It was lately introduced that BTS‘s Jungkook will be part of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Soundtrack and will perform at the opening ceremony.
For many, it wasn’t a shocking announcement as Jungkook lately traveled to Qatar. BTS additionally signed a promotional cope with Hyundai again in 2018, and the corporate is without doubt one of the official sponsors for the occasion.
Yet, though there was a whole lot of pleasure following the announcement, each ARMYs and Okay-Pop followers have raised their considerations in regards to the look following the controversy surrounding Qatar’s legal guidelines and stance on human rights.
The BBC lately revealed a graphic of life in Qatar, together with the inhabitants, authorities, and elements of society. Amongst among the legal guidelines, Qatar follows the Islamic Sharia legislation that claims homosexuality is illegitimate.
Following criticisms in regards to the nation’s legal guidelines on same-sex relationships, Qatar 2022 chief government Nasser al Khater defined that LGBTQIA+ followers can be allowed to point out affection and never be penalized for it. He additionally emphasised that everybody would be capable to really feel protected after they arrived.
We’ve at all times mentioned that everybody is welcome right here. All we ask is for individuals to be respectful of the tradition. We ask for individuals to grasp that totally different cultures are totally different individuals. At the top of the day, so long as you don’t do something that harms different individuals, like destroying public property, then everyone seems to be welcome and you don’t have anything to fret about. Everybody is welcome and everybody will really feel protected.
— Nasser al Khater
However, many human rights activists have nonetheless raised considerations because the nation’s lenience through the occasion isn’t one thing that can proceed. According to a Human Rights Watch report, forces in Qatar are nonetheless arresting these within the LGBTQIA+ group, with many even being pressured to bear conversion remedy.
In Qatar, safety forces are arresting and abusing LGBT individuals. A transgender Qatari girl mentioned safety forces arrested her on the road in Doha and beat her till her she bled. “You gays are immoral, so we will be the same to you,” an officer advised her.https://t.co/DnuZXJJXUJ pic.twitter.com/xVloT9tbZw
— Human Rights Watch (@hrw) November 13, 2022
Yet, it isn’t simply the views on homosexuality which have raised considerations.
There have additionally been considerations from human rights activists and broadcasters in regards to the remedy of worldwide and home staff, as many staff have allegedly died whereas engaged on setting up the stadium.
There’s simply 1 week to go for the #FIFAWorldCup in #Qatar. @FIFAcom is ready to make billions of {dollars} in income from this #WorldCup 💰 ⚽
Isn’t it solely honest that the employees who suffered to make it a actuality obtain correct compensation? pic.twitter.com/ZtDIRp1cva
— Amnesty International (@amnesty) November 13, 2022
This comes alongside Qatar’s insurance policies and legal guidelines when it comes ton the function of girls and freedom of speech.
For instance, In a 2021 report, Human Rights Watch documented that Qatari legal guidelines impose discriminatory male guardianship guidelines, which deny ladies the suitable to make key choices about their lives.
A feminine World Cup official has fled Qatar because of the risk of going through 100 lashes and a 7 yr jail time period for ‘extramarital intercourse’, regardless of reporting she was raped as ladies need to have 4 witnesses of the rape or they get punished. @GNev2 that is what you bought out for. Be ashamed
— Sophie Corcoran (@sophielouisecc) November 5, 2022
In a report performed by Human Rights Watch, the group shared its personal data on varied legal guidelines inside Qatar which might be seen as breaking the principles on the liberty of speech.
Qatar’s 2014 cybercrimes legislation offers as much as 3 years in jail and a high-quality of 500,000 Qatari riyal (US$137,000) for anybody convicted of spreading undefined “false news” on the web or for posting on-line content material that “violates social values or principles,” or “insults or slanders others.” Some worldwide journalists have been detained whereas reporting in Qatar, pressured to admit, and their work has been destroyed.
— Human Rights Watch
Amidst the worldwide problem to deal with local weather change, FIFA has additionally come below scrutiny in regards to the present local weather disaster. After feedback that it could be carbon impartial, scientists have mentioned that it’s “misleading,” with the assumption that the event may have a carbon footprint 3 times greater than acknowledged.
We did a bit of digging into FIFA’s carbon footprint estimate and we predict it’s manner over 10 million tonnes – so 3 times that, a minimum of.
— Mike Berners-Lee of Lancaster University.
From Qatar’s stance on LGBTQIA+ points to FIFA’s doubtlessly problematic carbon footprint, many are involved that Jungkook’s involvement feels at odds with BTS’s picture and stance as a gaggle who, amongst different issues, have been engaged on a marketing campaign with Samsung to battle local weather change and have at all times fought for the liberty of expression and love.
After the announcement, Okay-Pop followers and ARMYs shared their very own views on the problem on social media platforms. In one tweet, an ARMY shared their ideas on the problem, explaining that though it’s an enormous achievement, they can’t ignore the problems happening in Qatar.
Great achievement for a musician! But y‘all simply can’t be this blind to not have seen what’s happening about Qatar proper? Can not and won’t throw lgbtq+ , fundamental human dignity and girls‘s rights out of the window to support a 3 min song https://t.co/ybmWXrrOGt
— Moon Rabbit (@onemoonrabbit) November 12, 2022
Others also pointed out that although they understand that Jungkook is probably obliged by contract, as BTS has a partnership with Hyundai, which is sponsoring the event, it is understandable to share criticisms.
The controversy surrounding the event is something that has been evident for many years. Many public and political figures have shared their stances on the event, with Labour politicians in the UK boycotting World Cup and refusing to travel to the country.
No, I wouldn’t [go to the final if England made it.] I feel the human rights document is such that I wouldn’t go and that’s the place of the labour celebration.
— Leader of UK opposition celebration Keir Starmer
Dua Lipa was among the many names introduced to make an look. Following the news that she was as a consequence of carry out on the opening ceremony, the singer responded and shut down the rumors.
In an Instagram put up, she defined that though she can be cheering on the crew from dwelling, she would solely be visiting Qatar as soon as they’d fulfilled the human rights pledges it made when it received the suitable to host the occasion.
You can learn the unique announcement beneath.
BTS’s Jungkook Has Been Confirmed To Perform In The FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony