark occasion for the Middle East beckons. "We will deliver with passion and make sure this is a milestone in the history of the Middle East and a milestone for Fifa," said Al-Thani. "On behalf of millions of people in the Middle East, thank you for believing in us, thank you for having such bold vision. I can promise we will not let you down."
