Al-Qaida has issued an alarming statement instructing Muslims around the world cup to ignore the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as it attacks the middle-eastern nation for “bringing immoral people, homosexuals, sowers of corruption and atheism into the Arabian Peninsula. “As reported by Reuters, the Yemen-based extremist group Al Qaida gave the alarming announcement just before the biggest sporting event on the planet kicked off in Doha on Sunday.
The SITE Intelligence Group, an American organization that tracks the online movement of jihadist groups, claims the terror network released a statement hitting the Middle-Eastern nation over the weekend. The regional Al-Qaeda branch allegedly criticized Qatar for “bringing immoral people, homosexuals, sowers of corruption and atheism into the Arabian Peninsula. “The Militant group also claimed that the event was meant to distract the world from the “occupation of Muslim countries and their oppression”. “We warn our Muslim brothers from following this event or attending it,” the statement read, stopping short of threatening attacks of inciting violence.
The opening ceremony of the event, led by Qatar’s ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was based on the theme of unity and inclusivity, who called for people of all races and orientations to “put aside” their differences. Qatar ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani welcomed the crowd of football fans and added, “How lovely it is that people can put aside what divides them to celebrate their diversity and what brings them together.”
The host nation has faced a storm of criticism for multiple human rights violations- including for its treatment of women, LGBTQI+ people and migrant workers. Qatar, a small country of some 3 million, primarily foreign workers, stated that it trained more than 50,000 people to provide security during the World Cup, with foreign forces helping under Qatari command.
