The following activities are prohibited for FIFA World Cup supporters in Qatar.
The World Cup is a combination of an international celebration and an athletic event. But the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 will be unique.
It’s just one of many cultural mismatches and even legal problems that visitors from more liberal countries may experience in Qatar. Here is an overview:
The World Cup this year will be dryer
It is generally forbidden to drink alcohol in public in Qatar; violators face fines of up to $800 and jail sentences of up to six months. According to the government, anyone caught bringing alcohol into the country might spend up to three years in jail.
Officials made the unexpected revelation that spectators won’t be permitted to consume beer at the nation’s eight World Cup stadiums, a reversal of a previously declared policy, just two days before the tournament’s opening game.
Regular spectators won’t have access to alcohol at games in Qatar. Only visitors to the luxurious suites at the stadiums will have easy access to alcohol. Outside of the stadiums, spectators can still consume alcohol in designated World Cup gathering areas or in hotels, clubs, and restaurants with specific permits around the nation.
Religious restrictions apply to fans.
In a fact sheet about Qatar for World Cup guests, the State Department stated that Islam is the country’s official religion and that anyone found to be promoting other religions or denigrating Islam “may be severely prosecuted.”
It’s also risky to believe that you may freely exercise your religion: “Qatar allows certain non-Muslim religious activity in specified areas like Doha’s Religious Complex, but all religions are not accommodated equally,” according to the U.S. agency.
READ MORE: FIFA WORLD CUP QATAR 2022 QUARTER-FINAL, SEMI-FINAL & FINAL RESULTS
In a film outlining Qatar’s laws, the State Department stated that foreigners “cannot bring pig products” into the country in addition to import bans on alcohol and pornography.
Public discourse is likewise constrained.
An arrest may result from speech that is deemed critical of the Qatari government. Both social media and spoken language are subject to these restrictions.
Open clashes can cause serious issues in Qatar, even if previous World Cups had plenty of argy-bargied scenes of competing audiences screaming or even shouting obscenities at one another.
The State Department’s warning film indicated that it was possible to be arrested for, among other things, yelling at or insulting people in public.
Sexuality and other social problems
In Qatar, homosexuality is illegal, according to the State Department.
Advocates claim that LGBTQ persons in Qatar are vulnerable to conversion therapy, persecution by the government, and imprisonment, according to NPR’s Becky Sullivan in her summary of the issues that have been raised about the host nation.
The Library of Congress reported, quoting Qatari legislation, that foreigners may also be subject to severe penalties for “indecent behavior. Like anyone discovered to have engaged in “immoral” acts or gestures in public may be punished with a fine or six months in jail, but having intercourse outside of marriage might result in a seven-year prison sentence. According to the Library of Congress, engaging in public debauchery can result in a penalty of up to three years in jail.
The State Department advised pregnant World Cup attendees to bring a marriage certificate in case they need prenatal treatment while in Qatar.
Despite the heat, fans must wear protective clothing.
The competition was forced to transfer from the summer to November and December due to the extreme heat in Qatar, however, visitors should be careful how much skin they expose.
According to the State Department, many public spaces have dress standards that mandate that “both men and women cover shoulders, chests, stomachs, and knees, and that tight leggings be covered by a long shirt or dress.”
The same as with alcohol, a neighborhood or venue’s dress code may change depending on how many foreigners it attracts.