FEED Validator

for Atom and RSS and KML

Sorry

This feed does not validate.

line 96, column 21: wfw:commentRss must be a full and valid URL: (15 occurrences) [help]

					<wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss>
                     ^

In addition, interoperability with the widest range of feed readers could be improved by implementing the following recommendations.

line 1, column 38: Use of unknown namespace: https://github.com/Podcastindex-org/podcast-namespace/blob/main/docs/1.0.md [help]

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
                                      ^

line 1, column 38: Unable to validate namespace: http://www.rawvoice.com/rawvoiceRssModule/. See the RawVoice specification at http://www.rawvoice.com/services/tools-and-resources/rawvoice-rss-2-0-module-xmlns-namespace-rss2/ [help]
```
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
                                      ^
```

line 1, column 38: Use of unknown namespace: http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0 [help]

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
                                      ^

line 42, column 72: Image link doesn't match channel link [help]

		<link>https://globalvoices.org/-/world/middle-east-north-africa/qatar/</link>
                                                                        ^

line 66, column 0: content:encoded should not contain aria-describedby attribute (22 occurrences) [help]
```
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<big class='tagline'>Al-Madeed ha ...
```
line 66, column 0: content:encoded should not contain decoding attribute (26 occurrences) [help]
```
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<big class='tagline'>Al-Madeed ha ...
```
line 66, column 0: content:encoded should not contain sizes attribute (17 occurrences) [help]
```
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<big class='tagline'>Al-Madeed ha ...
```
line 86, column 0: content:encoded should not contain loading attribute (25 occurrences) [help]
```
<div id="attachment_796318" style="width: 468px" class="wp-caption alignrigh ...
```
line 336, column 0: style attribute contains potentially dangerous content: background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px); (66 occurrences) [help]
```
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; bord ...
```
line 336, column 0: content:encoded should not contain data-instgrm-captioned attribute [help]
```
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; bord ...
```
line 336, column 0: content:encoded should not contain data-instgrm-permalink attribute [help]
```
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; bord ...
```
line 336, column 0: content:encoded should not contain data-instgrm-version attribute [help]
```
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; bord ...
```
line 461, column 0: content:encoded should not contain iframe tag (10 occurrences) [help]
```
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Why are Bangladeshis obsessed with Brazil a ...
```

Source: http://globalvoicesonline.org/-/world/middle-east-north-africa/qatar/feed/

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"
xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd"
xmlns:podcast="https://github.com/Podcastindex-org/podcast-namespace/blob/main/docs/1.0.md"
xmlns:rawvoice="http://www.rawvoice.com/rawvoiceRssModule/"
xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"
xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" >
<channel>
<title>Qatar – Global Voices</title>
<atom:link href="https://globalvoices.org/-/world/middle-east-north-africa/qatar/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
<link>https://globalvoices.org</link>
<description>Citizen media stories from around the world</description>
<lastBuildDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:38:29 +0000</lastBuildDate>
<language>en-US</language>
<sy:updatePeriod>
hourly </sy:updatePeriod>
<sy:updateFrequency>
1 </sy:updateFrequency>
<generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1</generator>
<atom:link rel="hub" href="https://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/" />
<itunes:summary>Citizen media stories from around the world</itunes:summary>
<itunes:author>Qatar – Global Voices</itunes:author>
<itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
<itunes:image href="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/gv-podcast-logo-2022-icon-square-2400-GREEN.png" />
<itunes:owner>
<itunes:name>Qatar – Global Voices</itunes:name>
<itunes:email>webmaster@globalvoices.org</itunes:email>
</itunes:owner>
<managingEditor>webmaster@globalvoices.org (Qatar – Global Voices)</managingEditor>
<copyright>Creative Commons Attribution, see our Attribution Policy for details.</copyright>
<itunes:subtitle>Citizen media stories from around the world</itunes:subtitle>
<image>
<title>Qatar – Global Voices</title>
<url>http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.globalvoices/img/logos/gv-logo-2014-vertical-2400-whitebg.png</url>
<link>https://globalvoices.org/-/world/middle-east-north-africa/qatar/</link>
</image>
<itunes:category text="Society & Culture" />
<googleplay:category text="Society & Culture"/>
<rawvoice:subscribe feed="https://globalvoices.org/-/world/middle-east-north-africa/qatar/feed/" itunes="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/global-voices-podcast-global/id74941523?mt=2" spotify="https://open.spotify.com/show/4oufL3s0zJxdF3H3clojym"></rawvoice:subscribe>
<item>
<title>The story of Qatari women’s rights defender Noof Al-Maadeed</title>
<link>https://globalvoices.org/2023/09/10/the-story-of-qatari-womens-rights-defender-noof-al-maadeed/</link>
<comments>https://globalvoices.org/2023/09/10/the-story-of-qatari-womens-rights-defender-noof-al-maadeed/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Khalid Ibrahim]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 10 Sep 2023 18:23:21 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Advox]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Freedom of Speech]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Human Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Middle East & North Africa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Qatar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[The Bridge]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Women & Gender]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://globalvoices.org/?p=796313</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Human rights defender Noof Al-Madeed disappeared after releasing a series of videos in March providing evidence of violations of her civil and human rights by the Qatari State security apparatus.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<big class='tagline'>Al-Madeed hasn't been heard from since her video in March </big>Originally published on <a href='https://globalvoices.org/2023/09/10/the-story-of-qatari-womens-rights-defender-noof-al-maadeed/'>Global Voices</a><div id="attachment_796316" style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-796316" decoding="async" class="wp-image-796316 size-featured_image_large" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-06-at-17.55.47-800x450.png" alt="" width="800" height="450" srcset="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-06-at-17.55.47-800x450.png 800w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-06-at-17.55.47-1200x675.png 1200w" sizes="(width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Human rights defender Noof Al-Maadeed during an interview with Alhurra after her escape to the UK. Screenshot from a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqaLnFkRKCc&ab_channel=%D9%82%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A9%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%A9-Alhurra">video by Alhurra</a>. Fair use.</div>
This post was written by <a href="https://twitter.com/khalidibrahim12">Khalid Ibrahim</a>, executive director of the <a href="http://www.gc4hr.org/">Gulf Center for Human Rights</a> (GCHR), an independent, non-profit organization that promotes freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly in the MENA region.
This article offers an overview of the journey of <a href="https://globalvoices.org/2021/12/29/where-is-qatari-human-rights-defender-noof-al-maadeed/">Noof Al-Maadeed</a>, a woman human rights defender from Qatar. It begins with <a href="https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/03/29/everything-i-have-do-tied-man/women-and-qatars-male-guardianship-rules">her departure from her homeland,</a> her subsequent return, and her current disappearance.
Before her disappearance, Al-Maadeed updated her status on her <a href="https://twitter.com/noofalmaadeed">profile </a>on X (formerly Twitter) with the following phrase, “The idiot who returned to her homeland.” 
At 24 years old, Al-Maadeed realized<a href="https://globalvoices.org/2021/12/29/where-is-qatari-human-rights-defender-noof-al-maadeed/"> that escaping was her only resource</a> to break free from the nightmare of domestic violence inflicted upon her by her family, particularly her father, as well as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Qatar#:~:text=Women's%20rights%20in%20Qatar%20are,the%20same%20time%2C%20in%201999.">discrimination imposed on women in Qatar</a>. On August 4, 2020, during a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiwphTZvRQA">television interview</a>, she recounted her escape on November 26, 2019, from Qatar to the United Kingdom via Ukraine using her father's phone, without his knowledge, to obtain permission to travel.
Upon arriving in the UK, she promptly submitted an application for political asylum there, citing domestic violence and the authorities’ failure to provide her with protection. For the first time in her life, she felt free.
In a <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/%D9%83%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%8A-noof-al-maadeed-w5DA9tau80y/#podcast">podcast entitled “Fulfilling Dreams,”</a> she discusses how she was able to achieve her dream of escape and survival, an experience she described as a miracle. She also emphasized the importance of maintaining hope and resolutely advancing toward one’s goal, despite the obstacles encountered along the way.
<h3>Defending women's rights in Qatar</h3>
During her stay in the UK, Al-Maadeed presented herself as an advocate for Qatari women’s rights, shedding light on the <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/29/qatar-male-guardianship-severely-curtails-womens-rights">detrimental impact of male guardianship</a>; currently, Qatar is the only remaining country in the Gulf region with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Qatar">a male guardianship law</a>. She explained how this system prevents women from working or traveling without a male guardian’s consent and leaves women who are victims of domestic violence with little protection.
In various <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqaLnFkRKCc">television interviews</a> and other video recordings, she expressed the loss of safety she felt in Qatar because of the prevalence of domestic violence and the existence of discriminatory laws affecting women’s employment and housing rights.
Al-Maadeed underscored that unmarried women over the age of 18 cannot travel outside the country, secure a government job, or obtain a loan for independent housing without the approval of a male guardian. She also mentioned the unfortunate fate of some young women who tried to assert their independence, as they were placed in mental institutions, prisons or safe shelters, which are similar to detention centres.
<h3>Return to her homeland and enforced disappearances</h3>
Al-Maadeed <a href="https://www.gc4hr.org/government-has-evaded-obligations-to-respect-and-protect-freedom-and-rights-of-woman-human-rights-defender-noof-al-maadeed/">withdrew</a> her asylum request in the UK and left the country on September 30, 2021, with the intention of returning to Qatar. She explained that the Qatari authorities promised to provide her with the necessary protection and respect for her human rights upon her return.
However, upon her return to Qatar, she reported receiving threats to her life and sought protection from the local authorities. Soon after, she voiced her concerns publicly about the lack of help. 
A particularly alarming concern about her fate arose from a <a href="https://youtu.be/QxRyuzjED6Y?si=Pmm4b8o-VcPoBLMG">video</a> on Instagram, which has since been removed. In the video, dated October 12, 2021, she mentioned that she had been subjected to assassination attempts by her own family.
On the evening of October 13, 2021, Al-Maadeed stopped reporting on social media and was not heard from for almost three months. This triggered widespread concerns and alarming reports that she might have been detained incommunicado or even killed.
International pressure, including efforts by human rights organisations such as the<a href="https://www.gc4hr.org/where-is-the-woman-human-rights-defender-noof-al-maadeed/"> Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)</a>, coupled with the imminent opening of the 2022 World Cup, compelled Qatari authorities to take measures<a href="https://dohanews.co/breaking-noof-al-maadeed-alive/"> to uncover Al-Maadeed’s fate </a>and protect her civil and human rights. On January 9, 2022,<a href="https://twitter.com/NadeebQa/status/1480241696554237960?s=20"> she posted a tweet </a>containing a short video confirming that she was safe and in good health.
On March 18, 2023, Al-Maadeed released a series of videos on various social media networks, including <a href="https://twitter.com/noofalmaadeed">her X (formerly Twitter) account</a>, captioned with the following phrase, “The stupid one who returned to her homeland.” These video recordings provide substantial evidence of the widespread violations of her civil and human rights at the hands of the authorities, led by the notorious state security apparatus. This entity is known for its work outside the legal framework and its use of the Qatari judiciary as a tool to target innocent citizens.
In these recordings, Al-Maadeed appears visibly frail, emotionally distressed with tears in her eyes, and exhibits symptoms of severe depression.
In one of these <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1637107346634600451">recordings</a>, she draws a stark comparison between the flagrant human rights violations taking place in her country and the situation in North Korea. In another poignant <a href="https://twitter.com/noofalmaadeed/status/1637108047121113090">recording</a>, she directly addresses the authorities, asking “If you hate me, why don't you let me go, and why take revenge on me?”
<div id="attachment_796318" style="width: 468px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-796318" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-796318 size-large" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-06-at-18.10.09-468x600.png" alt="" width="468" height="600" srcset="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-06-at-18.10.09-468x600.png 468w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-06-at-18.10.09-312x400.png 312w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-06-at-18.10.09-768x984.png 768w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-06-at-18.10.09-702x900.png 702w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-06-at-18.10.09.png 1030w" sizes="(width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" />Noof Al-Madaeed's final video, dated March 18, 2023, depicted her in tears, pouring out her heart as she lamented that there was nothing of her left.</div>
In a third <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1637108259277488128">recording</a>, she reflects, “Now I know why I ran away, because the place stinks.” In a particularly distressing <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1637107065339408386">fourth serious recording</a>, she tearfully explains how, when she requested the lifting of the travel ban imposed on her, certain employees of the state security apparatus blackmailed her, asking her to meet them. When she inquired if the meeting would take place in their office, they cryptically replied, “A second location.”
These recordings marked the final updates shared by Al-Maadeed, as all news or information about her completely stopped thereafter.
<h3>Where is Noof Al-Maadeed?</h3>
Despite GCHR’s persistent efforts to secure assurances from the Qatari government and embassies, including the embassy in London, regrettably, all these efforts have failed. 
It is imperative that Qatari authorities provide verifiable evidence to confirm that Al-Maadeed is alive by ensuring her unrestricted communication with the outside world. She must be released from any form of detention, and granted the freedom to travel outside the country if she so desires. At present, all available information strongly indicates that Al-Maadeed is exposed to serious risks to her life and personal freedom.
GCHR urges the international community, especially United Nations mechanisms and governments with influence in Qatar — including European Union member states — to take immediate action and exert pressure on the Qatari authorities.
This pressure is necessary to guarantee Al-Maadeed safety and her right to live freely in Qatar. The government of Qatar cannot continue to disregard global public opinion, which is actively seeking the truth. Its continued silence will undoubtedly be viewed as a clear condemnation of Al-Madeed’s situation. Qatar bears the full responsibility for safeguarding the wellbeing of its citizens, including Noof Al-Maadeed.
Written by <a href="https://ar.globalvoices.org/author/khaled-ibrahim/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by خالد إبراهيم Khalid Ibrahim">خالد إبراهيم Khalid Ibrahim</a> Translated by <a href="https://globalvoices.org/author/khalid/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by Khalid Ibrahim">Khalid Ibrahim</a> · <a href='https://ar.globalvoices.org/2023/09/10/86663/'>View original post [ar]</a>]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<media:content url="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2023-09-06-at-17.55.47-400x300.png" medium="image" width='270' height='202' /> </item>
<item>
<title>Sanctions against violators of women’s rights: A political lens </title>
<link>https://globalvoices.org/2023/05/23/sanctions-against-violators-of-womens-rights-a-political-lens/</link>
<comments>https://globalvoices.org/2023/05/23/sanctions-against-violators-of-womens-rights-a-political-lens/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Stephanie Wild]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 May 2023 14:57:53 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Australia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Central African Republic]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[D.R. of Congo]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Human Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[International Relations]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Iran]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Middle East & North Africa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Qatar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Somalia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[South Sudan]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sub-Saharan Africa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Syria]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[War & Conflict]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Women & Gender]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Yemen]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://globalvoices.org/?p=788289</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Emphasizing humanitarian aid and empowering women's self-determination and autonomy might be a better approach to creating meaningful change for women and girls than sanctions as a sole strategy.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<big class='tagline'>Western sanctions require a transparent framework, accountability, and thoughtful consideration.</big>Originally published on <a href='https://globalvoices.org/2023/05/23/sanctions-against-violators-of-womens-rights-a-political-lens/'>Global Voices</a><div id="attachment_788290" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-788290" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-788290 size-featured_image_huge" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1440px-DRC_raped_women-1200x675.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="675" srcset="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1440px-DRC_raped_women-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1440px-DRC_raped_women-800x450.jpg 800w" sizes="(width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />Democratic Republic Congo: Meeting for rape survivors who have been successfully reintegrated into their communities assemble in a “peace hut” near Walungu, South Kivu in DRC. Unknown date. By <a href="http://gemini.info.usaid.gov/photos/displayimage.php?pos=-1237,">L. Werchick / USAID</a> -<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1170045"> Public Domain</a>. Fair use.</div>
Australia, the US, UK, and the EU implemented a <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1327">coordinated action plan</a> to sanction global violators of women’s rights in celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8 this year. 
The <a href="https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/magnitsky-sanctions/">Magnitsky-style </a>sanctions were implemented to specifically target entities and individuals implicated in human rights violations against women and girls, in the aim of prioritizing women’s security and preventing future violations. The sanctions included asset freezes and travel bans imposed on individuals and entities implicated. The coordinated actions plan in March aligned with the <a href="https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/WPS%20SRES1325%20.pdf">UN’s Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda</a>, established in the year 2000, and brought the US, UK and the EU closer to its goals.
On March 7, the European Council (EC) <a href="https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/03/07/violence-against-women-and-girls-eu-sanctions-nine-individuals-and-three-entities-under-its-global-human-rights-sanctions-regime/">imposed</a> sanctions on nine individuals and three entities including Afghan Taliban ministers responsible for <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/03/afghanistan-un-experts-say-20-years-progress-women-and-girls-rights-erased#:~:text=Women%20and%20girls%20have%20been,public%20office%20and%20the%20judiciary.">gender segregation decrees</a>, Moscow Police Station and Russian armed forces accused of torture and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), government officials overseeing <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-03/A_HRC_49_CRP_4.pdf">SGBV as a war tactic</a> in South Sudan, and the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs in Myanmar/Burma responsible for the use <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2019/08/un-fact-finding-mission-myanmar-calls-justice-victims-sexual-and-gender">SGBV as a torture tool</a>.
On March 8, following the EC’s actions, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-announces-sanctions-against-global-violators-of-womens-rights">announced</a> sanctions against four military figures across <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/syria-civil-war-refugee-un-rape-sexual-violence/">Syria</a>, <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-03/A_HRC_49_CRP_4.pdf">South Sudan</a> and the <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/10/05/central-african-republic-sexual-violence-weapon-war">Central African Republic</a> (CAR) responsible for promoting and overseeing SGBV in their respective institutions, in addition to Iranian government institutions responsible for policing women’s dress code and autonomy.
Similarly, the US also joined the effort by announcing sanctions on the same day. These sanctions targeted five individuals including Iranian prison officials involved in SGBV, the Iranian Technical Director of the Cyberspace Affairs, the Deputy of the Prosecutor General’s Office responsible for censorship, and commanders linked to violent protest suppression. The targeted entities include procurement companies associated with Iran’s Law Enforcement Command and security forces.
Continuing the global response, on March 20, Australia <a href="https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/media-release/targeted-sanctions-response-human-rights-violations-iran-and-iranian-support-russias-invasion-ukraine">announced</a> its own sanctions on 14 individuals and 14 entities involved in violating women’s rights. The targeted individuals include members of <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/who-are-irans-morality-police/a-63200711">Iran’s Morality Police</a> and <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/irans-revolutionary-guards">Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps</a> responsible for suppressing <a href="https://crisis24.garda.com/alerts/2023/03/iran-nationwide-street-protests-likely-to-continue-losing-momentum-through-late-march-amid-government-crackdown-update-17">women’s protests</a>, as well as senior figures involved in the arrest, detention and mistreatment of <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maggiemcgrath/2022/12/06/mahsa-amini-the-spark-that-ignited-a-women-led-revolution/?sh=1dd8169f5c3d">Mahsa Amini</a> whose death sparked the initial protests.
<h3>Examining the effectiveness of sanctions in empowering women and girls</h3>
The use of individual-focused sanctions for human rights violations is a <a href="https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/magnitsky-sanctions/">recent development</a>, introduced in the US in 2016 and in the EU in 2020. The effectiveness of this approach relies on <a href="https://humanrightsfirst.org/library/new-report-details-gaps-in-multilateral-use-of-magnitsky-sanctions/">coordinated efforts among countries.</a> While there is consistency in targeting Iran among Australia, the UK, US, and EU, there are discrepancies in the targets for other countries. The EU focuses on Myanmar, with the UK joining in targeting Syria and South Sudan, while the UK alone targets Central African Republic. These inconsistencies raise concerns about the impact and effectiveness of these sanctions in deterring future human rights violations.
Furthermore, there are concerns that these sanctions may unintentionally isolate victims of SGBV by impacting their access to foreign aid. The Dutch Foreign Minister, Wopke Hoekstra, said in a <a href="https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2023/03/07/rape-and-sexual-violence-to-be-punished-with-sanctions-european-union">press release</a> on March 7, 2023, that “Sanctions are a powerful way for us to stand up for universal values and force international change.” Such statements, framing sanctions as representative of ‘universal values,’ may be subject to varying interpretations and maybe be perceived as <a href="https://english.news.cn/africa/20221118/38095176c9e845c78c1c291323ccdc7f/c.html">neocolonialism</a> or <a href="https://cepr.net/report/economic-sanctions-as-collective-punishment-the-case-of-venezuela/">external interference</a>, or pressure that reinforces power dynamics between countries, potentially straining diplomatic relations and <a href="https://www.ipinst.org/tag/sanctions">impeding humanitarian initiatives.</a>
<a href="https://www.ipinst.org/tag/sanctions"> </a>A more effective narrative would be to highlight the tenets of <a href="https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/prosecutor-international-criminal-court-icc-karim-aa-khan-kc-publishes-policy-crime-gender">international criminal law</a> that prohibit SGBV. Instead of imposing Western values upon other nations, policymakers should prioritize upholding universally accepted legal principles rather than promoting their own cultural or ideological agenda. Perhaps a more effective approach to make tangible changes in the lives of women in the targeted countries would be to focus on providing humanitarian aid and supporting projects that preserve the self-determination and autonomy of women and girls in these regions.
 
