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FANS OF THE FIFA WORLD CUP SEE A DOUBLE STANDARD IN STADIUM POLITICS

Fans of the Soccer World Cup see a double standard in the restriction on stadium politics.

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Fans of the Soccer World Cup see a double standard in the restriction on stadium politics.
Fans believe that a double standard is being applied, but observers believe that the approach reflects Qatar’s political interests.

Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Group F – Canada v Morocco – Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, Qatar – December 1, 2022 General view as fans hold a Palestine flag outside the stadium REUTERS/Charlotte Bruneau

DOHA:
When attending the World Cup in Qatar, is it appropriate to show a political flag, and under what circumstances is it not? Fans have criticised what they regard as inconsistent enforcement of FIFA rules by the host country, and the solution appears to depend heavily on the political message being sent.

Set against the backdrop of anti-government rallies in Iran and an uptick in Israeli-Palestinian violence, the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East has been everything but sheltered from the challenges of the volatile area. In fact, the tournament has been anything but a success.

However, expressing pro-Palestinian sympathies has been tolerated, and people were even handing out T-shirts that said “Free Palestine” before Argentina’s match against Poland on Wednesday. On the other hand, security forces have cracked down on fans who have been attempting to show support for protesters in Iran who have been calling for an end to clerical rule in that country.

This Thursday, the difference was brought into stark relief in front of the Al Thumama stadium. Before the match between Morocco and Canada on Thursday, security allowed hundreds of fans to enter the stadium who were wearing Palestinian flags, hats, and scarves to show their support for the Palestinian cause.

Security personnel at the same stadium had, two nights previously, confiscated objects that showed support for Iranian demonstrators. As a result, spectators were had to remove T-shirts and some flags in order to enter the stadium for Iran’s crucial match against the United States.

Iran was defeated 1-0, and as the supporters dispersed, journalists from Reuters observed security personnel chasing men wearing activist shirts through the stadium precinct. They tackled one man to the ground as he yelled “Woman Life Freedom,” which is the rallying cry of Iran’s anti-government protestors.

The Human Rights department of FIFA sent an email to fans who had complained about treatment at previous Iran matches. In the email, they clarified that signs reading “Women.Life.Freedom” or displaying the name or portrait of Mahsa Amini, the woman whose death in Iranian police custody sparked the unrest, are permitted inside stadiums. The email was sent in advance of the game.

The content of the communication was viewed by Reuters.

The authorities in Qatar “stepped in to deescalate tension and restore calm,” according to the people in charge of organising Qatar’s World Cup. A request for comment from the government media office in Qatar was not met with a response.

“A REAL PROBLEM”

Fans perceive a double standard, but analysts say the approach matches the political priorities of Qatar, which is a conservative Muslim country with an autocratic leadership that has long walked a diplomatic tightrope. Fans see a double standard.

Its policies have included building good ties with Iran while hosting the region’s largest U.S. military base, and hosting the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas while previously having some trade relations with Israel and allowing Israelis to fly direct to Doha for the World Cup, which was a first. Additionally, it has hosted the Palestinian Islamist group Hezbollah while previously having some trade relations with Israel.

According to Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters of Europe, inconsistent rule enforcement has been a “serious headache” for fans. “What we see in the end is that FIFA has lost control of its own event,” the author writes. “[T]he conclusion we come to is that.”

He stated that there had been a “staggering” inconsistency regarding Iranian slogans, stating that fans had worn T-shirts professing support for the protesters at some games, while getting into difficulty for wearing them at Iran’s matches. He noted that the inconsistency had been “staggering.”

When it came to demonstrations of support for LGBT+ rights, for which Qatar has been heavily criticised because of its ban on homosexuality, he noticed a similar lack of consistency on Qatar’s part.

Despite the fact that rainbow flags are, in theory, permitted, he noted that “in practise, we find that this is extremely different.” According to what he said, “this inconsistency…is putting fans in danger.”

Banners, flags, leaflets, clothes, and other paraphernalia of a “political, provocative, and/or discriminatory nature” are prohibited by a code of conduct that has been implemented at FIFA Qatar World Cup stadiums.

A representative for FIFA stated that the organisation was “aware of several cases where permitted goods were not allowed to be displayed at stadiums,” and that the organisation was continuing to work closely with Qatar to ensure that all laws were fully implemented.

Saeed Kamalinia, an Iranian-American, stated that he wore a T-shirt to six games that read “Women Life Freedom,” but he hid it while going through security for two of Iran’s matches and decided not to wear it to the game against the United States because he feared a crackdown on supporters of the shirt’s message.

On the other hand, visible representations of sympathy for the Palestinians have been abundant. According to Palestinian supporter Saeed Khalil, “I felt welcomed by the Qatari people and by all present here… people greet us with ‘Palestine Palestine.'”

Maryam Alhajri, a Qatari resident and member of the vocal group Qatar Youth Against Normalization, which is opposed to Arab normalisation with Israel, stated that pro-Palestinian sentiments demonstrated “that Palestine remains the principal Arab concern.”

In 2020, normalised diplomatic connections were established between Israel and several Arab states, notably the United Arab Emirates and Morocco, which were applauded by a large number of Arab supporters for advancing to the round of 16.

According to Mehran Kamrava, a professor of administration at Georgetown University Qatar, the practise of allowing public displays of sympathy for the Palestinians was part of a “hedging strategy” on the side of Qatar.

The government of Qatar is “setting the framework for repairing relations, if not entirely normalising them,” while at the same time “enabling the populace to release their fury and demonstrate their support symbolically for Palestine,” according to Qatari media reports.

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