Conor Coady says that he and the rest of the England squad will have a conversation about the best way for them to make a difference to the human rights issues in Qatar ahead of the World Cup next year.
The hosting of the tournament by Qatar has come under serious scrutiny for the legitimacy of the awarding process but also the human rights concerns that continue to dog the state’s reputation. In March, Amnesty International urged Fifa to act upon widely reported labour abuses of migrant workers who make up the vast majority of the workforce that has constructed stadiums and infrastructure in preparation for the tournament. Reports suggest that 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since their World Cup bid was successful.
In addition, the treatment of the LGBT community in the state has been attacked. Homosexuality remains illegal in Qatar, with punishment ranging from imprisonment to even death under sharia law. Furthermore, the Qatari government refused to recognise LGBT rights and censures content that it believes encourages members of that community.
Last week, Australian footballer Josh Cavallo, who recently came out, said he would be scared to go to Qatar. In her latest column for i, Chelsea’s Magda Eriksson wrote that, as a gay woman, she would never want to visit the country.
Coady, who Gareth Southgate confirmed will start against San Marino on Monday evening, says that the players have been fully focused on qualification for the World Cup, but that the example set in making a difference across communities puts them in an important position to speak out against such concerns.
“First and foremost, a conversation hasn’t been had yet,” Coady said. “We’ve obviously seen quite a lot in the news regarding problems in Qatar. We’ve always said that we will do our job first, which is to try and get to that tournament as quickly and as positively as we can. And then I’m sure the conversation will be had between the players.
“One of the incredible things that has come out of this group is that people try and make a difference all the time. That is constantly happening in this squad, people trying to use their platform to make a difference. So if there is any way that players can help in different situations, I’m sure that us as players and us within the England setup will be the first to try and do that.”
Earlier this year, it was reported that Norway’s national team may boycott the tournament on grounds of decency. A vote was eventually taken amongst the country’s national football federation delegates and a boycott was defeated by 368 votes to 121.
However, it is clear that high-profile players have an opportunity to use the tournament to voice concerns about the human rights issues within Qatar and the treatment of migrant workers and the LGBT community in particular. Given the work done by England’s players over the last two years, during which they have stood up as cultural leaders as well as professional sportspeople, we should expect the same of them in the build-up to – and during – the World Cup.
“It’s important that we notice that [the charity work] as a fantastic part of this England group,” Coady says. “Some of the players make an incredible difference every day of their lives and use the platform to help different people – whether that’s Rashy [Marcus Rashford] with kids or Hendo [Jordan Henderson] with the NHS.
“We’re human beings, we’re not robots. [What] we’ve always said over the last year is to get where we want to be, which is Qatar, and then speak about the situation there when the time is right.
“But we see things, we see the news, we read the papers, we’re seeing different things going on. And I’m sure the conversation will be had about what we can do.”
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/30kvrhm
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