<div style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Comprehensive_Scale_of_Rape_(2018)_-_LRW-SCALE-11.svg#/media/File:Comprehensive_Scale_of_Rape_(2018)_-_LRW-SCALE-11.svg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Comprehensive_Scale_of_Rape_%282018%29_-_LRW-SCALE-11.svg/1200px-Comprehensive_Scale_of_Rape_%282018%29_-_LRW-SCALE-11.svg.png" alt="Comprehensive Scale of Rape (2018) - LRW-SCALE-11.svg" width="1200" height="610" /></a>A map of the world showing a composite index about the rape of women in 2018. The color ranges from white to red, with white indicating “Rape is not a major problem in this society” and red indicating “Rape is endemic in this society.” Grey means no data. Image by <a title="User talk:Sette-quattro" href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Sette-quattro">Sette-quattro</a>, used under a <a title="Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0">CC BY-SA 4.0</a> license.</div>
<h3>Key omissions </h3>
If the objective of sanctions is to enhance the wellbeing of women and girls, it is hard to overlook the notable omissions or gaps in the coordinated action in March 2023. 
The sanctions overlooked addressing the <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/02/06/houthis-violating-womens-and-girls-rights-yemen">Yemeni Houthi</a> leaders despite their use of <a href="https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2021/02/27/Houthis-use-of-sexual-violence-as-a-weapon-against-wom">SGBV</a> as a war tactic and their increasing restrictions on women’s rights and autonomy since 2014, similar to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban">Taliban</a>. These restrictions include limitations on freedom of movement, dress, access to public spaces, and reproductive health. Although the Houthi policies were documented and criticized by UN human rights experts in a <a href="https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=27718">letter</a> to the Houthi leaders, no individuals or entities were included in the March sanctions. While the US <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-imposes-sanctions-international-network-funding-yemens-houthis-2022-02-23/">targeted</a> Iran’s financing Houthi rebels, the sanctions did not specifically mention women’s rights violations.
A similar omission can be found in <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/africa/east-africa-the-horn-and-great-lakes/somalia/report-somalia/">Somalia</a>. Despite enduring decades of a devastating civil war, women and girls continue to face rampant SGBV. Internally displaced women and girls are particularly vulnerable when travelling long distances to collect water for themselves and their families. Cases of rape by government soldiers have been documented in the capital city of Mogadishu.
Further south, in the <a href="https://www.usip.org/publications/2010/05/rape-war-motives-militia-drc">Democratic Republic of Congo</a>, women and girls are also facing a similar fate. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mai-Mai">Mai-Mai militia</a> in particular has been employing <a href="https://www.un.org/sexualviolenceinconflict/countries/democratic-republic-of-the-congo/">SGBV</a> as a tactic or tool of war. Nevertheless, no individual or entity sanctions have been imposed.
<a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/11/14/qatar-rights-abuses-stain-fifa-world-cup">Qatar</a> is another notable omission in the sanctions. Despite some progress made by civil society groups in Qatar with a <a href="https://data.unwomen.org/country/qatar">9.8</a> percent women's representation in parliament, the country still enforces discriminatory policies that uphold male guardianship, severely restricting women’s autonomy in areas such as marriage, education, employment, travel, and reproductive health. Moreover, rape is generally treated as pre-marital sex, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/qatar-information-for-victims-of-rape-and-sexual-assault/guidance-for-victims-of-rape-and-sexual-assault-in-qatar">subjecting victims</a> to a seven-year prison sentence. Any protest action by feminist activists is also repressed, such as the case of <a href="https://www.gc4hr.org/news/view/3221">Noof al-Madeed</a>, who was allegedly subjected to widespread violations of her civil and human rights by the authorities.
<h3>Determining the criteria for sanctions</h3>
The key omissions in the application of the sanctions raise questions about the criteria used, and it is important to examine the factors that may have influenced these decisions. While considerations such as a country’s progress in women’s rights, implementation of a WPS National Action Plan, level of feminist activism, and the verifiability of SGBV allegations, may have been considered. The criteria used remain unclear.
Other political factors could have played a role in determining the target individuals and entities, for instance, existing trade agreements, concern over powerful oil interests — especially in light of the Russia's invasion of Ukraine — complications of proxy wars, fear of destabilizing regions already at civil war, or even a lack of interest from Western civil societies in regions across Africa. 
In general, the absence of a clear and transparent framework for determining sanctions highlights the need for greater clarity, accountability, and consideration of factors shaping sanctions policies in the West.
Written by <a href="https://globalvoices.org/author/stephanie-wild/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by Stephanie Wild">Stephanie Wild</a>]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<media:content url="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1440px-DRC_raped_women-400x300.jpg" medium="image" width='270' height='202' /> </item>
<item>
<title>Call to Action on International Migrants Day: Stop forced labour and restore workers’ agency</title>
<link>https://globalvoices.org/2022/12/18/call-to-action-on-international-migrants-day-stop-forced-labour-and-restore-workers-agency/</link>
<comments>https://globalvoices.org/2022/12/18/call-to-action-on-international-migrants-day-stop-forced-labour-and-restore-workers-agency/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ambika Tandon]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 18 Dec 2022 10:26:04 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Bahrain]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[East Asia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Ethiopia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Ethnicity & Race]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Human Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Kuwait]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Labor]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Lebanon]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Middle East & North Africa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Migration & Immigration]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Oman]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Qatar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Saudi Arabia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[The Bridge]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[United Arab Emirates]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Women & Gender]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://globalvoices.org/?p=777648</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Domestic workers in the GCC countries are majority migrant women. Employers have full control over their work and lives. This article echoes their requests and explains the exploitation.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<big class='tagline'>It is vital to ratify global standards around migration</big>Originally published on <a href='https://globalvoices.org/2022/12/18/call-to-action-on-international-migrants-day-stop-forced-labour-and-restore-workers-agency/'>Global Voices</a><div id="attachment_777657" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-777657" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-777657 size-full" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Domestic-worker.png" alt="" width="1024" height="1024" srcset="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Domestic-worker.png 1024w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Domestic-worker-400x400.png 400w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Domestic-worker-600x600.png 600w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Domestic-worker-200x200.png 200w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Domestic-worker-768x768.png 768w" sizes="(width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Art work by Mariam A., used with permission.</div>
The World Cup in Qatar has once again spotlighted the realities of migrant workers: stories of death, injury, and dangerous working conditions of those who built the infrastructure for the event have surfaced. 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/feb/23/revealed-migrant-worker-deaths-qatar-fifa-world-cup-2022">The Guardian</a> pegs the number of migrant workers’ deaths in the past decade since the awarding of the World Cup at 6500. This report brings attention to important issues around the exploitation of migrant workers by public and private employers alike. 
The focus on construction workers has, however, rendered invisible in public memory another significant group — migrant domestic workers. Women workers from South and Southeast Asia and Africa <a href="https://www.ilo.org/beirut/areasofwork/labour-migration/lang--en/index.htm">constitute almost 17 percent</a> of 41.4 million migrants in Gulf countries, mostly finding work in the domestic work sector. Qatar alone accounts for 1,80,000 of these workers.
<a href="https://www.un.org/en/observances/migrants-day">International Migrants Day</a> is an opportune moment to call for dismantling the structural issues underlying workers’ exploitation, and highlight pathways to restoring their agency. 
The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kafala_system">Kafala system</a> is the immigration regime underlying the conditions of forced labour, regulating employment contracts for immigrants in most Gulf countries with the exception of Iraq. The system ties the workers’ employment and immigration status, and freedom of movement to employers, which propagates forced labour and undercuts the agency of workers.
The Kafala is a prime example of exploitative and restrictive visa regimes that govern temporary seasonal or tied employment in other contexts as well, leading to similar <a href="https://www.gaatw.org/events-and-news/68-gaatw-news/889-facilitating-migration-and-fulfilling-rights?highlight=WyJrYWZhbGEiLCIna2FmYWxhJy10eXBlIiwic3lzdGVtIiwic3lzdGVtJyIsImthZmFsYSBzeXN0ZW0iXQ==">situations as trafficking for migrants</a>.
The <a href="https://www.gaatw.org/">Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women</a> (GAATW) points to forms of abuse and conditions of forced labour that restrictive visa regimes in countries such as the <a href="https://fairlaborrecruitment.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/final-e-version-ilrwg-report.pdf">United States</a>, for instance, enable. 
Under the Kafala system, workers can be deported if they leave their jobs without their employers’ written permission. Workers also remain completely dependent on employers to renew their visas, which effectively removes their right to determine where they live or work. This means that workers have very little agency to find alternatives to poor pay or conditions of work. In addition to that, workers are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SioclUbTb88">exposed</a> to frequent wage theft, non-payment of wages, and overwork without any weekly leave or regular break times throughout the day.
In many cases employers confiscate identity documents such as passports upon entry, and even restrict access to mobile phones and limit contact with families, which severely constrains the workers’ independence. Domestic workers are especially vulnerable because of the nature of their work, which is inside employers’ private homes. 
Given the culture of impunity surrounding such abuse and the criminal persecution of workers who “abscond” from their employers’ homes, employers have next to no accountability. 
A <a href="https://soas.lau.edu.lb/news/2022/10/what-the-kafala-system-continues-to-reveal-about-lebanons-alarmi.php">ground-breaking study</a> conducted by <a href="https://egnalegna.org/#about-us">Egna Legna</a>, an organization of migrant workers based in Lebanon, found that 68 percent of workers in their sample of nearly 1,000 migrant domestic workers in the country have faced at least one experience of sexual harassment. The perpetrators were most often employers (70 percent of reported cases), as well as friends and relatives of employers (40 percent).
Workers were denied access to justice, with even the handful of workers in the study who approached law enforcement being dismissed or asked to be cautious or even run away. Rampant abuse with little support from local authorities, on top of being cut off from families, has a severe impact on the mental health of workers — several respondents in the study had thought about self-harm or death by suicide.
Another striking reality is the fetishization and abuse of Black migrant workers. Workers originating from the African region <a href="https://towardfreedom.org/story/archives/africa-archives/kenyan-women-speak-out-about-kafala-exploitation-in-gulf-states/">report</a> experiencing various forms of physical, verbal, and sexual violence more consistently than workers from other countries.
The immigration regimes of countries of origin also have a role to play in increasing workers’ vulnerability. Ethiopia, for instance, has <a href="https://worldcrunch.com/migrant-lives-1/protecting-ethiopian-women-migrant-workers-in-gulf-region">banned</a> the deployment of domestic workers to Gulf countries, even as agents continue to illegally recruit and place them. Workers are forced to enter Gulf countries through visitor visas and overstay their tenure, which exposes them to further exploitation by agents, employers, and local authorities.
GAATW <a href="https://www.gaatw.org/events-and-news/68-gaatw-news/817-regressive-policies-on-labour-and-migration-exacerbate-forced-labour-and-exploitation-international-rights-group-says?highlight=WyJrYWZhbGEiLCIna2FmYWxhJy10eXBlIiwic3lzdGVtIiwic3lzdGVtJyIsImthZmFsYSBzeXN0ZW0iXQ==">notes</a> that policies that restrict women’s movement as a justification for reducing trafficking push workers towards illegal routes for migration. For women migrants, migration can <a href="https://www.gaatw.org/publications/Lived_Experiences_of_Women_Migrant_Workers.pdf">offer independence</a>, since their livelihood options in their home countries can be limited by gender norms and other factors. We need systems that protect workers’ rights more than systems that aim to stem migration altogether.
Qatar became one of the <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/09/24/qatar-significant-labor-and-kafala-reforms">first countries to reform</a> the Kafala system in 2020, aiming to reduce the absolute control employers hold over migrant workers’ legal status in the country. Workers in Qatar are no longer required to receive no-objection certificates from their employers before shifting jobs before the end of their contract, which remains the case in other countries.
The reforms also set a higher minimum wage for all workers, making Qatar only the <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/09/24/qatar-significant-labor-and-kafala-reforms">second</a> Gulf country after Kuwait to have minimum wage regulation. The country also passed a domestic workers’ law in 2017, with provisions around work contracts, work hours and pension.
However, as the International Domestic Workers’ Federation <a href="https://idwfed.org/the-future-is-decided-today-idwf-statement-on-decent-work-for-domestic-workers-against-the-backdrop-of-fifa-2022/">points out</a>, the implementation of these laws and reforms is still quite poor — over half of applications to change employment are still rejected. The union has issued calls to the Qatari government to work with migrant workers’ groups to implement reforms.
Organizing workers is one of the primary routes to breaking these cycles of isolation and abuse. Unions and informal collectives of workers have managed to gain a foothold despite freedom of association being denied under the Kafala system. Unions remain unable to register and gain collective bargaining rights despite building awareness among workers and offering essential services such as legal representation and crisis response. In most GCC countries and several jurisdictions globally, domestic workers are explicitly <a href="https://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/32148/GLMM%20ExpNote_04-2014.pdf">excluded</a> from labour law and social protections.
There are clear pathways to restoring workers’ agency and dignity. 
First, reform and abolition of the Kafala system are necessary to delink immigration status from employment status. Domestic workers need to be included within national labour law frameworks with adequate protections for minimum wage, working hours and conditions, and social protection. 
Domestic workers must also be included within national law on sexual harassment, such as Law 205 in Lebanon, which was passed recently to protect workers against violence at the workplace but does not provide additional labour rights guarantees to ensure the protection of domestic workers. 
A second prong of reform needs to target laws on immigration in countries of origin, including <a href="https://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/docs/gr_26_on_women_migrant_workers_en.pdf">lifting discriminatory bans</a> on migration, reintegration programmes for returnee workers, and signing bilateral agreements to protect workers’ rights. 
Other actionable demands include support for workers facing abuse through local embassies of origin countries, and access to justice through trained labour-law and police officials. 
It is vital to ratify global standards around migration. including the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/generalassembly/docs/globalcompact/ILO_P_029.pdf">Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930</a>, and Conventions 189 on <a href="https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_ILO_CODE:C189">Domestic Workers</a> and 190 on <a href="https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_ILO_CODE:C190">Elimination of Violence and Harassment</a>.
Above all, these reforms demand a shift away from immigration regimes that aim to penalize workers fleeing devastating economic conditions towards systems that promote safe migration routes and restore workers’ agency. 
 
