Former Qatari international and World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman has called homosexuality a “damage in the mind” in an interview to be aired on German TV on Tuesday, sparking condemnation by Berlin.
The country will accept gay visitors but “they have to accept our rules”, Salman said in the interview with the ZDF broadcaster, filmed in Qatar ahead of the tournament.
Salman also insisted homosexuality was “haram” — something is forbidden in Islam — during the interview, which was abruptly cut off after his comments.
Qatar has come under sustained fire over its human rights record ahead of the World Cup, including its treatment of foreign workers and its stance on women’s and LGBTQ rights.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on Tuesday criticised Salman’s take on homosexuality.
“Of course such comments are awful and that is also the reason why we are working to hopefully improve things in Qatar in the future,” said Faeser, who is also…
Source: Guardian Newspaper
