I don't feel welcome at my country's World Cup says gay Qatari doctor

Record ID: 1696561

  • Title: I don't feel welcome at my country's World Cup says gay Qatari doctor
  • Date: 4th November 2022
  • Summary: SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 3, 2022) (Reuters) VARIOUS NEWSPAPER ARTICLES ABOUT DR NAS MOHAMED (SOUNDBITE) (English) DR. NAS MOHAMED, GAY QATARI DOCTOR WITH ASYLUM IN U.S., TALKING ABOUT LIVING IN QATAR AS A GAY PERSON, SAYING: "I felt like it was consuming because when you're an LGBT person and don't get to experience being your full authentic self,
  • Embargoed: 18th November 2022 15:35
  • Keywords: 2022 World Cup LGBT rights LGBT rights in Qatar Qatar World Cup World Cup gay Qatari doctor in exile gay rights in Qatar human rights
  • Location: San Francisco, California, United States / Berlin, Germany / Unknown location/ Doha, Qatar
  • City: San Francisco, California, United States / Berlin, Germany / Unknown location/ Doha, Qatar
  • Country: US
  • Topics: Fundamental Rights/Civil Liberties,Government/Politics,United States
  • Reuters ID: LVA008685303112022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: As kickoff for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar approaches, a gay Qatari doctor with asylum in the U.S. is speaking out against the host country’s record on LGBT rights.
    Dr. Nas Mohamed, a 35-year-old who owns a primary care private medical practice in San Francisco, California, publicly came out earlier this year.
    He had previously told friends at a medical school he was gay, but 2022 was the first time he had spoken more widely about his sexuality, and he says conversations centered on Qatar’s human rights issues sparked by the 2022 World Cup prompted him to do so.
    “It became apparent that this is now the first time ever like LGBT issues in Qatar are being discussed. And they were disproportionately skewed towards PR and marketing for the World Cup. And that narrative being the only narrative out I thought was going to be very consequential on the LGBT community there that are not safe, that need to get out,” he told Reuters at his office on Thursday (November 3).
    Homosexuality is illegal in the conservative Muslim country, and some soccer stars have raised concerns over the rights of fans traveling for the event, especially LGBT+ individuals and women, whom rights groups say Qatari laws discriminate against.
    In a pre-recorded video message last month, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “Everyone will be welcomed to the tournament, regardless of their origin, background, religion, gender, sexual orientation or nationality.”
    Mohamed disputes Infantino’s assurances, citing his own experience as an LGBT person, as well as a Human Rights Watch report last month that accused security forces in Qatar of arbitrarily arresting and abusing LGBT Qataris as recently as last month.
    The HRW said in a statement it had interviewed six LGBT Qataris, including four transgender women, one bisexual woman and one gay man, who reported being detained between 2019 and 2022 and subjected to verbal and physical abuse, including kicking and punching.
    A Qatari official said in a statement that HRW's allegations "contain information that is categorically and unequivocally false".
    Mohamed said because of the conservative society in Qatar, LGBT people often remain hidden. He left Qatar in 2011 to do his residency training, but also, he says, because he is gay and could not be himself back home.
    “When you're an LGBT person and don't get to experience being your full authentic self, then you just lose your sense of self. And that's how it felt like. I felt like I was losing my sense of self and I had to get out," he said.
    A lack of information on the LGBT community in Qatar does not help either. Mohamed hopes to change this with a non-profit he launched this year called the Alwan Foundation. He said it’s the first Gulf-focused LGBT group.
    “There is this massive void there that needs to be filled. And an organization like this can really do a lot of work. It can help the people that are there continue to take asylum and continue providing support to them,” he said.
    As the World Cup approaches, he feels that his home country is gaslighting people like himself, denying their rights and even their existence, and trying to cover up its record with sportswashing.
    “It feels like you went through so much trauma and pain and suffering and had to summon so much resilience to find a path out and then to see, to see people coming up and just trying to make it all go away with a game and deny that it even existed. You know, and it's not only just painful for me to watch. It's actually consequential and it actually can affect people's lives,” he said.
    A Qatari official told Reuters: "Qatar is an inclusive country with a culture of warm hospitality that extends to all visitors. We have hosted hundreds of global sporting events – our track record has shown that we have welcomed and ensured the safety of all people regardless of background, and we will continue to do so.
    "Qatar consistently ranks among the safest countries in the world. There have never been reports of violence targeting people based on their background or beliefs in Qatar, and we do not tolerate hate speech or discrimination against any group.
    "With just over two weeks to go until the start of the World Cup, we look forward to welcoming more than a million people from around the world to experience the best of our country and enjoy a month-long festival of football."
    The World Cup starts on Nov. 20 and is the first held in a Middle Eastern nation.
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