Written by <a href="https://globalvoices.org/author/atandon/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by Ambika Tandon">Ambika Tandon</a>, <a href="https://globalvoices.org/author/francisca/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by Francisca Ankrah">Francisca Ankrah</a>, <a href="https://globalvoices.org/author/tsigereda/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by Tsigereda Brihanu">Tsigereda Brihanu</a>, <a href="https://globalvoices.org/author/sandigankw/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by Sandigan Kuwait">Sandigan Kuwait</a>]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<media:content url="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Domestic-worker-400x300.png" medium="image" width='270' height='202' /> </item>
<item>
<title>Nepali migrant workers who built the World Cup stadiums are completely forgotten</title>
<link>https://globalvoices.org/2022/12/01/nepali-migrant-workers-who-built-the-world-cup-stadiums-are-completely-forgotten/</link>
<comments>https://globalvoices.org/2022/12/01/nepali-migrant-workers-who-built-the-world-cup-stadiums-are-completely-forgotten/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Benju Lwagun]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 01 Dec 2022 10:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Citizen Media]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Development]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Disaster]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[English]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Governance]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Human Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[International Relations]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Migration & Immigration]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Nepal]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Qatar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[South Asia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sport]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://globalvoices.org/?p=776330</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Rights-based organizations and international media are raising their voices for forgotten migrant workers of Qatar but the Nepali media fell short in covering the human cost of the Football World Cup.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<big class='tagline'>“No one will ever remember them other than their families”</big>Originally published on <a href='https://globalvoices.org/2022/12/01/nepali-migrant-workers-who-built-the-world-cup-stadiums-are-completely-forgotten/'>Global Voices</a><div id="attachment_776502" style="width: 1121px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://youtu.be/e5R9Ur44XV8"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-776502" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-776502" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IW-1.png" alt="" width="1121" height="633" srcset="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IW-1.png 1121w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IW-1-400x226.png 400w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IW-1-800x452.png 800w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IW-1-768x434.png 768w" sizes="(width: 1121px) 100vw, 1121px" /></a>Screenshot taken from <a href="https://youtu.be/e5R9Ur44XV8">The Guardian's YouTube channel</a>. Fair use.</div>
While the world is coming together to celebrate the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_FIFA_World_Cup">2022 FIFA World Cup</a>, some families in Nepal are grieving the loss of their loved ones who were employed to build the infrastructure in Qatar in the past decade. A <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-60867042">Guardian report revealed in 2021</a> that, between 2010 and January 2021, approximately 6750 migrant workers from South Asia died while building World Cup infrastructure, including 1641 from Nepal. <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/11/02/why-qatar-opposing-remedy-fund-migrant-workers">Human Rights Watch,</a> alongside many other activists around the world, are raising their voices for the forgotten migrant workers of Qatar. However, the Qatar government continues to refrain from taking responsibility for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5R9Ur44XV8">the damage</a> they have done to the labourers and their families.
Although Qatar officially maintained that around 40 workers died including 37 claimed as nonwork incidents, in the last week of November 2022, a <a href="https://thehimalayantimes.com/world/qatar-says-worker-deaths-for-world-cup-between-400-and-500">Qatari official addressed</a> these issues on an international platform. The official mentioned that the number of people who died during the construction of World Cup infrastructures is between 400 and 500, which is far below the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-60867042">previously reported</a> numbers.
The Qatar government <a href="https://thehimalayantimes.com/world/qatar-says-worker-deaths-for-world-cup-between-400-and-500">claimed</a> to have overhauled the country's employment practices. In reality, not only have Qatari authorities failed to investigate the death of thousands of workers but they have also <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWeYy8HD4_A">neglected to compensate</a> the families of the victims. Families are still far from securing their future, once their loved ones arrive home in coffins, they face financial challenges in even performing the funeral rituals. Therefore the families are <a href="https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/workers-want-qatar-fifa-to-pay-for-abuses">demanding compensation</a> so they can survive.
Independent media organisation Open Democracy tweeted:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Workers like my husband made Qatar rich and developed, but what do we get? Nothing.”
Migrant workers died to produce the World Cup, but not all families in Nepal received compensation.
Read the full story: <a href="https://t.co/uxtxcUe2Z5">https://t.co/uxtxcUe2Z5</a> <a href="https://t.co/Vhp9MgQLCf">pic.twitter.com/Vhp9MgQLCf</a>
— openDemocracy (@openDemocracy) <a href="https://twitter.com/openDemocracy/status/1595432548959666176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
<div class="factbox">
<h4>Read More: <a href="https://globalvoices.org/2022/11/14/qatar-refuses-payoffs-to-fifa-world-cup-2022-workers/">Qatar refuses payoffs to FIFA World Cup 2022 workers</a></h4>
</div>
Sirmita Pasi from Nepalgunj Municipality lost her husband this year in Qatar. Her husband Ramsagar Pasi was in Qatar and was one of the workers <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/qatar-world-cup-stadiums-2022-cost-names-size-capacity-pitch/oyhamtoorwhiltdmfdq5ej2u">at a stadium</a> while it was being built. In an <a href="https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2022/11/1224594?fbclid=IwAR18WCUPQnWSbaxBkpoi8QNUc-o0HIA7UiBCJFm4krA1ilH_JGuUWTrYLf4">interview with Online Khabar</a>, an independent private online news portal in Nepal, Sirmita said, “I heard that football is happening in Qatar now. My husband shed blood and sweat to build the stadium. A healthy man had reached a point where he had a heart attack while working in Qatar. My husband died. A stadium was also built. Everyone may enjoy watching the game, but for me and my family the stadium and the World Cup are not fun, we just cry.”
<div id="attachment_776578" style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5R9Ur44XV8"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-776578" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-featured_image_large wp-image-776578" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/NEpalQatar-800x450.jpg" alt=" Screenshot from a YouTube video by The Guardian. Fair use. " width="800" height="450" srcset="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/NEpalQatar-800x450.jpg 800w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/NEpalQatar-1200x675.jpg 1200w" sizes="(width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a>Screenshot from a YouTube video by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5R9Ur44XV8">The Guardian</a>. Fair use.</div>
Ramsagar went to Qatar hoping to improve the life of his children but, unfortunately, he never returned to his family. The cause of his death was believed to be heatstroke. However, many <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoHEGPcuhHk&t=234s">have reported</a> that it is not the major reason. Thousands of migrant labourers worked day and night to build the infrastructure for the World Cup, including all the stadiums, hotels, and roads in the extreme heat, which resulted in severe injuries and death.
Nepali journalist Pramod Acharya published a <a href="https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1597806556690534401.html">Twitter thread</a> explaining how the Nepali media didn't cover the human cost of the #QatarWorldCup properly.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
1. Her husband’s death left her a widow at 22, with a two-year-old daughter who has never met her father and a predatory debt that she has no idea how to pay off. <a href="https://t.co/Sclsjvynbb">pic.twitter.com/Sclsjvynbb</a>
— Pramod Acharya (@acharyapramod) <a href="https://twitter.com/acharyapramod/status/1597809477083750400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
Journalist Bhadra Sharma Tweeted:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Nepali migrant workers died in Qatar stadiums. The families of deceased are in pain. Children are to deprive of education. Their voices are not raised adequately in national media. But a group of Nepali editors enjoy dinner offered by Qatari envoy to Nepal. Cheers! <a href="https://t.co/bgqV1vRjTI">pic.twitter.com/bgqV1vRjTI</a>
— Bhadra Sharma (@bhadrarukum) <a href="https://twitter.com/bhadrarukum/status/1597618436657811456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
People in Nepal and around the world have demanded justice for Nepali migrant workers.
Journalist Colin Millar writes:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
World Cup opening at the Al-Bayt Stadium. Nepali Sanjib Raya worked 12 hours a day in 40C heat as a road builder for the stadium. He died of heart failure, aged 28. His dad Rampriya says: “That stadium was built on the blood and sweat of migrant workers.” <a href="https://t.co/o3I6GzsYCE">https://t.co/o3I6GzsYCE</a>
— Colin Millar (@Millar_Colin) <a href="https://twitter.com/Millar_Colin/status/1594339424900468738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
Pakistani-Canadian columnist Tarek Fatah tweeted:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Qatar?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Qatar</a>, when the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldCup</a> began, a Stadium Mural was built to celebrate Migrant Workers who died building the country.
That mural has now gone.
No one will ever remember them other than their families in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nepal?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nepal</a>,l <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bangladesh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bangladesh</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pakistan</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a>. <a href="https://t.co/RFhhWxSpCM">https://t.co/RFhhWxSpCM</a>
— Tarek Fatah (@TarekFatah) <a href="https://twitter.com/TarekFatah/status/1597378013058023424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
Another journalist from Nepal, Chandan Kumar Mandal, writes:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
As the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWorldCup2022?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWorldCup2022</a> kicks off in Qatar, where several hundreds of Nepali and other South Asian migrants have got killed, critically injured & faced exploitation (financial & mental) while building its infrastructure, I can not simply forget & enjoy this sports extravaganza.+
— Chandan Kumar Mandal (@CK_Mandal) <a href="https://twitter.com/CK_Mandal/status/1594358979630604289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
Although Qatar continues to deny the allegations, the international mainstream media <a href="https://english.onlinekhabar.com/fifa-world-cup-nepal-deaths-suffering.html">continues to highlight</a> the poor working conditions in Qatar. But for Nepal and other South Asian nations, it is not new. Abuse and exploitation of Qatar's large migrant workforce have been happening for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jls2T3XKlbU">decades. </a>
All these life-threatening risks still haven't discouraged young Nepalis from dreaming of going to work overseas and improving their living conditions back at home. Sugam Nanda Bajracharya at Nepal Economic Forum <a href="https://nepaleconomicforum.org/6767-2/">suggested</a>:
<blockquote>Nepal should work on expediting Government-to-Government (G2G) labour agreements with new destination countries in order to ensure fair treatment of migrant workers along with adequate remuneration and benefits.</blockquote>
Written by <a href="https://globalvoices.org/author/benjulwagun/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by Benju Lwagun">Benju Lwagun</a>]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<media:content url="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/NEpalQatar-400x300.jpg" medium="image" width='270' height='202' /> </item>
<item>
<title>How football and politics are intertwined in a polarized post-election Brazil</title>
<link>https://globalvoices.org/2022/11/21/how-football-and-politics-are-intertwined-in-a-polarized-post-election-brazil/</link>
<comments>https://globalvoices.org/2022/11/21/how-football-and-politics-are-intertwined-in-a-polarized-post-election-brazil/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Richard Wanjohi]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 21 Nov 2022 18:05:37 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Brazil]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Elections]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Latin America]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Qatar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sport]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://globalvoices.org/?p=775296</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The relationship of many Brazilians with their national team has been one to ponder and continues as Selecao enter the Qatar FIFA World Cup season]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<big class='tagline'>Bolsonaro received more support among athletes during his campaign</big>Originally published on <a href='https://globalvoices.org/2022/11/21/how-football-and-politics-are-intertwined-in-a-polarized-post-election-brazil/'>Global Voices</a><div id="attachment_775320" style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-775320" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-775320 size-full" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Untitled-design-9.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="500" srcset="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Untitled-design-9.jpg 800w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Untitled-design-9-400x250.jpg 400w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Untitled-design-9-768x480.jpg 768w" sizes="(width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Brazil will enter the World Cup season still politically polarized and with mixed feelings towards its national football team | Art by Global Voices</div>
The starkly polarised presidential election that ended with leftist former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/10/30/world/brazil-presidential-election">winning Brazil's presidency</a> over far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro spilled over from the political arena onto the football field, with famous footballers, active and retired, weighing in on the candidates.
Stars such as <a href="https://www.correiobraziliense.com.br/politica/2022/10/5047754-neymar-volta-a-pedir-voto-em-bolsonaro-pela-familia-patria-e-igreja.html">Neymar Jr</a>, <a href="https://www.correiobraziliense.com.br/politica/2022/08/5032368-juninho-pernambucano-vira-cabo-eleitoral-de-lula-em-propaganda-politica.html">Juninho Pernambucano, </a>and the 1994 World Champions <a href="https://oglobo.globo.com/blogs/panorama-esportivo/post/2022/10/bebeto-e-romario-juntos-no-campo-e-separados-na-politica.ghtml">Romário and Bebeto</a> expressed their support for their preferred candidate, with some even engaging in the campaigns and intertwining football and politics ahead of the Qatar World Cup.
The relationship of many Brazilians with the national team and its jersey has been mixed for a while now — the <a style="font-size: 1.25rem;" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/07/replace-or-reclaim-progressive-brazil-divided-on-fate-of-famous-yellow-shirts">classic yellow uniform</a> became a symbol <a style="font-size: 1.25rem;" href="https://www.correiobraziliense.com.br/politica/2022/11/5051711-uso-politico-da-camisa-da-selecao-faz-torcedor-buscar-outras-cores.html">associated with the right and far-right</a> and was linked to <a style="font-size: 1.25rem;" href="https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/poder/2022/11/ataques-as-urnas-e-atos-antidemocraticos-buscam-criar-crise-artificial-no-brasil.shtml">antidemocratic acts</a> taking place after the election, nurturing a false narrative about errors in the electoral system.
In the country that used to call itself “<a href="https://www.megacurioso.com.br/artes-cultura/123469-por-que-o-brasil-nao-e-mais-o-pais-do-futebol.htm">football’s country</a>,” where the game is considered a <a href="https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/educacao-fisica/historia-do-futebol.htm">national passion</a>, Brazilian footballers often seems more and more <a href="https://noticias.uol.com.br/ultimas-noticias/afp/2022/10/20/nas-eleicoes-jogadores-brasileiros-simpatizam-com-a-direita.htm">aligned to the right</a> politically — which, in today's scenario, means Bolsonaro.
In an interview with the <a href="https://noticias.uol.com.br/ultimas-noticias/afp/2022/10/20/nas-eleicoes-jogadores-brasileiros-simpatizam-com-a-direita.htm?cmpid=copiaecola">AFP</a>, historian João Malaia says this profile expresses the growth the right, especially the far-right, has achieved in Brazil recently. He suggests that as many players become millionaires overnight, they begin to identify with the right's discourse, despite their humble origins.
He explains <a href="https://desporto.sapo.pt/geral/artigos/nas-presidenciais-do-brasil-os-jogadores-brasileiros-simpatizam-com-a-direita-de-bolsonaro">Bolsonaro's rhetoric</a> “is very much lined up in the individual success, in each one's own capacity to overcome all of their difficulties. And when you look at a football player's trajectory, they are an example of the said speech.”<del></del>
Football and politics have long been strange bedfellows across the world. Dating all the way back to the second World Cup in 1934, <a href="https://thesefootballtimes.co/2016/07/27/when-the-world-cup-rolled-into-fascist-italy-in-1934/">Italy was under a fascist regime</a> that used the tournament to win favor among its citizenry. In 2018, Russia hosted the World Cup, with critics noting the tournament was used for <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20180622-world-cup-2018-football-politics-propaganda">propaganda by the Putin government</a>. And this is especially evident in the South American state of <a href="https://www.euronews.com/culture/2022/10/28/brazil-elections-when-pulling-on-a-football-shirt-gets-political">Brazil</a>.
Dating as far back as 1970, the then military government led by President <a href="https://www.worldsoccer.com/blogs/political-football-how-brazils-military-hijacked-the-beautiful-game-340119">Emillio G. Medici imposed its role in the national team</a>’s training and selection — with the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1970/06/28/archives/brazil-players-cant-kick-about-gifts.html">selecao winning a third title</a> in 12 years.
<a href="https://www.lance.com.br/galerias/o-que-e-e-quais-sao-as-torcidas-antifascistas-do-futebol-brasileiro-confira/#foto=1">Antifascist movements</a> among fans have also marked position in the last years, echoing other groups from the past.
Corinthians, the only major league team to congratulate Lula for the election, based in São Paulo, was behind a 1982 movement called <a href="https://www.meutimao.com.br/historia-do-corinthians/fatos-marcantes/democracia_corinthiana">Democracia Corinthiana</a> (Corinthians’ Democracy), led by players such as Socrates, Casagrande, among others.
They represented a political force that sought to end the military-led dictatorship, emphasizing the relationship between football and politics. Using its influence, it rallied supporters of the club and preferred presidential candidates.
<h3>Pro-Bolsonaro players</h3>
Bolsonaro has used football during his term as a tool to show himself as a regular guy, just like everyone else. Despite declaring himself a <a href="https://www.goal.com/br/not%C3%ADcias/qual-o-time-de-jair-bolsonaro-para-quem-torce-o-presidente-do-brasil/qa5cfdeoj5dh107l9cteu8jj1">Palmeiras's fan</a>, he often <a href="https://www.lance.com.br/galerias/bolsonaro-com-uniforme-do-corinthians-veja-as-camisas-que-o-presidente-ja-vestiu/">poses using other Brazilian teams’ shirts</a>, even rivals, and <a href="https://g1.globo.com/politica/noticia/2019/06/12/bolsonaro-leva-moro-para-jogo-do-flamengo-em-estadio-de-brasilia.ghtml">shows up to stadiums</a> to watch matches.
But he also got closer to current and former players during his government. Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, popularly known as <a href="https://www.futhead.com/players/190871/">Neymar</a>, is perhaps the best example.
Neymar, who currently plays for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Saint-Germain_F.C.">Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)</a> in France, reinforced his support for Bolsonaro last September and supported his <a href="https://extra.globo.com/esporte/a-oito-dias-das-eleicoes-neymar-usa-as-redes-para-se-engajar-ainda-mais-na-campanha-de-bolsonaro-entenda-25595564.html">campaign on social media</a>.
Some linked the support to Neymar's debt issues with Brazil’s IRS. Neymar's father met with Bolsonaro and the Economy minister Paulo Guedes <a href="https://esportes.estadao.com.br/noticias/futebol,pai-de-neymar-e-recebido-por-bolsonaro-e-guedes-para-tratar-de-cobrancas-da-receita-ao-jogador,70002795516">back in 2019</a> to discuss the matter. The current president <a href="https://valor.globo.com/politica/eleicoes-2022/noticia/2022/10/20/bolsonaro-nega-ter-interferido-na-receita-federal-em-favor-de-neymar.ghtml">denied</a> pardoning the athlete, but among fans who opposed Bolsonaro <a href="https://www.terra.com.br/noticias/eleicoes/ei-neymar-vai-ter-que-declarar-provocam-petistas-em-comemoracao-a-vitoria-de-lula,8f03bc7b8dc9214caea19bcc475fa49a7egddw1e.html">the chant</a> “hey, Neymar, you'll have to declare it” became popular in the last days of the campaign.
<a href="https://www.chelseafc.com/en/teams/profile/thiago-silva">Thiago Silva</a>, who plays for Chelsea in the English Premier League, also used social networks to declare his support for Bolsonaro, sharing messages parallel to Bolsonaro’s campaign slogans.
<blockquote>God, country, family and freedom.I hope that democracy is respected and that everyone can exercise their citizenship freely.</blockquote>
Another famed player in Brazil, <a href="https://www.metropoles.com/esportes/futebol/daniel-alves-detona-governos-anteriores-e-declara-apoio-a-bolsonaro">Daniel Alves</a>, used the slogan on his Instagram page:
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjLlpaLvXo5/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14">
<div style="padding: 16px;">
 
