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

YANBU on the alcohol front. No one needs to be drinking alcohol. And you know, I like a drink but it’s not a need.

There are far more pressing concerns about the WC being in Qatar - as there were last time with it being in Russia tbh

@StrawberryPot

I’m going and I’m really not that bothered if they are selling alcohol or not. I think I’ll survive without alcohol for a couple of hours. Nobody I know would forfeit their tickets just because they aren’t selling beer.

We're not taking about the uk.

What everyone else said re - LBGTQ rights (to even exist!), women’s rights, slave labour and the deaths caused in building the stadiums - to name but a few actual issues!

I think you're going to see more countries like Russia and Qatar being awarded hosting rights to major events. A precedent has been set so it'll be interesting to see how things develop.

This was always going to be part and parcel of it, their country, their rules and I'm not sure why people expected them to change, it's far too late to start complaining now.

Utterly ridiculous decision to have the World Cup there in the first place, almost everything about it is wrong.

Precisely, it is the arrogance and attitude. You cannot agree to something and then retract the terms, get ticket sales on the back of it. YABU because they agreed to a multimillion deal with Budwiser.

Absolutely nobody would have gone. The hard of thinking are who the booze ban will affect and they were the ones going.

It is a good thing and I love drinking. I live for booze atm.

Listen to R4 afternoon drama at 2:15pm yesterday, it was exactly about this issue.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001f4xs

They need to modernise if they want a proper tourist industry. Paying David Beckham to do some YouTube ads saying it’s a great stopover won’t cut it.

I agree @Dontaskdontget although the human rights abuses with using slave labour is not so much cultural as greed based I think so is different.

Qatar is a Muslim country, alcohol, overt public shows of affection, showing lots of flesh, being gay are all a no no. That is their (and lots of other Muslim countries) culture. It doesn't matter if you agree with it or not if you don't live there. If someone from a Muslim country was openly criticising the UK for boozing and being accepting of gay people they would soon be told to mind their own business. This is exactly the same.

If you don't like the way a country is run/it's culture then don't go there. I don't go to the US (because of the gun culture), would not visit the Middle East because of their attitude to women or China because of human rights abuses.

I suspect this is getting so much airtime because football is predominantly a male thing and lots of men don't like being told 'no'. The fact the Middle East is a rubbish place for women hasn't been on the radar and it still isn't. It all seems to be about Peter Tatchell, gay men and booze.

YABU regarding alcohol, they knew when they bought the World Cup that it drinking is an integral part of football events and agreed that alcohol would be available, now they're changing their mind when it's too late to strip them of the competition.

I think the issue regarding rights for LGBTQQIP2SAA people is entirely different, it was known at the time that Qatar would not be a welcoming place for them but the people who chose them as host thought the benefits to them outweighed any negatives for these fans. So it should not come as a shock or surprise that Qataris think homosexuality as "damage in the mind" or that LGBTQQIP2SAA fans will be expected to conform to local norms.

With the booze issue, they are trying to change the rules at the last minute, which is just plain wrong.

Yes however much they’ve paid bribed FIFA for this it’s wasn’t money well spent. They’ve done themselves no favours, and continue to not do themselves any favours. Slave labour, forcing journalists off the air, reneging on contractual agreements. I don’t know anyone thinking ooo yes I fancy a holiday to Qatar.

I think you have perhaps misunderstood my response, happy to clarify for you - it is highlighting the absurdity of cheering support when robustly sticking to a policy which is clearly unethical.

I'm laughing at your opening caveat 'I don't believe in the death penalty but...'

Does that help or do you need an eli5

Because they were told they could!!! People are complaining because they were told they could drink at the Budwiser sponsored stadium. It wasn't a figment of their imagination.

Several states in the US carry out the death penalty yet millions of Brits/Westerners holiday and attend sporting events there without a second thought.

Same sex relationships are illegal throughout the Caribbean yet millions of Brits/Westerners holiday and attend sporting events there without a second thought.

Modern day slavery is alive and kicking in this country and throughout Europe. Someone reading this thread has had a lovely pedicure/manicure by an enslaved worker. Or taken their car to a car wash operated by people earning £20 a day and sleeping in a room with a dozen people.

We (in the West) are outraged when certain countries practice barbaric laws but conveniently overlook or turn a blind eye to those same practices in other countries when it suits us.

For the record, I’m of West Indian origin and the homophobia throughout the islands is appalling. I also don’t think Qatar should be hosting this World Cup and as a football fan I was horrified when they were named hosts.

Yes, don’t forget all the players and everyone involved in the tournament itself. I’ve never been into football but this has just cemented my dislike of the industry and the “we’re off to be paid millions to participate in a tournament in a country that abuses its people and sends gay people to prison (or worse) but we’re wearing rainbow armbands “in support” so that makes it ok” brigade. They make me sick.

Have any footballers/staff from the teams involved refused to participate? I havent heard of anything. But they’re all quick to jump on the bandwagon on SM for any woke issue that comes along. Bunch of hypocrites!

I have to agree with you and I think there is going to be trouble at or during the event itself. This is just the start of it. These are two worlds that are not ready to collide, foot ball fans and the culture. I wouldn’t want anyone I knew going out there for it, as they could get caught up in something.

Nobody needs to be doing a lot of things really do they!

If things are based on need only - helluva lot goes out the window. Including watching football.

Ridiculous argument.

But you’re not embarrassed about how disrespectful your post is towards gay people? Imagine equating the two!
Besides which it’s legal to drink alcohol in Qatar as a Westerner and the World Cup is sponsored by Budweiser FFS. And how does one “promote gay sex” anyway. I notice you had nothing to say on visiting unmarried couples “promoting” extra-marital sex…

So basically you dont agree with certain laws with a muslim country so you, you think they should not respectred on any part of their way of life.

Is it only mulsim countries you have an issue with mmmm. There are plenty of seriously bed issues with western policies too we are not white than white, so should we not respect any thing we do either.

Seems like you like too lable whole groups on the basis of a few things you disagree with, there is a word for that.....

Isn't it more about that at the last moment Qatar has changed its mind?
Whoever thought giving the WC to a very small, very hot and very inward country was a good idea?

Anyone who goes to the WC expecting it to be like a european venue is going to get a very harsh awakening.

I wonders what the generic MN response would be would be if Dubai suddenly changed their rules on alcohol at short notice....