To think that alcohol ban in Qatar shouldn’t be a shock

[Laurendelaney1987]

The Newspapers are reporting that alcohol will not be served in stadiums during the World Cup.

I don’t understand the uproar: it’s a Muslim country: if you go there you shouldn’t expect to be drinking. Visitors have a choice of whether to visit or not, and Qatar are quite right to not want lots of drunks causing mayhem.

There are many many issues with hosting the World Cup in Qatar: but I don’t think this is a big one

100% agreed! And you can’t blame them either, it’s their culture! What were people expecting!

Lol. People were expecting to be able to have 4 pints in the stadiums up until yesterday. That's what they were told at the point of sale buying the tickets. Have you actually read any of this thread????

It’s all going well then, this bribe in the oil fields thing?

Considering Qatar is a very strict Muslim nation, it should have been expected though shouldn’t it? And although Fifa were able to get Brazil to change their alcohol laws when it was hosted there, it’s kind of obvious that Qatar wouldn’t change their mind due to their strict beliefs surely. Yes Budweiser is a sponsor of the World Cup, but that’s Fifa’s choice, not the Qatari leader’s, whether this was all talked about amongst Fifa and the Qatari leader’s, who knows really?

Totally agree

But they did change their mind, that's the point.

FIFA is corrupt and I remember how shocked they were 12 years ago when they won that bid.
Money talks and in this case it shouted the loudest.

They've actually broken the contract. So no, I wouldn't expect them. Also you can buy alcohol in bars and they are letting the people in the £20'000 boxes drink, wtf is that all about?. I wouldn't expect them to break a multi million dollar contract. No.

@EG12391

Considering Qatar is a very strict Muslim nation, it should have been expected though shouldn’t it? And although Fifa were able to get Brazil to change their alcohol laws when it was hosted there, it’s kind of obvious that Qatar wouldn’t change their mind due to their strict beliefs surely

But they're not that strict..just a bit strict when it suits them.

As has been mentioned umpteen times upthread it has been possible to drink alcohol in Qatar in suitable approved locations (e.g. some hotels) for years.

Qatar got the bid, agreed to the deal, signed contracts etc, and one thing they agreed to was that average fans would be able allowed to drink in the stadium and in designated areas immediately around stadium for a limited time period before and after the game.

However 48 hours before the tournament was planned to start they did change their minds and reneged on that part of the deal, but funnily enough will continue to allow the high rollers to enjoy alcohol in the hospitality boxes...doesn't sound like the imposition of a strict belief to me.

There are now reports that Qatar are backing out of the (frankly hideous) scheme that was supposed to subsidise some fans attendance...

Given the above I wouldn't be relying on Qatar honouring anything it agreed to to get this tournament and as a result I think some supporters today will be feeling quite vulnerable..

But ultimately I blame FIFA for the whole mess.

Out of genuine curiosity, if a Christian in this country didn't believe In gay partnerships ( I do BTW!) and someone criticised them , what would you say then?

Mind you , I'm pleased it's not being held in the Uk. Can you imagine the uproar and the costs involved at his time ?

The Guardian covered it quite well. From the article

The ink was barely dry on Qatar’s decision to ban alcohol from World Cup stadiums when an informed insider in Doha was asked why it was happening now, just 48 hours before the tournament’s big kick-off. His response was succinct. “It’s a deliberate fuck you to the west.”

www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2022/nov/18/qatar-beer-ban-a-show-of-strength-and-an-almighty-two-fingers-up-to-its-critics

I see they have another article about sponsors' concern about this. We'll see what happens.

But again, it's a Peak FIFA moment, i hope this ends them.

Nothing will ever end FIFA ! They have been investigated many times and it's all covered up
Too much money floating about there

I hope Qater is the beginning of the end for brand Beckham and his eternal quest for knighthood. He slightly redeemed himself by queuing up for the Queen's lying in state. That's all been cancelled out by his eternal quest for money and fame.