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div>
</div>
 
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjLlpaLvXo5/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A post shared by Daniel Alves (@danialves)</a>
</div>
</blockquote>
Rivaldo, a champion with the national team in the <a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brasil_na_Copa_do_Mundo_FIFA_de_2002">Japan-South Korea 2002 World Cup</a>, also used social media to support the pro-Bolsonaro vote:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
@jairmessiasbolsonaro 22
“Os pecados de uma nação fazem mudar sempre os seus governantes, mas a ordem se mantém com um líder sábio e sensato. “ 
Provérbios 28:2 <a href="https://t.co/k7nwLIbkDJ">pic.twitter.com/k7nwLIbkDJ</a>
— RIVALDO FERREIRA (@RIVALDOOFICIAL) <a href="https://twitter.com/RIVALDOOFICIAL/status/1576189917100933122?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="translation">“The sins of a nation make they always change their rulers, but the order is kept with a wise and sensible leader” — Proverbs 28:2</blockquote>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronaldinho">Ronaldo de Assis Moreira</a>, better known as Ronaldinho Gaucho, also a champion in the <a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brasil_na_Copa_do_Mundo_FIFA_de_2002">2002 World Cup</a>, is another footballer linked to Bolsonaro.
The former president appointed him Tourism Ambassador<a href="https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Footballer-Ronaldinho-Is-Bolsonaro-New-Ambassador-of-Tourism-20190907-0010.html"> in 2019</a>, and had files related to <a href="https://extra.globo.com/noticias/brasil/sigilo-de-100-anos-de-prisao-de-ronaldinho-gaucho-visitas-michelle-saiba-sobre-que-governo-impos-segredo-25581104.html">negotiations on his release</a> sealed for 100 years, after being accused of travelling with a <a href="https://www.terra.com.br/esportes/futebol/os-seis-meses-de-ronaldinho-gaucho-no-paraguai-da-prisao-a-condenacao-e-soltura,f017526a030754d8a8e525725e0d4b004wj2l2z7.html">false passport to Paraguay</a> in 2020.
<h3>Pro-Lula players </h3>
On the flip-side, president-elect Lula, a <a href="https://www.uol.com.br/esporte/futebol/ultimas-noticias/2022/10/31/corinthians-lula-presidente.htm">die-hard Corinthians fan</a>, also had current, retired players, and former coaches supporting his candidacy.
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juninho_Pernambucano">Juninho Pernambucano</a>, better known for his time on the <a href="https://trivela.com.br/franca/ligue-1/ha-15-anos-lyon-iniciava-sua-dinastia-na-franca-a-historia-do-titulo-relembrada-por-juninho/">French team Olympique Lyonnais</a>, said in an interview for the <a href="https://brasil.elpais.com/brasil/2018/09/19/deportes/1537394219_927623.html">newspaper El Pais</a>, back in 2018, he felt revolted when he saw footballers supporting the right-wing and Bolsonaro.
When the interviewer asked him to draw parallels between football and politics, he answered,
<blockquote>O futebol está tão perdido quanto o Brasil. A diferença é que o futebol ainda tem o talento a seu favor e pode demorar menos para sair do buraco.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="translation">Football is as lost as Brazil. The difference is that football still has talent on its side and it may take less time to get out of the hole.</blockquote>
In this year's election, he <a href="https://www.correiobraziliense.com.br/politica/2022/08/5032368-juninho-pernambucano-vira-cabo-eleitoral-de-lula-em-propaganda-politica.html">engaged in Lula's campaign</a> and even claimed on a Twitter post he was the one on the phone with Lula right after his victory was confirmed:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Era eu na linha parabenizando e pedindo bença a papai <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f605.png" alt="😅" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <a href="https://t.co/ZFRL2SywKG">pic.twitter.com/ZFRL2SywKG</a>
— Juninho Pernambucano (@Juninhope08) <a href="https://twitter.com/Juninhope08/status/1586868401481420801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="translation">It was me on the line congratulating and asking bless to papa</blockquote>
Raí, another retired footballer, made the <a href="https://www.uol.com.br/esporte/futebol/ultimas-noticias/2022/10/17/apoiador-de-lula-rai-fala-de-socrates-e-faz-o-l-na-bola-de-ouro.htm">hand gesture referencing Lula</a> and showing support to him during his speech at the international award ceremony named after his older brother, Corinthians’ idol <a href="https://thesefootballtimes.co/2020/07/15/the-triumph-and-troubles-of-the-socrates-and-how-he-ended-his-remarkable-career-in-west-yorkshire/">Socrates</a>. He is <a href="https://noticias.uol.com.br/politica/ultimas-noticias/2022/11/14/novos-nomes-equipe-transicao-governo-lula.htm">part of the government transition team</a> now.
The “Socrates Award” — a FIFA award which honours football players involved in social causes — was awarded to the Senegalese player, <a href="https://www.lance.com.br/futebol-internacional/bola-de-ouro-sadio-mane-vence-o-primeiro-premio-socrates-da-historia.html">Sadio Mane</a> in its inaugural edition.
Among those of the new generation pro-Lula are <a href="https://twitter.com/IgorJuliao2/status/1576298851610218496?s=20&t=KSN9_H1qCvOy4si80tAB3w">Igor Julião</a>, who plays in Portugal, and Paulinho, a Bayern Leverkusen player in Germany, who made history <a href="https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/esporte/paulinho-atleta-de-exu-usa-bola-para-plantar-respeito-depois-de-gol-na-estreia/">when celebrating a goal</a> with Brazil's national team honouring <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eshu">Exu</a>:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
O Maior Presidente da História do Brasil está de Volta <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f31f.png" alt="🌟" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2764.png" alt="❤" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1e7-1f1f7.png" alt="🇧🇷" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <a href="https://t.co/TPrxauFr0m">pic.twitter.com/TPrxauFr0m</a>
— Paulinho (@PaulinhoPH7) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulinhoPH7/status/1586854963354927106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="translation">The greatest president in history is back</blockquote>
<a href="https://twitter.com/vluxemburgo/status/1587080656735068160?s=20&t=KSN9_H1qCvOy4si80tAB3w">Vanderlei Luxemburgo</a>, a Brazilian coach <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanderlei_Luxemburgo">who led the Brazilian team and Real Madrid</a>, also supported Lula:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Parabéns <a href="https://twitter.com/LulaOficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LulaOficial</a>! O Brasil merece ser feliz de novo. Obrigado a cada brasileiro que entrou em campo e jogou como nunca para conquistarmos essa vitória. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2764.png" alt="❤" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LulapresidentedoBrasil?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LulapresidentedoBrasil</a> <a href="https://t.co/HtggP4VQ3x">pic.twitter.com/HtggP4VQ3x</a>
— Vanderlei Luxemburgo (@vluxemburgo) <a href="https://twitter.com/vluxemburgo/status/1587080656735068160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="translation">Congratulations @lulaoficial! Brazil deserves to be happy again. Thanks to every Brazilian who got into the field and played as they never done before achieving this victory. #LulaPresidentOfBrazil</blockquote>
Brazil is the only national team present at <a href="https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/esportes/noticia/2022-11/unico-pais-disputar-todas-copas-brasil-busca-hexa-no-catar">every edition</a> of the World Cup and the one with more titles so far — five in total — and one of the top contenders for the 2022 Cup.
Even with the elections over, the <a href="https://istoe.com.br/a-copa-da-pacificacao/">country remains divided,</a> with protesters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/bolsonaro-backers-call-brazil-military-intervene-after-lula-victory-2022-11-02/">crying for military intervention</a>. A recent poll shows that <a href="https://www.metropoles.com/esportes/futebol/com-eleicao-26-dizem-que-pegaram-ranco-da-amarelinha-da-selecao">one in every four Brazilians</a> says to be resentful with the yellow jersey because of politics, and in the streets it doesn't feel like World Cup season as it used to, as journalist Fabio Victor pointed:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
O fim do ano se aproxima. Estamos a poucos dias de uma Copa. Em outros tempos haveria euforia e festa por toda parte. Mas as ruas continuam com ar de velório. 
O país ficou tão doente nos últimos quatro anos q a convalescença tb será longa, uma tristeza
— Fabio Victor (@fabiopvictor) <a href="https://twitter.com/fabiopvictor/status/1593059902268006400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2022</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="translation">The end of the year approaches. We're a few days aways of a World Cup. In another times, there would be euphoria and party everywhere. But the streets continue with a funeral mood. The country got so sick in these past four years that the convalescence will be long too, a sadness.</blockquote>
Written by <a href="https://globalvoices.org/author/richard-wanjohi/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by Richard Wanjohi">Richard Wanjohi</a>]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<media:content url="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Untitled-design-9-400x300.jpg" medium="image" width='270' height='202' /> </item>
<item>
<title>Bangladeshis join the 2022 football World Cup frenzy, but this year it's a little complicated</title>
<link>https://globalvoices.org/2022/11/21/bangladeshis-join-the-2022-football-world-cup-frenzy-but-this-year-its-a-little-complicated/</link>
<comments>https://globalvoices.org/2022/11/21/bangladeshis-join-the-2022-football-world-cup-frenzy-but-this-year-its-a-little-complicated/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rezwan]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 21 Nov 2022 05:13:10 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Bangladesh]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Citizen Media]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Development]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[English]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Governance]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Human Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[International Relations]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Migration & Immigration]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Qatar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[South Asia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sport]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://globalvoices.org/?p=775675</guid>
<description><![CDATA[As the 2022 FIFA World Cup kicks off Bangladesh has been gripped by football fever, as it is every four years.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<big class='tagline'>Fans have hoisted country flags on rooftops, held street rallies, painted graffiti</big>Originally published on <a href='https://globalvoices.org/2022/11/21/bangladeshis-join-the-2022-football-world-cup-frenzy-but-this-year-its-a-little-complicated/'>Global Voices</a><div id="attachment_775733" style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/DainikBangla21/videos/2326893064152380/"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-775733" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-featured_image_large wp-image-775733" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Graffiti-800x450.jpg" alt="World Cup Graffiti on the wall painted by the locals at KM Das lane in Swami Bagh, Old Dhaka. Screenshot from the Facebook video from Dainik Bangla. Fair use. " width="800" height="450" srcset="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Graffiti-800x450.jpg 800w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Graffiti-1200x675.jpg 1200w" sizes="(width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a>World Cup Graffiti on the wall painted by the locals at KM Das lane in Swami Bagh, Old Dhaka. Screenshot from the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DainikBangla21/videos/2326893064152380/">Facebook video</a> of Dainik Bangla. Fair use.</div>
The 2022 edition of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_FIFA_World_Cup">FIFA Football Worldcup</a>, the most widely viewed sporting event in the world, commenced in Qatar on November 20. As football fever grips many nations, Bangladesh has also <a href="https://www.tbsnews.net/sports/world-cup-hype-bangladesh-535378">joined</a> in the frenzy, as it does every four years.
Fans are hoisting flags of the participating countries on rooftops, <a href="https://www.thedailystar.net/star-multimedia/sports-multimedia/news/football-graffiti-km-das-lane-3172806">painting graffiti</a> of football players on walls, painting houses in Argentinian or Brazilian flag colours, showcasing kilometres-long strips of the flags of popular teams, and <a href="https://bangla.bdnews24.com/bangladesh/vfjrr7kude">mass buying</a> different team jerseys. There's also is a <a href="https://globalvoices.org/2014/07/01/bangladesh-world-cup-jerseys-apparel/">good chance</a> that your <a href="https://www.thedailystar.net/business/global-economy/news/locally-made-jerseys-adorn-fifa-world-cup-3125326" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">favourite team's fan jersey</a>, or their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqNliHNJg4Y">official jersey</a>, was made in Bangladesh.
This year’s event in Qatar has been mired in controversy over the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/11/20/fifa-qatar-world-cup-corruption/">allegations of corrpution</a> in the selection of Qatar as this year's host, and the deaths of over <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/feb/23/revealed-migrant-worker-deaths-qatar-fifa-world-cup-2022">6,500 migrant workers</a> between 2010 and January 2021. One of the wealthiest nations in the world, Qatar has a population of about <a href="https://migrants-refugees.va/country-profile/qatar/">2.9 million</a>, of which over 70%—or 2 million—are migrant workers who have emigrated there to work in various sectors. Around one million migrant workers work in the construction sector, and around <a href="https://migrants-refugees.va/country-profile/qatar/">100,000 of them were employed</a> in the building of the infrastructure for this World Cup, including stadiums, sports villages, and roads. According to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/feb/23/revealed-migrant-worker-deaths-qatar-fifa-world-cup-2022">statistics</a> published by The Guardian, 1,018 of the migrant workers who died were from Bangladesh.
Qatar has denied both the <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2020/4/7/qatar-denies-allegations-of-corruption-in-world-cup-2022-bid">corruption allegations</a> and that the migrant worker death <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/16746561/qatar-world-cup-chiefs-worker-deaths-three/">statistics</a> are World Cup-related, saying that the figure being quoted represents the overall deaths of foreigners during the period in question. FIFA has <a href="https://somy.pakasak.com/2022/10/25/qatar-2022-fifa-recognizes-only-3-deaths-during-construction-of-world-cup-stadiums/">claimed</a> that only 3 people died on construction sites related to the World Cup infrastructure, but a Deutsche Welle fact check <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/fact-check-how-many-people-have-died-for-the-qatar-world-cup/a-63763713">reveals</a> that the actual figure may be around 40, as the figures referring to fatalities in connection with the 2022 World Cup vary depending on whether the cause of deaths could be described as work-related.
<div class="factbox">
<h4>Read More: <a href="https://globalvoices.org/2021/05/03/as-fifa-world-cup-draws-closer-migrant-labour-concerns-in-qatar-persist/">As FIFA World Cup draws closer, migrant labour concerns in Qatar persist</a></h4>
</div>
<h3>Why are Bangladeshi football fans so attached to Brazil and Argentina?</h3>
Bangladeshis generally support an array of teams, especially those who have won previous World Cups. Judging from the <a href="https://twitter.com/iSoumikSaheb/status/1593970068156973057">flags</a> flying from supporters’ rooftops, however, it's clear that the Brazil and Argentina teams enjoy a cult following, and there have even been <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/football/7-injured-as-brazil-argentina-football-fans-clash-in-bangladesh-5342161.html">reports</a> of rival fans clashing because of their different allegiances.
<div class="factbox">
<h4>Read More: <a href="https://globalvoices.org/2014/06/10/brazil-or-argentina-football-loyalties-divide-bangladesh-as-world-cup-fever-grips-the-nation/">Brazil or Argentina? Football Rivalries Play Out Thousands of Miles Away From the World Cup in Bangladesh</a></h4>
</div>
Bangladesh itself sits near the bottom—at number 192—of the <a href="https://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/men?dateId=id13792">FIFA world </a>ranking and has not had any recent success in the football arena. In the absence of a home team to cheer on during the World Cup tournament, they throw their support passionately behind their favourite international teams.
Traditionally they support mostly Brazil (ranked number 1) or Argentina (ranked number 3) and there are many debates about why this is the case. This 2018 YouTube video by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8UOlOAheg0">Plaantik</a> explores the possible reasons Bangladeshis are more drawn to Brazil and Argentina than other teams but comes up with no clear answers.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Why are Bangladeshis obsessed with Brazil and Argentina? | A Plaantik Original" width="650" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N8UOlOAheg0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
According to the video, in 1982, state-owned Bangladesh Television began telecasting World Cup matches live, and colour TVs started to become popular. In the 1970s and 1980s, kids learned about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pel%C3%A9">Pelé</a> and Brazil from their school textbooks and eagerly followed Argentinian superstar <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diego_Maradona">Maradona</a> and his team's successes. A passionate fan following developed for the two teams over the following decades.
<div class="factbox">
<h4>Read More: <a href="https://globalvoices.org/2010/05/28/bangladesh-fifa-world-cup-memories-from-the-past/">FIFA World Cup, Memories From The Past</a></h4>
</div>
<h3>Celebrating the World Cup, Bangladesh-style</h3>
