The World Cup in Qatar is also tricky terrain for German politicians. Go there or stay away? Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has now found an answer to this question. Prior to that, she had received an important commitment for all World Cup fans from host Qatar.
During her visit to the World Cup host country Qatar, Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) received a promise to ensure the safety of all football fans arriving. “All people, no matter where they come from, who they love and what they believe in, must be safe at the World Cup: every fan must be able to move freely and without fear,” explained Faeser on Tuesday at the end of her visit to the emirate. “The Prime Minister of Qatar gave me this security guarantee today.”
At the same time, the SPD politician pointed to ongoing problems in the Gulf state. “We will continue to support reforms in Qatar after the World Cup so that the reality of life for migrant workers and the human rights situation continue to improve.”
Faeser wants to travel to Qatar for the first DFB game
Faeser announced that he would travel to Qatar again for the opening game of the German national team. She wanted to continue to accompany the reform process in the country “even during the World Cup,” she said in the ARD “Mittagsmagazin”. “That’s why I’m traveling to the German team’s opening game against Japan.”
During her trip, the Minister of the Interior was accompanied by a delegation from the German Football Association (DFB) headed by its President Bernd Neuendorf. According to the ministry, the focus of the two-day trip was on human rights issues – such as the protection of queer people from discrimination and the responsibility for migrant workers who built the World Cup stadiums. Homosexuality is a criminal offense in Qatar. Faeser now said on ARD that she could recommend homosexual people in good conscience to travel to the World Cup.
Before the trip, there had been considerable upset because of Faeser’s critical statements about the human rights situation in the emirate. According to the Foreign Ministry, Qatar therefore summoned the German ambassador in Doha on Friday. In a joint statement on Saturday, the Gulf monarchies dismissed Faeser’s comments as “interference in Qatar’s internal affairs”.
Source: Stern
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