Mueez Ajao
– England forward Beth Mead has said it is “disappointing” that the men’s World Cup is being held in Qatar.
– Mead, who is openly gay, does not think the Gulf state is the “right place” for the tournament to be staged.
– Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar because it is considered immoral under Islamic Sharia law.
Also Read: Beth Mead wins England Player of the Year award
– Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, 27-year-old Mead said that was “the complete opposite to what I believe and respect”.
– “It’s not something I will be backing or promoting. It’s disappointing in the sense that there’s no respect on a lot of levels, even though it’s a game of football,” said the Arsenal forward.
– Qatar, which follows strict Muslim laws, has been criticised about its stance on same-sex relationships and human rights issues ahead of the tournament, which starts on 20 November.
– Punishments for being homosexual include fines, prison sentences of up to seven years – and even death.
– Peaceful protests have been planned by some players, with England’s Harry Kane and nine other captains of European teams wearing ‘One Love’ armbands.
– Qatar’s World Cup organisers state “everyone is welcome” to visit the country to watch the football, and that no-one will be discriminated against.
– Chief executive Nasser al Khater said the government would not change its laws on homosexuality and asked visitors to “respect our culture”.
– Mead, who won player of the tournament and the Golden Boot when England won the Euros this summer, said: “Although I’m cheering for the boys who are going to play football there, from the minute it was announced I thought it wasn’t the best idea.”
– Mead is in a relationship with Arsenal team-mate Vivianne Miedema. She said they had never felt it necessary to release a statement or even publicly come out because it is just “normal life” for them.
– “We’ve made it the norm from day one,” she said. “We haven’t felt the need to come out and give a statement of who we’re with and what we’re doing, we’ve just classed it as normal life.
– “If I want to put a picture of me and Viv on my Instagram, I do but I don’t caption it: ‘This is my girlfriend, this is what we’re doing.’
– “In the men’s game they feel they have to make a statement of the situation. It’s been a culture, and that culture needs to shift.”