One of the trademarks of the Bangladeshi football fans is the hoisting of flags of footballing nations on rooftops. Rafid Ishtiaque, an undergraduate in the department of economics at the University of Dhaka, tweeted:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Just a glimpse of the excitement of the people of this part of the world for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022 and their love for Brazil and Argentina! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bangladesh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bangladesh</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWorldCup2022?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWorldCup2022</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWorldCupQatar2022?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWorldCupQatar2022</a><a href="https://twitter.com/FIFAWorldCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIFAWorldCup</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CBF_Futebol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBF_Futebol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/afa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@afa</a> <a href="https://t.co/dIeyejxzzO">pic.twitter.com/dIeyejxzzO</a>
— Rafid Ishtiaque (@Rafid_Ishtiaque) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rafid_Ishtiaque/status/1593495527877791744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
Fans of different teams often <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-xl/asia/bangladesh/kushtia-divided-by-argentina-brazil-as-world-cup-fever-grips-bangladesh/ar-AA14hkOQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">compete</a> to see which team's supporters can make the biggest flag. Journalist Saif Hasnat tweeted:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A man in Bangladesh sold his mango garden to arrange money to make a four-km-long flag of South Korea! The man supports this Asian side in the FIFA World Cup.
A cricket-crazy nation gets craziest during football World Cup! <a href="https://t.co/43kQAudTYD">https://t.co/43kQAudTYD</a>
— Saif Hasnat (@saifhasnat) <a href="https://twitter.com/saifhasnat/status/1591386064744501249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
<div id="attachment_775719" style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16oZ9Gx_Sr8"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-775719" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-featured_image_large wp-image-775719" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/longest-german-flag-800x450.jpg" alt="Longest German flag (5.5. kms long) made by a Bangladeshi farmer as a tribute to the success of the German team. Screenshot from the YouTube video by Somoy News. Fair use." width="800" height="450" srcset="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/longest-german-flag-800x450.jpg 800w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/longest-german-flag-1200x675.jpg 1200w" sizes="(width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a>Longest German flag (5.5. km long) made by a Bangladeshi farmer as a tribute to the success of the German team. Screenshot from the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16oZ9Gx_Sr8">YouTube video by Somoy TV</a>. Fair use.</div>
Sports Correspondent For an online news site Shafayet Islam Niloy <a href="https://twitter.com/iSoumikSaheb/status/1593286184431517697">tweeted</a>:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Madness At Mymensingh As Argentina Fan Couple Hoist 1 Kilometer Long Flag Of Argentina.
Coasted Them 50000 Taka.
I'm Sure Most Of Them Doesn't Follow Much Football In 4 Year, But During <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWorldCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWorldCup</a> <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f440.png" alt="👀" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyNemer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RoyNemer</a> <a href="https://t.co/2q4OpTmBYq">pic.twitter.com/2q4OpTmBYq</a>
— বাংলার ছেলে <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1e7-1f1e9.png" alt="🇧🇩" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> (@iSoumikSaheb) <a href="https://twitter.com/iSoumikSaheb/status/1593286184431517697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2022</a></blockquote>
Niloy also tweeted photos of fans on the streets with rallies for their favourite teams:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Argentina Fans Takes Out A Rally In Sirajganj <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bangladesh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bangladesh</a> For <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWorldCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWorldCup</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LucasBeltramo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LucasBeltramo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TheChiacch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheChiacch</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Radio10?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Radio10</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyNemer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RoyNemer</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNArgentina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNArgentina</a>
<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f4f8.png" alt="📸" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Shovo Sarkar <a href="https://t.co/atRzatzQrX">pic.twitter.com/atRzatzQrX</a>
— বাংলার ছেলে <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1e7-1f1e9.png" alt="🇧🇩" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> (@iSoumikSaheb) <a href="https://twitter.com/iSoumikSaheb/status/1594220042039611392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
Twitter user Fahmaan <a href="https://twitter.com/fahmaan313/status/1593274434038550528">reports</a> that a Rickshaw was painted with Argentinian colours.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
An Argentine supporter in Bangladesh<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWorldCupQatar2022?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWorldCupQatar2022</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WCC2022?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WCC2022</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Argentina?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Argentina</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWorldCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWorldCup</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldcupQatar2022?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldcupQatar2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/zzsIrxCYAe">pic.twitter.com/zzsIrxCYAe</a>
— Fahmaan (@fahmaan313) <a href="https://twitter.com/fahmaan313/status/1593274434038550528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2022</a></blockquote>
Another salient part is the colourful graffiti on the streets and walls. Twitter user Md. Arafat Islam <a href="https://twitter.com/ArafatIslam2004/status/1592940637128921088">highlights</a> a graffiti from old Dhaka:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
During every <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWorldCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWorldCup</a>, The Old Dhaka of Bangladesh goes into football frenzy. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/26bd.png" alt="⚽" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />
Location: Kaltabazar, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dhaka?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dhaka</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bangladesh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bangladesh</a> <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1e7-1f1e9.png" alt="🇧🇩" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWorldCupQatar2022?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWorldCupQatar2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/PtCJwLGlG4">pic.twitter.com/PtCJwLGlG4</a>
— Md. Arafat Islam (@ArafatIslam2004) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArafatIslam2004/status/1592940637128921088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
Engineer Nayeem Hasan <a href="https://twitter.com/__Night__Fury_/status/1592531188887220225">tweeted</a>:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Somewhere in Dhaka, Bangladesh. 
Officially <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWorldCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWorldCup</a> begins. <a href="https://t.co/Kyz9yOG1tH">pic.twitter.com/Kyz9yOG1tH</a>
— Nayeem Hasan (@__Night__Fury_) <a href="https://twitter.com/__Night__Fury_/status/1592531188887220225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
Twitter user Foysal <a href="https://twitter.com/iamfoysal/status/1593183139400409088">shares</a>:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Now I feels like football fans of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bangladesh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bangladesh</a> are getting ready for <a href="https://twitter.com/FIFAWorldCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIFAWorldCup</a>.
A small piece of preparation from Capital City <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dhaka?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dhaka</a> (Old part) attached in this tweet.<a href="https://twitter.com/FIFAcom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIFAcom</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWorldCupQatar2022?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWorldCupQatar2022</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GreatestShowOnEarth?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GreatestShowOnEarth</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bangladesh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bangladesh</a><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1e7-1f1e9.png" alt="🇧🇩" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <a href="https://t.co/DYccJDGOK8">pic.twitter.com/DYccJDGOK8</a>
— WellWisher<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1e7-1f1e9.png" alt="🇧🇩" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> (@iamfoysal) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamfoysal/status/1593183139400409088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2022</a></blockquote>
Journalist Shafayet Islam Niloy <a href="https://twitter.com/iSoumikSaheb/status/1591104897940074498">tweeted</a>:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Kids In <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bangladesh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bangladesh</a> Preparing The Walls Of Local Area With Different Graffiti, Paintings For Upcoming <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIFAWorldCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIFAWorldCup</a> In Support Of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Argentina?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Argentina</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Messi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Messi</a>
Many Clicking Photos
<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f4cd.png" alt="📍" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Muktagacha, Mymensingh, Bangladesh 
<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f4f8.png" alt="📸" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />Hridoy Kumar Mahanta<a href="https://twitter.com/RoyNemer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RoyNemer</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/afa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@afa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNArgentina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNArgentina</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TNTSportsAR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TNTSportsAR</a> <a href="https://t.co/aJdcFnkNuK">pic.twitter.com/aJdcFnkNuK</a>
— বাংলার ছেলে <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1e7-1f1e9.png" alt="🇧🇩" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> (@iSoumikSaheb) <a href="https://twitter.com/iSoumikSaheb/status/1591104897940074498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
The interesting thing is that the players on these teams <a href="https://www.bhorerkagoj.com/2022/11/18/%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AA-%E0%A6%AB%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%93-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%87/">had no idea</a> about Bangladesh or these occult fan followings. But in the era of social media, some efforts are being noticed. For example, the Twitter account of Argentinian Soccer News shared several items from Bangladesh.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Argentina <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1e6-1f1f7.png" alt="🇦🇷" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> fans in Bangladesh <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1e7-1f1e9.png" alt="🇧🇩" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> rallying with a mammoth <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1e6-1f1f7.png" alt="🇦🇷" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> flag what they claim to be the longest <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1e6-1f1f7.png" alt="🇦🇷" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> flag in the world. <a href="https://t.co/bwqJyiER8v">pic.twitter.com/bwqJyiER8v</a>
— ARG Soccer News <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1e6-1f1f7.png" alt="🇦🇷" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/26bd.png" alt="⚽" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f6a8.png" alt="🚨" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> (@ARG_soccernews) <a href="https://twitter.com/ARG_soccernews/status/1591871592128479234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A son in Bangladesh <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1e7-1f1e9.png" alt="🇧🇩" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> who is an Argentina fan went on a hunger strike for dying the whole house in Albiceleste colour <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1e6-1f1f7.png" alt="🇦🇷" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> and the father had to fulfil his wish. He has 2 daughters who are Brazil <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1e7-1f1f7.png" alt="🇧🇷" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> fans and will have to dye his other house in Selecao colours. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f605.png" alt="😅" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> World Cup Craze. <a href="https://t.co/YGOICuGICJ">pic.twitter.com/YGOICuGICJ</a>
— ARG Soccer News <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f1e6-1f1f7.png" alt="🇦🇷" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/26bd.png" alt="⚽" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f6a8.png" alt="🚨" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> (@ARG_soccernews) <a href="https://twitter.com/ARG_soccernews/status/1590920337264631808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
<h3>Remembering migrant workers’ contributions to the World Cup</h3>
Although Qatar has claimed that the authorities have made significant labour reforms, Human Rights Watch <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/11/02/why-qatar-opposing-remedy-fund-migrant-workers">says</a> that these were put in place mostly after 2018, when World Cup-related construction was mostly finished, and that many workers who helped build the World Cup infrastructure <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/08/12/fifa/qatar-commit-compensate-abused-migrant-workers">did not benefit</a> from the reforms and compensation mechanisms.
<div class="factbox">
<h4>Read More: <a href="https://globalvoices.org/2022/11/14/qatar-refuses-payoffs-to-fifa-world-cup-2022-workers/">Qatar refuses payoffs to FIFA World Cup 2022 workers</a></h4>
</div>
Journalist Shafiqul Alam, the Dhaka bureau chief of AFP, visited some Bangladeshis who worked on the construction of the stadiums in Qatar. He recounted the story of one worker, Atiar, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/shafiqul.alam.71216/posts/pfbid02dEMwyFT4QXLouqMT8XudSJUJkaszsg3m1jZ6ofdn85aui4srKCYPcDQ8zW5onv31l">on Facebook</a>:
<blockquote>Atiar is one of the thousands of workers who made the stadium but were not paid their dues. . . . Atiar wants you not to watch the matches, for he is sure that these stadiums are made on the blood of the migrant workers. “Watching the matches will be a betrayal of our blood. Every stone and every brick in the stadium is stained with our blood and sweat. And yet, many of us were not paid a single rial. We worked under 55 degrees celsius scorching sun. We went without food for days. We spent nights on the beaches. Yet, the authorities did not find out who among us was paid for work. When we staged protests, they sent police to go after the organisers.”</blockquote>
Written by <a href="https://globalvoices.org/author/rezwan/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by Rezwan">Rezwan</a>]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<media:content url="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Graffiti-400x300.jpg" medium="image" width='270' height='202' /> </item>
<item>
<title>Australia’s World Cup team urges better treatment of migrants and LGBTQ+ individuals in Qatar</title>
<link>https://globalvoices.org/2022/11/19/australias-world-cup-team-urges-better-treatment-of-migrants-and-lgbtq-individuals-in-qatar/</link>
<comments>https://globalvoices.org/2022/11/19/australias-world-cup-team-urges-better-treatment-of-migrants-and-lgbtq-individuals-in-qatar/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Mong Palatino]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sat, 19 Nov 2022 17:53:07 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Australia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[English]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Freedom of Speech]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[International Relations]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Labor]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Middle East & North Africa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Migration & Immigration]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Oceania]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Protest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Qatar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sport]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://globalvoices.org/?p=775659</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Australian football players participating in the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar have released a powerful video highlighting human rights abuses for workers and the LGBTQ+ community in the host country]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<big class='tagline'>Football is also about respect and dignity for all. </big>Originally published on <a href='https://globalvoices.org/2022/11/19/australias-world-cup-team-urges-better-treatment-of-migrants-and-lgbtq-individuals-in-qatar/'>Global Voices</a><div id="attachment_775663" style="width: 799px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevebaty/3616628714/in/album-72157619507582385/"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-775663" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-775663" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Australia-football-team.jpg" alt="Socceroos vs Bahrain. World Cup Qualifier in 2009." width="799" height="533" srcset="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Australia-football-team.jpg 799w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Australia-football-team-400x267.jpg 400w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Australia-football-team-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(width: 799px) 100vw, 799px" /></a>Socceroos vs Bahrain. World Cup Qualifier in 2009. Flickr <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevebaty/3616628714/in/album-72157619507582385/">Photo</a> by Steve Baty. Attribution 2.0 Generic <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(CC BY 2.0)</a></div>
