BERLIN — An envoy for the World Cup in Qatar has described homosexuality as a “harm within the thoughts” in an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF simply two weeks earlier than the opening of the worldwide soccer event within the Gulf state.
Former Qatari nationwide soccer participant Khalid Salman advised a German reporter in an interview that being homosexual is “haram,” or forbidden in Arabic, and that he has an issue with youngsters seeing homosexual individuals.
Excerpts of the tv interview had been proven Monday night time on ZDF’s information program Heute Journal. The total interview, which is a part of a documentary, shall be proven Tuesday night time on ZDF.
About 1.2 million worldwide guests are anticipated in Qatar for the month-long event, which has confronted criticism and skepticism ever for the reason that gas-rich emirate was chosen as host by FIFA, soccer’s world governing physique, in December 2010. Considerations in regards to the conservative nation’s therapy of homosexuals dwelling within the nation in addition to LGBTQ vacationers attending the World Cup have additionally been expressed for a very long time.
Within the interview, Salman additionally mentioned that homosexuality “is a non secular hurt.”
“Throughout the World Cup, many issues will come right here to the nation. Let’s discuss gays,” Salman mentioned in English, which is concurrently dubbed into German within the TV phase.
“An important factor is, all people will settle for that they arrive right here. However they must settle for our guidelines,” he added.
The interview was minimize quick by a press officer of the World Cup organizing committee after Salman expressed his views on homosexuals, ZDF reported.
