The Qatari government announced on Friday that it has summoned the German ambassador to Doha to protest the “unacceptable, reprehensible and provocative statements made by a German minister regarding the World Cup finals to be hosted by the emirate of the Gulf. within three weeks “.
The government said in a statement that “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned (…) the ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the country and gave him an official protest note, in which he expressed the disappointment of the state of Qatar. and its total rejection and condemnation of the statements by German Interior Minister Nancy Wieser regarding Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup.
He added that the secretary general of the ministry, Ahmed bin Hassan Al-Hammadi, handed this note of protest to the German ambassador, asking for “clarification regarding these statements”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the German ambassador and handed him a note of protest regarding the statements by the Minister of the Interior regarding Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup#Qatari_Foreign Affairs pic.twitter.com/pq4ohxOFLS
– Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@MofaQatar_AR) October 28, 2022
Qatar’s reaction came the day after Weisser said in a televised interview on Thursday that hosting Qatar’s World Cup was “very difficult” for the German government, stressing that “there are standards that have to be. respected, and it is better not to grant the honor of organizing tournaments to these countries. “
The German minister also said in another statement that “with regard to international sporting events in the future, we must ensure that the awarding of the honor to host and organize is tied to human rights standards”.
This is the first time that Doha has summoned an ambassador to protest a statement by an official from his country regarding the organization of the World Cup.
Since FIFA awarded the right to host the World Cup to Qatar in 2010, the first Arab country to host the global sporting event has come under harsh criticism for its handling of migrant workers, gay rights and women, as well as the adaptation of stadiums.
Qatar’s protest memorandum underlined “the complete rejection by the state of Qatar of these statements against a country whose hosting the World Cup represents justice for a region that has suffered from an unfair stereotype for decades”.
The note was also surprised by the German minister’s statements “before his official visit to Doha next week”, considering that the issue “contradicts diplomatic norms and traditions”.
The statement quoted Majid bin Muhammad Al-Ansari, adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as saying that the German minister’s statements were “dismissed, reprehensible and provocative to the people of Qatar.”
Al-Ansari stressed that “it is not acceptable for politicians to register positions for domestic consumption at the expense of their countries’ relations with other countries”.