Australia’s football team, the Socceroos, has <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/socceroos-football-australia-speak-out-on-qatar-s-human-rights-record-20221025-p5bsph.html">released</a> a powerful video expressing concern about the plight of migrant workers and LGBTQ+ individuals in Qatar, the host of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup">FIFA World Cup</a> 2022.
The video, released on October 27, featured 16 current and former Australian players. After the publication of the video, Football Australia, , the governing body of football in the country, and Professional Footballers Australia issued separate statements echoing the message of the Socceroos players.
The players said in the video that they consulted various groups and institutions to learn more about the situation of migrant workers in Qatar.
<blockquote>We have learnt that the decision to host the World Cup in Qatar has resulted in the suffering and harm of countless of our fellow workers.
These migrant workers who have suffered are not just numbers – like the migrants that have shaped our country and our football. They possessed the same courage and determination to build a better life.</blockquote>
The full video can be seen in this Twitter post:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A message from the Socceroos. <a href="https://t.co/Sd2R6ej8kK">pic.twitter.com/Sd2R6ej8kK</a>
— Socceroos (@Socceroos) <a href="https://twitter.com/Socceroos/status/1585378130533183488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
There are <a href="https://globalvoices.org/2022/11/14/qatar-refuses-payoffs-to-fifa-world-cup-2022-workers/">reports</a> about a high number of deaths among migrant workers who built the World Cup stadium and other facilities after Qatar was awarded the right to host the games. Reports also showed the unsafe working conditions and exploitative labor practices that exacerbated the suffering of migrant workers.
Aside from championing the rights of workers, the Socceroos players also spoke out against the discriminatory policies of Qatar against the LGBTQ+ community. They made specific appeals addressed to Qatar authorities:
<blockquote>This must include establishing a migrant resource centre, effective remedy for those who have been denied their rights, and the decriminalisation of all same-sex relationships. These are the basic rights that should be afforded to all and will ensure continued progress in Qatar … [and] a legacy that goes well beyond the final whistle of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.</blockquote>
Football Australia <a href="https://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news/statement-football-australia">shared the observation of the players</a> about recent reforms undertaken by Qatar, but also noted the abuses experienced by migrant families and the LGBTQ+ community.
<blockquote>We acknowledge the significant progress and legislative reforms have occurred in Qatar over recent years to recognise and protect the rights of workers, and we encourage all stakeholders to continue this path to reform.
However, we have also learned that the tournament has been associated with suffering for some migrant workers and their families.
As the most multicultural, diverse, and inclusive sport in our country, we believe everyone should be able to feel safe and be their true authentic selves. Whilst we acknowledge the highest levels of assurances given by HH Amir of Qatar and the President of FIFA that LGBTI+ fans will be safely welcomed in Qatar, we hope that this openness can continue beyond the tournament.</blockquote>
Kate Gill and Beau Busch, co-chief executives of the Professional Footballers Australia, <a href="https://pfa.net.au/news/the-world-cup-and-qatar-an-open-letter-from-the-pfa/">recognized the bravery of the players</a> in releasing the video:
<blockquote>The players have spoken today about what they have learned and what they feel is required to deliver a positive legacy.
They know what values define our sport when it is at its best and they know that football’s impact on people should be universally positive.
They also know that when those values are absent, or if football has caused harm, they have a platform to make a stand.
The players recognise that their views may not be universally popular.
Some will believe they have not gone far enough whilst others will call on them to stick to football and stay out of “politics”, despite this being a matter of human rights.
This polarity says much about the courage of the players and also the increasingly fractured nature of the world.</blockquote>
BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63407407">reported</a> that the action of the Socceroos “is one of the most notable demonstrations of criticism made by any of the teams playing at the World Cup.”
Human Rights Watch <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/10/28/australias-fifa-world-cup-team-first-collectively-back-workers-lgbt-rights">affirmed</a> the validity of the statements made by Socceroos:
<blockquote>Players correctly assessed the situation in Qatar, where important reforms have been introduced but require better implementation.
Unprecedented, bold acts of solidarity by both current and former Australian football players have set an important example. FIFA should follow up by announcing it will make right the abuses it has both enabled and will profit from.</blockquote>
In response to the video by Australia’s football team, Qatar’s World Cup organizers said the impact of reforms take time before they are felt. The spokesperson for the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy <a href="https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/sport/qatar-world-cup-organisers-respond-to-socceroos-statement-about-its-human-rights-record-claiming-no-country-is-perfect/news-story/019cd77660eec626c3628dd1a11c3435?amp">told the media</a>:
<blockquote>New laws and reforms often take time to bed in, and robust implementation of labour laws is a global challenge, including in Australia.
No country is perfect and every country – hosts of every major events or not – has its challenges.</blockquote>
FIFA World Cup 2022 opens on November 20. Socceroos’s first game is scheduled for November 23.
Written by <a href="https://globalvoices.org/author/mong/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by Mong Palatino">Mong Palatino</a>]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<media:content url="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Australia-football-team-400x300.jpg" medium="image" width='270' height='202' /> </item>
<item>
<title>Qatar refuses payoffs to FIFA World Cup 2022 workers</title>
<link>https://globalvoices.org/2022/11/14/qatar-refuses-payoffs-to-fifa-world-cup-2022-workers/</link>
<comments>https://globalvoices.org/2022/11/14/qatar-refuses-payoffs-to-fifa-world-cup-2022-workers/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nepali Times]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Nov 2022 08:11:11 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Development]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Economics & Business]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[English]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Human Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[International Relations]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Labor]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Media & Journalism]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Migration & Immigration]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Nepal]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Qatar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[South Asia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sport]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://globalvoices.org/?p=775125</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Three weeks ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022, Qatar’s Labour Minister has rejected calls from human rights groups to compensate migrant workers involved in building stadiums and other infrastructure.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<big class='tagline'>Qatar claimed millions of dollars in unpaid wages were already disbursed</big>Originally published on <a href='https://globalvoices.org/2022/11/14/qatar-refuses-payoffs-to-fifa-world-cup-2022-workers/'>Global Voices</a><div id="attachment_775127" style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/qatar-refuses-payoffs-to-world-cup-stadium-workers/"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-775127" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-featured_image_large wp-image-775127" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Qatar1-800x450.jpg" alt="Image via Nepali Times. Used with permission." width="800" height="450" srcset="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Qatar1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Qatar1-1200x675.jpg 1200w" sizes="(width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a>Image via Nepali Times. Used with permission.</div>
Three weeks ahead of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_FIFA_World_Cup">FIFA World Cup 2022</a>, Qatar’s Labour Minister has <a href="https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/qatar-2022-labour-minister-rejects-the-fifa-led-compensation-proposal-for-migrant-workers-says-it-is-racist/">rejected</a> calls from human rights groups to compensate migrant workers involved in building stadiums and other infrastructure.
A global campaign called #PayUpFIFA was <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/payupfifa-campaign-launched/">launched</a> by <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/11/02/why-qatar-opposing-remedy-fund-migrant-workers">Human Rights Watch (HRW)</a> and other activist groups in May, calling on the international football governing body FIFA to provide an adequate remedy and to avoid the legacy of what they call a “World Cup of Shame.”
But Labour Minister Ali bin Samikh Al Marri <a href="https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/qatar-labour-ministers-dismissal-worker-compensation-campaign-hugely-disappointing">said</a> that this was a “publicity stunt,” accusing Qatar’s critics of “racism.” Al-Marri claimed his country was already handing out hundreds of millions of dollars in <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/pay-qatars-world-cup-workers-2/">unpaid wages</a>.
HRW responded by <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/11/02/why-qatar-opposing-remedy-fund-migrant-workers">saying</a> that, while Qatari authorities have made notable reforms, they were too little too late — mostly after 2018 when much of the work on the stadiums had been finished. It also said the reforms were narrow in scope and weakly enforced, which meant many workers who helped build the World Cup infrastructure <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/08/12/fifa/qatar-commit-compensate-abused-migrant-workers">never benefited</a> from existing reforms and compensation mechanisms.
<div id="attachment_775128" style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/qatar-refuses-payoffs-to-world-cup-stadium-workers/"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-775128" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-featured_image_large wp-image-775128" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/qatar2-800x450.jpg" alt="Labour Minister Ali bin Samikh Al-Marri claimed Qatar was already handing out hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid wages." width="800" height="450" srcset="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/qatar2-800x450.jpg 800w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/qatar2-400x226.jpg 400w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/qatar2-1200x675.jpg 1200w" sizes="(width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a>Labour Minister Ali bin Samikh Al-Marri claimed Qatar was already handing out hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid wages. Image via Nepali Times. Used it with permission.</div>
The most serious, unaddressed harms that have also disproportionately impacted Nepalis over the last decade are the deaths of workers. Under <a href="https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/---ilo_aids/documents/legaldocument/wcms_125871.pdf">Qatari Labour Law</a>, families of workers who die because of work, or workers who sustain work injuries resulting in partial or complete permanent disability from work injuries, are entitled to compensation from their employers. However, deaths and disabilities not considered work-related are not compensated.
But a large majority of deaths of Nepalis in Qatar are attributed to unexplained causes — as Nepali Times has previously reported, “<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/human-rights-referees-blow-whistle-on-world-cup-fouls/">Died in his sleep</a>” (सुत्दा सुत्दै मर्यो) has become a colloquial Nepali term — and the fatalities were attributed to ‘natural causes.’ Mostly, there was nothing natural about them; they were a result of overwork, heat stroke and official apathy.’
But Qatar’s Labour Minister Al Marri in the same interview questioned: “Where are the victims, do you have names of the victims, how can you get these numbers?”
HRW <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/07/11/families-bring-home-migrant-worker-remains-qatar">insists</a> that data on migrant worker deaths exist, showcasing the repatriation process of a dead body from Qatar to Nepal that required complex documentation including the power of attorney or consent from the legal heir, a death certificate, a police report, a medical report, an airway bill, an embalming certificate and a no objection certificate.
In addition, records also exist with the Nepal government that provides support to families from the Migrant Welfare Fund to deliver the bodies of workers with valid permits from Kathmandu airport to their homes. Nepal, therefore, has records on migrant worker abuses that can be leveraged if FIFA or the Qataris were serious about compensation.
Michael Page, the deputy director at Human Rights Watch in the Middle East and North Africa tweeted:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Shameful <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Qatar?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Qatar</a> is rejecting widespread call from fans, NGOs, & footballers for a migrant worker compensation fund. <a href="https://twitter.com/FIFAcom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIFAcom</a> should establish its own fund if it wants any positive legacy for this <a href="https://twitter.com/FIFAWorldCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIFAWorldCup</a> tarnished by abuses. A response <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f9f5.png" alt="🧵" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <a href="https://t.co/SXZofa0qZl">https://t.co/SXZofa0qZl</a> <a href="https://t.co/9I16dPqOdj">pic.twitter.com/9I16dPqOdj</a>
— Michael Page (@MichaelARPage) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelARPage/status/1587806769400668160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
In their latest statements, international human rights organisations are pressing FIFA to act regardless of Qatar’s response as it has both the responsibility and resources to do so. In awarding the 2022 World Cup without imposing any conditions to avoid foreseeable labour rights abuses and subsequently failing to take timely and effective preventive measures, FIFA is accused of contributing to the <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2022/05/fifa-time-to-compensate-migrant-workers-in-qatar/">widespread abuse</a> of migrant workers on World Cup-related projects that followed.
FIFA's response to the remedy fund remains uncertain. At the October 13 Council of Europe hearing on labour rights in Qatar, FIFA Deputy Secretary General Alasdair Bell <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/fifa-open-compensation-fund-migrant-130535117.html">stated</a>: “Compensation is certainly something that we’re interested in progressing.” Such statements have been made several times in the past, without any concrete commitment.
Unlike the Qataris, FIFA has not outrightly refused compensation and is under growing pressure from stakeholders as the tournament approaches. FIFA is accountable to football associations, sponsors, politicians, and fans demanding action.
Last week, the Australian national football team in a powerful video <a href="https://news.sky.com/video/world-cup-2022-australian-mens-football-team-calls-out-qatar-on-human-rights-record-12731181">strongly supported</a> the call for remedy, which has also been backed by seven other national football teams that will be participating in the World Cup. Four sponsors (ABInBev/Budweiser, Adidas, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s) have supported financial compensation.
A recent global <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/09/qatar-global-survey-shows-overwhelming-demand-for-fifa-to-compensate-world-cup-migrant-workers/">opinion poll</a> by Amnesty International shows 67 percenet of the 17,477 respondents in 15 countries also share the view that their national football associations should speak out publicly about the human rights issues associated with the Qatar World Cup, including calling for compensation for migrant workers.
The fund has also been backed by 15 US Congress members, 120 French parliamentarians and former football players like Australia’s Craig Foster who is donating his World Cup broadcasting proceeds to families of migrant workers. Despite the pressure, FIFA has not responded positively.
The rights organisation Human Rights Watch <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/11/07/labour-rights-legacy-fifa-world-cup">points</a> out that FIFA has long contributed to World Cup “legacy funds” to support projects following events. In the past, FIFA has allocated at least USD 260 million for World Cup legacy, including to former hosts <a href="https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/south_african_soccer_receives_100_million_world_cup_legacy_fund/">South Africa</a> (USD 100 million), <a href="https://www.fifa.com/news/legacy-fund-makes-further-strides-in-brazil">Brazil</a> (USD 100 million), and <a href="https://independent.ng/fifa-to-hand-russia-60m-for-world-cup-legacy-fund/">Russia</a> (USD 60 million). They insist that FIFA should also consider the same for Qatar given the documented exploitation of workers and lack of compensation for victims.
<div id="attachment_775132" style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/qatar-refuses-payoffs-to-world-cup-stadium-workers/"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-775132" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-featured_image_large wp-image-775132" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Qatar3-800x450.jpg" alt="Image via Nepali Times. Used with permission." width="800" height="450" srcset="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Qatar3-800x450.jpg 800w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Qatar3-1200x675.jpg 1200w" sizes="(width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a>Image via Nepali Times. Used with permission.</div>
