Khalid Salman, a former Qatari national soccer player and an ambassador for the World Cup in Qatar, has described homosexuality as a “damage in the mind” just two weeks before the opening of the tournament in the Gulf state.
Former Qatari national team player Khalid Salman told a German reporter in an interview that being gay is “haram,” or forbidden in Arabic, and that he has a problem with children seeing gay people.
Excerpts of the television interview were shown Monday on the ZDF news program Heute Journal. The full interview, which is part of a documentary, will be shown Tuesday on ZDF. About 1.2 million international visitors are expected in Qatar for the tournament, which has faced criticism and skepticism ever since the gas-rich emirate was selected as host by FIFA in December 2010. Concerns about the conservative country’s treatment of homosexuals living in the country as well as LGBTQ tourists attending the World Cup have also been expressed for a long time.“During the World Cup, many things will come here to the country.
The interview was cut short by a media officer of the World Cup organizing committee after Salman expressed his views on homosexuals, ZDF reported.AP NEWS
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Qatar World Cup ambassador says homosexuality is ‘damage in the mind’BERLIN – A Qatar World Cup ambassador has told German television ZDF that homosexuality was “damage in the mind”, as the Gulf state prepares to host the global tournament in less …
Read more »
European soccer associations press FIFA to act on migrant workers' rights before Qatar World CupThe Football Associations of 10 European countries, including England and Germany, are pushing FIFA ahead of the World Cup starting in two weeks to take action to improve the rights of migrant workers in Qatar.
Read more »
World Cup trophy makes a stop in Dallas just weeks before tournament starts in QatarThe World Cup starts in two weeks, and while soccer fans are excited for the start for the tournament, there was something else they were pumped about Sunday, when the World Cup trophy stopped in Dallas.
Read more »
Qatar minister accuses Germany of 'double standards' in World Cup criticismQatar's foreign minister has accused Germany of 'double standards' over its criticism of the World Cup host's human rights record and has defended its summoning of the German ambassador, in a newspaper interview published on Monday.
Read more »
Qatar slams Germany for 'double standards' over World Cup criticismQatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said German politicians should focus more on hate crimes occurring within their country's own borders.
Read more »