Qatari ambassador Khalid Salman said homosexuality was haram, something forbidden in Islam . Salman said that although the country will accept gay people, they must follow our policies .
In an interview set to air on German TV on Tuesday, Qatari international and World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman has branded homosexuality a sin in the mind, sparking Berlin's outrage.Salman said that although the country will accept gay people, they must follow our policies, in an interview with a ZDF broadcaster shot in Qatar ahead of the tournament.During the interview, Salman admitted that homosexuality was haram, something forbidden in Islam, and that his remarks were abruptly dismissed.Qatar has been attacked with scorn over its human rights record ahead of the World Cup, particularly for its treatment of foreign workers and its position on women and LGBTQ rights.
Such remarks are obviously demeaning, and that's also the reason why we're trying to improve things in Qatar in the future, says Faeser, Germany's minister for sport.After being given a pledge of protection for LGBTQ supporters by Qatar's prime minister, Faeser said last week on a visit to Qatar that she will attend the World Cup.According to the German minister, there are no recent reports that anything has changed.Faeser described her trip to Qatar as difficult and said it had been beneficial for her to speak there to see who would do what for the comfort of German fans during the World Cup. Faeser had said that Qatar's World Cup hosting was problematic from Berlin's perspective, prompting Doha to summon the German ambassador.In Qatar, homosexuality is forbidden, and captains from a number of leading European countries, including England, France, and Germany, will wear armbands in rainbow colours with the slogan One Love in an anti-discrimination campaign.On Saturday, supporters in German stadiums called for boycotts of the tournament.