“There’s a clear need for FIFA to establish a compensation fund to salvage the legacy of the approaching World Cup, which has been severely tarnished by abuses,” <a href="https://twitter.com/MinkysHighjinks/status/1587924272399671296">said</a> Minky Worden of Human Rights Watch. “Qatar should not oppose but help ensure the success of such a fund. The problem of establishing a compensation fund has never been about data, but political will.”
The World Cup starts on 20 November in Doha, and it is unlikely that the remedy fund will materialise before then. But a commitment by FIFA to the fund could have far-reaching consequences for families of Nepali migrant workers who lost their lives to make the tournament possible.
Written by <a href="https://globalvoices.org/author/nepalitimes/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by Nepali Times">Nepali Times</a>]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<media:content url="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Qatar1-400x300.jpg" medium="image" width='270' height='202' /> </item>
<item>
<title>Opening of shipping routes from Ukraine will not abate commodity and food pressure on the Middle East and North Africa</title>
<link>https://globalvoices.org/2022/08/14/opening-of-shipping-routes-from-ukraine-will-not-abate-commodity-and-food-pressure-on-the-middle-east-and-north-africa/</link>
<comments>https://globalvoices.org/2022/08/14/opening-of-shipping-routes-from-ukraine-will-not-abate-commodity-and-food-pressure-on-the-middle-east-and-north-africa/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Global Voices Central & Eastern Europe]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 14 Aug 2022 16:47:35 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Algeria]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Bahrain]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Development]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Disaster]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Economics & Business]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Egypt]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Iran]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Israel]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Jordan]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Kuwait]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Lebanon]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Libya]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Middle East & North Africa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Morocco]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Oman]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Palestine]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Qatar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Russia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Saudi Arabia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Syria]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Tunisia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Ukraine]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[United Arab Emirates]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[War & Conflict]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Yemen]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://globalvoices.org/?p=769117</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Despite the opening up of shipping routs for grain exports from Ukraine, persistent challenges from the war will continue to exacerbate pressures on the Middle East and North Africa]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<big class='tagline'>Low harvests, destroyed equipment, occupied lands threaten global food supply</big>Originally published on <a href='https://globalvoices.org/2022/08/14/opening-of-shipping-routes-from-ukraine-will-not-abate-commodity-and-food-pressure-on-the-middle-east-and-north-africa/'>Global Voices</a><div id="attachment_769118" style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-769118" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-769118 size-featured_image_large" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Grain-800x450.jpeg" alt="" width="800" height="450" />“<a href="https://wordpress.org/openverse/image/794f58c8-f419-4dbf-b442-9e4958dd7dfd">A Crop Of Grain</a>” by Ian Sane licensed under <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse">CC BY 2.0.</a></div>
Russia and Ukraine are two of the most essential pillars of the global food trade, producing <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/24/business/ukraine-russia-wheat-prices.html">25 percent of the global wheat supply</a>. More than 160 days after Russia invaded Ukraine, food, commodity, and energy shortages have plunged many economies across the world into recessions, particularly in the Middle East, where some countries are among the world’s largest importers of these commodities.
On average, Ukraine harvested <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/31/ukraines-harvest-could-be-halved-this-year-due-to-russian-invasion-warns-zelenskiy">80 million metric tons of grain</a> annually (wheat, corn, barley). This is enough to feed 200 million people for a year. The Russian invasion has reduced the harvest to <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/continents/the-middle-east-population">less than half</a> of its grain capacity. The naval blockade of the Black Sea has meant that much of Ukraine’s grain could not leave the port. In March, food prices reached a 10-year high and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/07/un-hunger-crisis-ukraine-russia-blockade">the United Nations warned of multiple famines</a> within the next year.
After months of negotiations, on August 1, a ship carrying 26,000 tons of grain left the port of Odessa; the first ship to do so since the start of the war. The agreement reached on July 22 in Istanbul between Ukraine and Russia guarantees continuous passage of grain out of Ukraine. This especially a good sign for countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa, where many states import more than 80 percent of their national grain supply from Ukraine, and are most vulnerable to rising food prices.
But free shipping routes will not abate the growing food crisis. Russian destruction of farmland and heavy machinery has <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-14/ukraine-s-farm-industry-has-lost-4-3-billion-from-war-damage">caused more than USD 4.3 billion</a> in damages to the agricultural industry. More than 6 million poultry birds have died and half a billion USD worth of grain has been stolen. Some estimate <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/05/06/1096481280/ukraine-agriculture-farms-russia-war">more than half of Ukraine’s operable farmland is under occupation</a>.
In a video interview with Global Voices, David Rundell, a thirty-year diplomat to the Middle East and author of “Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads,” explained the distributed impact of the war on countries across the region: “There is very little interest across the Middle East for getting in the middle of a fight they don’t believe is theirs. There is much more concern about what impact the war will have on political stability. Many nations are seeing what happened in Sri Lanka and are concerned that similar events will transpire in their own neighborhood.”
This analysis is in line with broad attitude surveys across the Middle East and North Africa. In an <a href="https://www.arabnews.com/node/2092891/middle-east">Arab News-YouGov poll of the region</a>, 66 percent of respondents had no stance on the war, 18 percent supported Ukraine and 16 percent supported Russia 
Rundell emphasized the outsized impact of commodity shortages on the region: “many countries across the region are very sensitive to the price of wheat, sunflower seed oil, and petroleum. All of these have been adversely affected by shortages or rising global prices. At the moment, the various governments are trying to maintain the subsidies that they have and it is leading to huge budget deficits.” 
Nearly every country in the region is hard hit by the war.
The war has inflicted unprecedented inflation shocks on the Egyptian economy. There is <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/2022/05/15/egypts-pm-details-effect-of-russia-ukraine-war-on-economy/">almost no tourism from Ukraine and Russia</a>, which normally account for 30 percent of Egypt’s incoming visitors. The manufacturing and construction industries have been most affected <a href="https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/04/egyptian-economy-experiences-sharp-fall-ukraine-war">due to energy and material prices </a>increases. Egypt, which gets 80 percent of its wheat from Ukraine and Russia, has been <a href="https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/04/egyptian-economy-experiences-sharp-fall-ukraine-war">forced to look to other countries for grain imports</a>, and the cost of bread has <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/2022/05/15/egypts-pm-details-effect-of-russia-ukraine-war-on-economy/">increased by 50 percent</a> since the start of the war. As a result, the Suez Canal <a href="https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/04/egyptian-economy-experiences-sharp-fall-ukraine-war">raised toll fees</a> and the central bank<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/2022/05/15/egypts-pm-details-effect-of-russia-ukraine-war-on-economy/"> devalued the currency</a> by 14 percent to support the struggling economy.
Food insecurity is expected to become even more acute in Yemen, which imports 40 percent of its wheat from Ukraine and Russia. The humanitarian crisis in the country that began with the civil war in 2015 is <a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/impact-russian-ukrainian-war-yemen#:~:text=The%20repercussions%20of%20the%20Ukrainian,been%20going%20on%20since%202015.">expected to significantly exacerbate</a>. Wheat prices have risen by 35 percent since the start of the war, and at certain times, the grain has completely <a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/impact-russian-ukrainian-war-yemen#:~:text=The%20repercussions%20of%20the%20Ukrainian,been%20going%20on%20since%202015.">disappeared from the markets</a>.
Libya <a href="https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/war-food/">imports 90 percent of its wheat</a> from Ukraine and Russia. Across the board, prices of bread, rice, and couscous have <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/libya/program-updates/may-2022-analyzing-impacts-russia-war-in-ukraine-libyan-economy">risen more than 30 percent</a>. The war has <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/libya/program-updates/may-2022-analyzing-impacts-russia-war-in-ukraine-libyan-economy">added more than a percentage point to the country’s inflation pressures</a>, bringing the overall rate to 9 percent.
Algeria is the most insulated from adverse impacts of the war. The country imports 3 percent of its wheat from Ukraine and Russia, and domestic supplies are <a href="https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/war-food/">sufficient to outlast shortages</a> until the end of 2023. 
Tunisia imports approximately <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-ukraine-russia-wheat-north-africa">54 percent of its wheat from Ukraine</a> and Russia. The country already owes USD 300 billion to Ukrainian wheat exporters. The <a href="https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/07/far-front-tunisia-suffers-because-ukraine-war">worsening economic outlook, rising inflation, skyrocketing food prices, and a water crisis</a> all have the potential to significantly destabilize the nation further.
More than <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/the-war-in-ukraine-is-driving-hunger-in-lebanon/a-61594594#:~:text=After%20years%20of%20political%20and,from%20Ukraine%20and%20Russia%20dwindle.&text=Normally%2C%20breaking%20fast%20is%20a,the%20holy%20month%20of%20Ramadan.">80 percent of Lebanon’s wheat</a> comes from Ukraine and Russia. The United Nations has <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/07/1121812">reported</a> that the “number of people in urgent need of support has risen by 46 percent.” The country’s economy is <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/07/1121812">expected to contract by 6 percent </a>in 2022, after double-digit declines in 2021 and 2020. The food shortages and rising energy prices have placed <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/07/1121812">deeper pressure</a> on Lebanon’s 2.2 million vulnerable citizens, 200,000 Palestinian refugees, and 1.5 million Syrian <a href="https://globalvoices.org/2022/08/09/two-years-on-syrians-injured-in-beirut-port-blast-drown-in-neglect-medical-debt/">refugees</a>. Hospitals are <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/07/1121812">suffering</a> from staff, medical supply, and energy shortages. The country has faced four successive crises in 2 years: economic recession, COVID-19 pandemic, the port of Beirut explosion, and now the war in Ukraine. Now, more than 80 percent of the population<a href="https://www.dw.com/en/the-war-in-ukraine-is-driving-hunger-in-lebanon/a-61594594#:~:text=After%20years%20of%20political%20and,from%20Ukraine%20and%20Russia%20dwindle.&text=Normally%2C%20breaking%20fast%20is%20a,the%20holy%20month%20of%20Ramadan."> lives below the poverty line</a>.
On July 19, Vladimir Putin visited Tehran as a sign of <a href="https://www.mei.edu/events/war-ukraine-and-its-impact-russia-iran-relations">continuing stability in Russian–Iran relations</a>. Now that both states are constrained by crippling global sanctions, both are competing for oil markets in Asia. The president of Iran’s Oil and Gas Exporters’ Union <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iran-russia-ukraine-no-benefit-from-war-undercut-oil-steel">announced </a>that sales to China had fallen by 34 percent since May. Similar pressures are impacting Iran’s USD 6 billion steel market. Russia remains a key signatory of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on limiting Iran’s nuclear proliferation; in March, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov demanded that the United States ensure<a href="https://carnegieendowment.org/sada/87457"> certain trade guarantees</a> or it would refuse to support the deal.
The Iraqi government has <a href="https://www.mei.edu/publications/what-does-russias-war-ukraine-mean-iraq">refrained from taking a stance on the conflict,</a> voting on an Arab League statement that did not assign blame to Russia and abstaining from the UN condemnation of Russian aggression. Russia has more than USD 14 billion <a href="https://www.mei.edu/publications/what-does-russias-war-ukraine-mean-iraq">invested in Iraqi oil and gas sectors</a>, and Iraq <a href="https://www.mei.edu/publications/what-does-russias-war-ukraine-mean-iraq">purchases billions of Russian weapons annually</a>. Iraq does not purchase Russian or Ukrainian agricultural products, but the nation imports 50 percent of all food and has <a href="https://www.mei.edu/publications/what-does-russias-war-ukraine-mean-iraq">been adversely affected by rising food prices</a>. On June 8, the <a href="https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/06/iraqi-parliament-passes-urgent-food-security-bill#ixzz7azZCoBAo">Iraqi parliament passed the “Emergency Law for Food Security and Development,”</a> expanding existing subsidies for food and energy by an additional IQD 25 trillion (about USD 17 billion).
Approximately 90 percent of the West Bank and Gaza’s food supply is imported. <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/04/28/palestine-humanitarian-food-economic-crisis-ukraine-war/">More than a third </a>of the national reliance is on Ukrainian wheat. A manager of a flour mill in Gaza <a href="https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/food-insecurity-in-palestine-and-the-russia-ukraine-war-the-worst-is-yet-to-come/">noted</a>, that the primary cause of rising food prices “…is the Russian–Ukraine war. We had stores for two to three months, but when they ran out we were obliged to buy wheat at new prices, and it was very high.” Lack of effective agricultural infrastructure, control over irrigation resources, and a financial crisis<a href="https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/food-insecurity-in-palestine-and-the-russia-ukraine-war-the-worst-is-yet-to-come/"> is likely to exacerbate the pressure on food supplies</a>.
The government of Israel has been<a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/israel-wont-stick-out-its-neck-for-ukraine-its-because-of-russia/"> hesitant to support Ukraine unequivocally</a>. Russia’s presence in Syria and Iran — both existential threats to the nation — has <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/israel-wont-stick-out-its-neck-for-ukraine-its-because-of-russia/">drawn Israel closer to Moscow.</a> As a result, Israel has not provided Ukraine with military aid or joined in Western sanctions against Russia. A<a href="https://www.cfr.org/article/why-israel-has-been-slow-support-ukraine"> large majority of Israelis support Ukrainians in the war</a>.
The rise in energy prices has been <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/uncategorized/the-arab-world-and-the-ukraine-conflict-the-quest-for-nonalignment/?mkt_tok=ODEzLVhZVS00MjIAAAGGCP3gmXIMc9DFrATjYAymBQa1CIav1THup1RueeyUynx9crJCq9tJqOZiNyIjj1Kv3Lb6R6ZA9WVqupk9d0bq6sgs8JFVZdjHpbWu-VY">a financial bonanza</a> for oil-exporting countries throughout the Gulf. A significant portion of the income has been directed to food security ministries and projects. Western solidarity in opposition to the war <a href="https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/07/18/uara-j18.html">has been met with cool responses throughout the region</a>, which maintains close alliance with both Russia and China. In a meeting with all the Gulf sheikdoms in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Biden <a href="https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/07/18/uara-j18.html">noted</a> “We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia or Iran, and we’ll seek to build on this moment with active, principled American leadership.”
Rundell concludes, “the inevitable result of collapsing economies and political unrest in the Middle East and Africa will be massive, illegal migration into Europe on a scale far greater than the previous war-related emigration from Syria and Libya. Preventing that outcome will require immediate, large scale, well coordinated, multinational action. It will require far more than a token increase in foreign aid that will merely bid up the price of existing wheat supplies.”
<div></div>
<hr />
<div id="attachment_760042" class="wp-caption alignleft">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-760042" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/image2-800x450.png" alt="" width="800" height="450" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-760042" />
Image courtesy of Giovana Fleck.
</div>
<h3>For more information about this topic, see our special coverage <a href="https://globalvoices.org/special/russia-invades-ukraine/">Russia invades Ukraine</a>.</h3>
 
