「二重基準」Ｗ杯開催のカタール、首長が批判に反論

【ドーハＡＦＰ＝時事】２０２２年サッカーＷ杯開催国カタールのタミム・ビン・ハマド・サーニ首長が２５日、同国の人権問題に対する批判は「二重基準」を含んだ「前代未聞の活動」だと反撃した。（写真はカタールのタミム・ビン・ハマド・サーニ首長）
　カタールについては、外国人労働者やＬＧＢＴＱ（性的少数者）の人々に対する扱いが数年にわたって批判されてきたが、Ｗ杯開幕戦まで１か月を切る中、首長は批判に対する異例の不満を表明し、諮問評議会で「栄誉あるＷ杯の開催権を勝ち取って以来、カタールはどの開催国も直面したことのない前代未聞の活動の対象となっている」と話した。
　首長は、カタールは当初ネガティブな言葉を「誠実に」受け止め、「批判の中には前向きかつ有益で、われわれが成長すべき側面を成長させるものもあるとさえ考えてきた」と主張。「しかし程なく明らかになった通り、その活動はその後も継続、拡大していき、捏造（ねつぞう）や二重基準を含み、一定量の残虐性を持つに至った。そのため残念ながら多くの人は、そうした活動の裏にある本当の理由と動機を知りたがるようになっている」と述べた。
　国際サッカー連盟（ＦＩＦＡ）は２０１０年、アラブ諸国初となるＷ杯の開催権をカタールに与えた。以来、同国は準備に多額を費やしてきたが、人権問題には非常に厳しい目が注がれている。首長の発言から数時間後には、英国のベテラン活動家がドーハで、同性愛は犯罪とするカタールの姿勢に抗議した。
　２４日には国際人権団体のヒューマン・ライツ・ウオッチが、現地の警察がＬＧＢＴＱの人々を勝手に拘束し、暴行しているとする報告書を発表したが、政府はこれを強く否定している。
　経済成長のためのインフラ構築に携わる外国人労働者も、特に注目を集めてきた。カタールでは２９０万の人口のうち２５０万人以上を外国人が占めるが、安全基準や夏の酷暑の中での労働時間など、建設現場の労働条件が国際労働組合から長らく批判されている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/10/26-13:02）

Qatar's ruler on Tuesday hit out at double standards unleashed in an unprecedented campaign of criticism over his country's rights record ahead of this year's football World Cup.
Just 26 days from the first game, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani gave a rare public airing of the Islamic country's frustration following years of attacks over its treatment of foreign workers and over LGBTQ and women's rights.
Since we won the honour of hosting the World Cup, Qatar has been subjected to an unprecedented campaign that no host country has faced, the emir told Qatar's legislative council.
Qatar initially accepted negative commentary in good faith and even considered that some criticism was positive and useful, helping us to develop aspects that need to be developed, the ruler said.
But it soon became clear to us that the campaign continues, expands and includes fabrications and double standards, until it reached an amount of ferocity that made many wonder, unfortunately, about the real reasons and motives behind this campaign, he said.
FIFA awarded the World Cup to an Arab country for the first time in 2010. It has since spent tens of billions of dollars on preparations but has faced intense scrutiny over human rights.
- LGBTQ rights -
Hours after the emir spoke, the challenges facing authorities when one million fans are expected to converge on Qatar were highlighted as a veteran British campaigner protested in Doha over the country's criminalisation of homosexuality.
Peter Tatchell staged the protest outside Qatar's National Museum, holding a banner that read: Qatar arrests, jails and subjects LGBTs to 'conversions'.
The government had angrily rejected a report released Monday by the Human Rights Watch group which said police have arbitrarily detained and abused members of the LGBTQ community ahead of the World Cup.
Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and critics say women's rights are restricted by male guardianship laws.
Tatchell, 70, was arrested for a similar protest before the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
This time, witnesses said police advised him to fold up his banner before they walked away.
- Foreign workers -
The emir also said the World Cup was a chance for Qatar to show who we are, not only in terms of the strength of our economy and institutions, but also in terms of our civilisational identity.
This is a great test for a country the size of Qatar that impresses the whole world with what it has already achieved.
The Gulf state has faced particular attention over the foreign workers who have built the infrastructure for Qatar's economic miracle.
Foreigners make up more than 2.5 million of the 2.9 million population.
Conditions on construction sites were long condemned by international unions -- ranging from safety standards to hours worked in the searing summer temperatures.
Rights groups including HRW and Amnesty International have insisted that Qatar and FIFA should do more to compensate workers who died or suffered injury on Qatar's mega projects.
They have demanded that FIFA set up a $440 million compensation fund -- equalling the World Cup prize money.
But reforms to the labour system and working practices have been praised by the union leaders who previously fought the government.
After a visit this week, Luca Visentini, secretary general of the European Trade Union Confederation, told AFP that more work needed to be done on implementation of reforms but that Qatar should be seen as a success story.
The World Cup was undoubtedly an opportunity to accelerate change and these reforms can constitute a good example to be extended to other countries that host major sports events, he said.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended Qatar and said the World Cup will be the best ever, on and off the field.