I'd say this used to be a heavily Christian country so because of your religious beliefs you can slay gays at will without repercussion because you can opt out of basic human rights at will

Hmmmm yes, it's been noticeable for some time now that the boards have been infested by trolls.

It's a part of a concerted effort to get rid of MN. It wont work, or rather even if it does work, women still wont be quiet.

Hardly an issue though is it, I mean according to MN everyone is too busy queuing up at food banks and too scared to turn their heating on because of 'cost of living', so I wouldn't expect there to be anyone except the odd hated (Tory) billionaire willing to spaff thousands on flights, hotels and tickets etc to drink a poor quality beer in the desert while watching 22 buffoons running after a balloon?

Yes it's a bit shit of quatar to change the rules at the last minute but hardly surprising. I'm more surprised by the number of people actually going there.

He didn't redeem himself even slightly, the only reason he queued was to try and look like a man of the people, it was so contrived. He's scum.

The reason that the head choppers leave the Gulf states alone is very often they pay off or tacitly support them through various means. Very murky depths indeed - the booze ban may be more about tailoring that message to various groups rather than any deep-seated, holier-than-thou moral message.

Qatar has been accused of allowing terror financiers to operate within its borders, which has been one of the justifications for the Qatar diplomatic crisis that started in 2017 and ended in 2021. In 2014, David S. Cohen, then United States Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, accused Qatari authorities of allowing financiers who were on international blacklists to live freely in the country: "There are U.S.- and UN-designated terrorist financiers in Qatar that have not been acted against under Qatari law."Accusations come from a wide variety of sources including intelligence reports, government officials, and journalists.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar_and_state-sponsored_terrorism

People saying no-one has cared about the human rights abuses or anti-LGB laws there; that's rubbish. Every time it's on the news they have discussed those two issues and rightly condemned Qatar and FIFA. However I have not heard a mention of how women are treated in Qatar on the news, not a peep.

Radio 4 Today show interviewed a top female footballer. When the LGB issue in Qatar was mentioned, nothing was said about women being oppressed there, or about the many out lesbian players in women's football, and how backward men's football is in that respect. Instead the first UK women's team that has (male) non-binary players was shoe-horned in and celebrated.

Oh and the beer thing is shit too.

In the 90s the antics of the English fans during these big football tournaments made me cringe ( even if they maintained it was all a set up and fake news etc) I know other fans behave badly too, but at that time it was the Brits that had the very bad press. At least this time it'll be contained and only the very die hard English fans will shell out to go there.
The rest of it regarding their human rights record , treatment of women and workers and anyone who is gay is appalling, but FIFA were well aware of this 12 years ago and still let them have the bids. It's shame on them , although they also let Russia host it four years ago as well. Money is the only language they understand

Exactly this.

People are just piling into this thread blindly claiming it "shouldn't be a shock because it's a Muslim country!" Without any knowledge of what the agreed/sold situation was.

Fans/tourists were specifically told the rules around alcohol months in advance and then 2 days before the start of the tournament the Qatari royals have decided to ban alcohol at the games. They've even got Budweiser as title sponsor and now they can't sell their beer at the bars they've had built.

I really, really don't care much for football and scarcely drink, so it's no skin off my nose, but if people can't see this as another example of the awful, repressive regime over there then I think that's a shame.

Exactly the post above, if you can't trust them with a simple thing like this (and especially as it's a double standard as the corporate are allowed). Then you can't trust their word on anything.

Some people seem to be amazed that the whole world isn't like the UK or Benidorm.

Not that many years ago, I was on a coach out of the airport in Tunisia and people seemed amazed when we passed an open air temple with people praying in it.

It's the basis of the "Peter Kay on holiday" routines isn't it? Garlic bread and chocolate finglez. It would be funnier if it wasn't quite a depressing statement about the stupidity and narrow mindedness of more than a few people.