Gay doc hits out at Qatar
DR Nasser Mohamed, the only known openly gay Qatari, came out publicly this year in protest at the World Cup being held in his home country, where same-sex relationships are criminalised.
The 35-year-old GP, now living in the US, said: “Just yesterday I had a voicemail in which somebody described how they would stab me to death if I went back to Qatar.
“Since coming out as gay publicly, I receive death threats from Qatar almost daily.
“People need to hear this. FIFA, who yesterday threatened to sanction players with yellow cards who wore OneLove armbands in support of diversity and inclusion, needs to hear this. They need to allow this message of support.
“In Qatar, people like me, who are members of the LGBTQ+ community, are severely persecuted. I have personally heard from 15-20 Qataris who claim they have been imprisoned and tortured over their sexuality.
“To have the messaging of the World Cup be that gay fans are welcome, that it is a tolerant society, is wrong. Sportswashing.
“This is not a far away issue that just affects people in other regions, this is a global message. The World Cup should never have happened in Qatar. But maybe this will be the platform that we need.”