DO BLACK LIVES NOT MATTER IN QATAR?
IN a recent statement about the Black Lives Matter campaign, the Premier League underlined their stance by saying: ‘We wholly agree with the players’ single objective of eradicating racial prejudice wherever it exists.’
In the week that match dates for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar were revealed, you wonder how these two things sit side by side.
Last week, we heard from the United Nations on racism and the exploitation of migrant workers in the Gulf state.
The language contained in a report was stark, saying: ‘European, North american, australian and arab nationalities systematically enjoy greater human rights protections than South asian and sub-Saharan african nationalities.’
The majority of the tens of thousands of immigrant workers employed to build stadiums and infrastructure for the World Cup are from south asia and west africa. The UN report claims their working conditions remain largely unacceptable. Some have already died. But still football says nothing.
Instead, football looks at the crowded schedule for December 2022 — four group games a day to try to cram the tournament into a shorter time-frame — and wonders whether supporters will be able to go straight from one to another.
Football looks at the date of the final — December 18 — and wonders whether everybody will be able to get home in time for the office Christmas party.
Football talks about the climate in Qatar in winter — about 75 degrees — and debates whether this will work for or against the European teams. Football asks just how players will manage when coming from the middle of league seasons straight into one of the biggest tournaments of their lives.
and here in England, football talks about whether Gareth Southgate’s team could be good enough to win the thing. But football doesn’t say anything about the stuff that really matters. It doesn’t wonder — publicly at least — whether we should be going to Qatar at all.
It doesn’t ask the relevant questions about what would appear to be clear human rights violations of workers trapped in an established system of exploitation and abuse. It doesn’t attempt to apply pressure for change.
This is racism in its vilest, most structured, institutionalised form, but no, football doesn’t say anything about that at all. So that is something to consider when watching our top players take a knee before matches.
The motivation and genuineness of our players is not in doubt. along my street, families have posted Black Lives Matter posters in their windows. Children are now engaged in that discussion and football helps that.
But now that the conversation has been started, is it not time to talk about some of the details?
It is important to acknowledge that change has come to Qatar already, to some degree. The UN report stated that there have been ‘impressive reforms’ influenced by the World Cup organising committee. Some workers’ unions have said this, too.
Equally, the UN stress that ‘ serious challenges remain’ and this is precisely why football should now find its voice. We know it is too late to change the fundamentals. The World Cup will take place in Qatar. But football can speak up. It can try to bring about change, if it is brave enough.
Players and coaches are usually hesitant about mixing their sport with politics. But they took the step across that line as soon as they knelt before kick-off for the first time.
They chose to enter the debate. Now it is time to have it. Football cannot stay mute on Qatar 2022 forever.