MSNBC Host Asks if There Will Be Calls for US to Not Host World Cup for ‘Trying to Ban the Word Gay’
With Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup, its record on LGBT issues has led to criticism of the country. But one MSNBC host believes there could be a double standard regarding how the Middle Eastern country is treated for…
With Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup, its record on LGBT issues has led to criticism of the country.
But one MSNBC host believes there could be a double standard regarding how the Middle Eastern country is treated for its human rights track record compared to the United States.
On Sunday, the network’s Ayman Mohyeldin said, “No one is saying Qatar is perfect. But I’m urging us to be more nuanced in our approach.”
He went on:
“While it’s fair to criticize Qatar, I wonder if this debate is truly about migrant workers’ rights and human rights, or is it that European countries — who view themselves as the guardians as global soccer for their own selfish economic purposes — can’t stomach the idea that an Arab, Middle Eastern country will host this venerable global gathering.”
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Mohyeldin added, “I wonder if any of these American pundits grandstanding about human rights will call for the U.S. to be stripped of hosting the 2026 World Cup for the way elected leaders in this country and our judicial system in this country have rolled back reproductive rights, or are trying to ban the word gay in public schools, or even ban books.”
He also blasted pundits for lumping Qatar in with Russia and China as countries accused of “sportswashing” — the practice of using sporting events as propaganda tools to bolster their image.
“To suggest Russia and China, which have been accused of war crimes and genocide respectively, yet who are both allowed to host the World Cup and the Olympics are in the same camp as Qatar is dubious and disingenuous,” he insisted.