- Paul Glenn and Fiona Nimoni
- BBC
Lipa isn’t the first to indicate she won’t attend the World Cup opener in Qatar
Singer Dua Lipa has denied rumors of her attending the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Qatar.
He said he “was looking forward to visiting Qatar after fulfilling all the human rights commitments it (the country) has made” when it was chosen to host the tournament.
Qatar has been criticized for its stance on same-sex relations, its respect for human rights and its treatment of migrant workers.
“There is currently a lot of speculation that I will perform at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Qatar,” Lipa posted on Instagram on Sunday.
He added: “I will not make an offer and have not participated in any negotiations for it.”
Lipa said, “I’ll support England from a distance… one love, Dua.”
Lipa, born in London to Kosovar parents of Albanian origin, is not the first to indicate that she will not participate in the opening of the Qatar World Cup.
Sir Rod Stewart recently revealed that he turned down an offer in this regard.
He told the Sunday Times: ‘I was actually offered a lot of money, over a million dollars, to go there 15 months ago, and I said no, it’s not right to go.’
He added, “The Iranians should also be expelled because of the supply of weapons,” referring to Iran’s supply of drones to Russia, which Iran has denied.
FIFA and UEFA suspended Russia’s participation in all tournaments in February following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Despite this, the American pop group “Black Eyed Peas” and Colombian singer J Balvin will participate in the World Cup in Qatar.
Meanwhile, the comedian, Joe Lysette, has criticized player David Beckham, who has been tasked by Qatar to become ambassador for the World Cup.
image copyright Benderslikebeckham.com
Joe Lysette holding a sum of money
Lycett has promised to donate £10,000 of his own money to charity if the ex-footballer breaks a contract worth millions of pounds with Qatar.
And Lisset threatened that if the ex-footballer refused, he would tear off 10 thousand pounds, right before the opening ceremony of the World Cup.
The BBC contacted David Beckham for comment and his management replied: “We are not commenting at the moment”.
Beckham was asked to speak about the criminalization of same-sex relationships, which is “extremely concerning” in Qatar.
image copyright Reuters
David Beckham has represented England in three World Cups as a player
A source close to Beckham told the BBC last year: ‘David obviously wanted to ascertain the facts and any concerns he might have about his gay friends and football fans.’
He added: “Some laws and beliefs in the region differ from its own, but Qatar has always said everyone will be safe and welcome at the 2022 World Cup, and believes the commitment is sincere and has witnessed evidence from the organizers of the World Cup confirm it”.
Qatar’s ambassador to the World Cup, Khaled Salman, made headlines last week after describing homosexuality as a “mental disorder”.
Human Rights Watch described the former Qatari player’s statements as “harmful and unacceptable”.
“The Qatari government’s failure to address this false information has a significant impact on the lives of LGBTQ people in Qatar, fueling discrimination and violence against them to the point of justifying their referral to conversion centers,” said Rasha Younis , senior researcher on LGBT rights at Human Rights Watch. state-sponsored sex,” she said.
The organizers responsible for the World Cup in Qatar have said there will be no discrimination against anyone who comes to watch the tournament.
Not a good defense
Beckham’s former England and Manchester United colleague Gary Neville recently made a guest appearance on the ‘I’ve Got News for You’ presenter, and was questioned by captain Ian Hislop about his decision to travel to Qatar to comment on the World Cup.
“It’s always been my view that you either highlight the problems and challenges in these countries and talk about them, or you say nothing and stay home and don’t go. You have to challenge them,” Neville said.
“There is another option, stay home and report violations,” Hislop said.
He added: “I don’t have to go and get Qatar’s money. I’m not trying to be tired, but it’s not a very good defence.”