 
 
 
Written by <a href="https://globalvoices.org/author/cee/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by Global Voices Central & Eastern Europe">Global Voices Central & Eastern Europe</a>]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<media:content url="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Grain-400x300.jpeg" medium="image" width='270' height='202' /> </item>
<item>
<title>World Cup theme songs through the ages</title>
<link>https://globalvoices.org/2022/07/27/world-cup-theme-songs-through-the-ages/</link>
<comments>https://globalvoices.org/2022/07/27/world-cup-theme-songs-through-the-ages/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Richard Wanjohi]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Jul 2022 12:53:12 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Caribbean]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[East Asia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[English]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[French]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[German]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Italian]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Latin America]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Middle East & North Africa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Qatar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[South Korea]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Spanish]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sport]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sub-Saharan Africa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Western Europe]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://globalvoices.org/?p=766978</guid>
<description><![CDATA[World Cup Theme Songs: A Sneak Peek into the Past to the Present]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<big class='tagline'>These songs have been sources of national pride and politicization</big>Originally published on <a href='https://globalvoices.org/2022/07/27/world-cup-theme-songs-through-the-ages/'>Global Voices</a><div id="attachment_767738" style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-767738" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-767738 size-large" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/France_champion_of_the_Football_World_Cup_Russia_2018-800x494.jpg" alt=""File:France champion of the Football World Cup Russia 2018.jpg" by Russian Presidential Press and Information Office is licensed under CC BY 4.0." width="800" height="494" srcset="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/France_champion_of_the_Football_World_Cup_Russia_2018-800x494.jpg 800w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/France_champion_of_the_Football_World_Cup_Russia_2018-400x247.jpg 400w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/France_champion_of_the_Football_World_Cup_Russia_2018-768x474.jpg 768w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/France_champion_of_the_Football_World_Cup_Russia_2018-1536x948.jpg 1536w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/France_champion_of_the_Football_World_Cup_Russia_2018.jpg 1880w" sizes="(width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />“<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70886381" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">File:France champion of the Football World Cup Russia 2018.jpg</a>” by Russian Presidential Press and Information Office is licensed under <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0?ref=openverse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CC BY 4.0</a>.</div>
The World Cup will kick off<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_FIFA_World_Cup"> in Qatar</a> in November 2022, which means the official World <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_FIFA_World_Cup_anthems_and_songs">Cup anthem</a> will soon be introduced. The <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2014/06/a-history-of-world-cup-anthems-from-officially-sanctioned-garbage-to-grassroots-hits/372261/">organizing committee</a> first established the theme song tradition during the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile, when organizers used songs and anthems to generate interest ahead of the games. Sixty years on, this tradition has caught on and is often one of the main highlights before the tournament. The has historically offered a platform for already established top musicians as well as emerging artists.
Whereas some anthems became instant hits, capturing the imagination of sports fans and laypeople alike, there are also those that were a total miss. This list features some ‌of the top anthems since 1962.
Hayya Hayya (Better Together) – Trinidad Cardona, Davido, and Aisha (2022)
FIFA released the most recent theme song in April 2022 for the Qatar games. It already has over 14 million hits on YouTube, signifying it might be one for the charts. The choice of artists also may have informed the popularity of the song‌. Various bandmates bring together voices from the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East. Trinidad Cardon is an African-American/Mexican R&B musician, Davido is a Nigerian musician who blends local and English languages, and AISHA who has Arabic roots. <a href="https://thesportsgrail.com/fifa-qatar-world-cup-2022-official-theme-song-hayya-hayya-better-together-artists-lyrics-meaning-download/">FIFA Chief Commercial Officer Kay Madati</a> commented on the multicultural roots of the song, saying, “This song symbolizes how music and football can connect the world.”
The lyrics express a bright outlook on the future that is both hopeful and cheerful.
<blockquote>Life can be up and down, but what can you do? Eh 
We navigate through all the rough and the smooth, yeah 
We got that rock and roll, that rhythm and blues, yeah-yeah 
I'm never blue if I am rockin’ with you, oh-oh…
I promise, I promise, I promise you now 
Gonna be, gonna be sticking around 
Every tomorrow, no matter what goes down</blockquote>
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Hayya Hayya (Better Together) | FIFA World Cup 2022™ Official Soundtrack" width="650" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vyDjFVZgJoo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
It has drawn reactions from audiences across the world going by some of the Twitter comments;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I'm not here to bant no one. I'm only here to hype Davido. Fifa featuring him in the 2022 world cup theme song was a win for him, his fans, Nigeria and Africa. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThankyouDavido?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThankyouDavido</a>
— J Ndubueze Ejiofor<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f30d.png" alt="🌍" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> (@joeejio4) <a href="https://twitter.com/joeejio4/status/1510843852080431108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Basketmouth has hailed Davido for singlehandedly taking Nigeria to the World Cup via his feature on the theme song for Qatar 2022 <a href="https://t.co/ewvUUEoxDW">pic.twitter.com/ewvUUEoxDW</a>
— Naija (@Naija_PR) <a href="https://twitter.com/Naija_PR/status/1510678059590033411?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
As the tournament draws closer, it is bound to be on heavy rotation. It is, however, still too early to tell how it will perform on the charts.
Here are some other hits and misses from over the years.
<h3>Hits</h3>
El Rock del Mundial – Los Ramblers (1962)
<iframe loading="lazy" title="THE RAMBLERS - EL ROCK DEL MUNDIAL (HD)" width="650" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e_yafwjcf-w?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The first World Cup song was sung during the Chilean games in 1962, “El Rock del Mundial” (“The Rock of the World Cup”), composed by Los Ramblers and produced by Jorge Rojas Astorga. The song became a major hit in South America, selling over<a href="https://second.wiki/wiki/el_rock_del_mundial"> 2 million copies</a>. They released it as a single a few weeks after the start of the 1962 World Cup, and the group went on a national tour buttressing the success of the song. It established the tradition which has seen a raft of songs become hits, springboarding countless musicians onto the global scene.
El Mundial – Buenos Aires Musical Symphony, composed by Ennio Morricone (1978)
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Ennio Morricone - El Mundial (World Cup Theme)" width="650" height="488" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hCQdUFhc1P8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
In 1978, Argentina hosted the World Cup under controversial circumstances of a military regime that sought to use hosting the event to assuage its citizens — a practice known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportswashing">sportswashing</a>. Perhaps too, this informed the choice of the song El Mundial (translated to The World Cup) performed by the capital city’s symphony Buenos Aires Musical and composed by legendary Italian composed Ennio Morricone.
It may have inspired the country to play at its best as Argentina emerged winners after a well-fought final with the favored Netherlands, ending in a 3–1 for the home team.
La Copa De La Vida – Ricky Martin (1998)
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Ricky Martin - La Copa de la Vida (Video (Spanish) (Remastered))" width="650" height="488" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8BkYKwHLXiU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
In 1998, they hosted the World Cup in France. Ricky Martin recorded the theme song titled La Copa De La Vida (The Cup of Life). A catchy, energetic, and fun song, it had everything fans wanted in a World Cup theme song. It also helped him transition to international success, and he was invited to perform at the Grammys in the same year, earning a standing ovation.
Waka Waka – This Time for Africa – Shakira and Freshly Ground (2010)
<div style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://api.openverse.engineering/v1/images/95f4eff2-f3f2-4635-b84e-fe09e1ba92ef/thumb/" alt="2010 World Cup opening ceremony" width="600" height="450" />“2010 World Cup opening ceremony” by Shine 2010 – 2010 World Cup good news is licensed under CC BY 2.0.</div>
In its Africa debut, it hosted the 2010 World Cup tournament in South Africa. Organizers decided this year's theme song needed to have wide appeal not just across the world but also in the “motherland.” 
The choice of the song and artist was controversial as critics felt that Shakira did not represent the South African audience, and so to ease off the blow, local act Freshly Ground was incorporated in the final version of the song. 
The song’s title was a rendition of a famous Cameroonian group, Golden Sound, titled Zamina mina <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zamina_mina_(Zangal%C3%A9wa)">Zangalewa</a>. The song had been a hit in 1986 (coincidentally a World Cup year…), released by a group of musicians who were former army men looking to poke some fun into their careers and as a rallying call, too.
The song achieved critical success charting at number 38 on the Billboards charts and going platinum. It has also continually received high viewership online on the YouTube channel and sold over 10 million units between 201 and 014. 
<h3>Misses:</h3>
World Cup Willie – Where in This World Are We Going? (1966)
<iframe loading="lazy" title="World Cup Willy = 1966 World Cup Song." width="650" height="488" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vn1ocjcD-ZE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
With England getting to host the World Cup for the first time, they left it to Lonnie Donnegun to craft a song to welcome the global audience to the home of the game. Perhaps that history was lost on the composer, or perhaps the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/20/newsid_2861000/2861545.stm">initial theft (and recovery)</a> of the original version of the trophy inspired little.
The song was an <a href="https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/world-cup-willie-story-1966-mascot">ode to the mascot Willie</a> — a first for the World Cup, featuring an old lion dressed in the English or British flag. It would become a mainstay of subsequent tournaments to have a mascot, opening the door for merchandising opportunities.
Interestingly, though, the English team won the Cup, and it has remained its only win to date.
Un’Estate Italiana (To Be Number One) – Giorgio Moroder Project (1990)
<iframe loading="lazy" title="To Be Number One ; Un'estate italiana; Live bei der WM-Eröffnung 1990" width="650" height="488" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HdSyJz5fwQE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The song for the 1990 Italian World Cup was composed by Italian artists Eduardo Bennato and Gianni Nannini, and featured the Giorgio Moroder project, an English musical group. With its mellow tones, it did not quite resonate on local and global music charts.
We Are One (Ole Ola) by Pitbull featuring Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte (2014)
<div style="width: 2528px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/The_opening_ceremony_of_the_FIFA_World_Cup_2014_36.jpg" alt="File:The opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2014 36.jpg" width="2528" height="2431" />The opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2014 36.jpg” by Danilo Borges/Portal da Copa is licensed under CC BY 3.0.</div>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGtWWb9emYI">The 2014 Brazil games song</a> featured not one but three musicians, with Latino musicians <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/pitbulls-fifa-world-cup-song-a-collab-with-jennifer-lopez-5877900/">Pitbull featuring Jennifer Lopez and Brazillian singer Claudia Leitte</a>. Just like the Waka Waka song by Shakira, some critics accused the song composers of ignoring local acts in favor of more star-studded names. Some Brazilians also felt like the song did not have a “Brazilian feeling.” Luis Antonio Giron of Epoca said that “Brazil only craves to be the same as what FIFA wants it to be. Brazil is fifalized.” Other critics questioned why Pitbull, who’s Cuban-American, and Jennifer Lopez, who is Bronx-born but with roots from Puerto Rica, were chosen.
Despite the criticism, <a href="https://olodum.com.br/">Olodum</a>, an Afro-Brazilian group that played the drums during the live performance, added a more authentic Brazilian feel to the song. It did score commercial success, especially in parts of Europe. 
<h3>Special Mentions:</h3>
World In Motion – New Order (1990)
<iframe loading="lazy" title="New Order - World In Motion (Official Music Video) [HD Upgrade]" width="650" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Re4aDJL3heA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Though this song was not an official World Cup song, they sang it for the English national football team in the 1990s World Cup campaign. It went straight to the top of the charts and featured a guest rap section by English footballer John Barnes, which became an iconic piece of football culture. Here are the sample lyrics:
<blockquote>You've got to hold and give,
But do it at the right time,
You can be slow or fast,
But you must get to the line,
They'll always hit you and hurt you,
Defend and attack…</blockquote>
Rise Up – Reggae Boyz (1998)
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Jamaica - Rise Up!" width="650" height="488" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9BkEcjYQJoE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
In 1998, Jamaica made history by qualifying as the first English-speaking country from the Caribbean islands. As would be expected, the country’s chief export, their music, specifically the reggae industry, dedicated a song to the national team. Diana King, Ziggy Marley, Ini Kamoze Shaggy, Maxi Priest, Buju Banton, and Roots, among other reggae artists, gave the boys a warm send-off. 
<div style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/22/26451583_7f7ab13bbf_b.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" />The Jamaican national football team – “Guessed right (or left, as the case may be)” by rcolonna is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.</div>
Wavin’ Flag – K’Naan (2010)
Many fans mistakenly thought this song was the official theme song for the 2010 World Cup.
The song by Somali-Canadian musician K’Naan was <a href="https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/2012/09/27/the_story_behind_knaans_wavin_flag.html">originally about the freedom and aspirations of the Somali people</a>. After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, a collection of Canadian musicians together known as Young Artists redid it for a charity single dedicated to Haiti. It immediately reached number one on the Canadian Hot 100.
Here’s a playlist of all the World Cup anthems and honorary mentions:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Spotify Embed: World Cup anthems" style="border-radius: 12px" width="100%" height="380" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/5bFD9Feu7ZPkLyMQehD6i8?si=6d31aa563a624f96&utm_source=oembed"></iframe>
Written by <a href="https://globalvoices.org/author/richard-wanjohi/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by Richard Wanjohi">Richard Wanjohi</a>]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<media:content url="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/France_champion_of_the_Football_World_Cup_Russia_2018-400x300.jpg" medium="image" width='270' height='202' /> </item>
<item>
<title>Where is Qatari human rights defender Noof Al-Maadeed?</title>
<link>https://globalvoices.org/2021/12/29/where-is-qatari-human-rights-defender-noof-al-maadeed/</link>
<comments>https://globalvoices.org/2021/12/29/where-is-qatari-human-rights-defender-noof-al-maadeed/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gulf Center for Human Rights]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 29 Dec 2021 19:28:57 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[English]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Freedom of Speech]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Human Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[LANGUAGES]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Middle East & North Africa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Qatar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[The Bridge]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[TOPICS]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Women & Gender]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://globalvoices.org/?p=752966</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Having fled to Britain to protect herself from her father, the 23-year-old returned to Doha after receiving reassurances from Qatari authorities that she'd be protected. Days later, she disappeared.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<big class='tagline'>The 23-year-old faced grave risk to her life from her family</big>Originally published on <a href='https://globalvoices.org/2021/12/29/where-is-qatari-human-rights-defender-noof-al-maadeed/'>Global Voices</a><div id="attachment_753426" style="width: 916px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-753426" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-753426 size-full" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Noof-Al-Maadeed-Qatar.jpg" alt="" width="916" height="634" srcset="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Noof-Al-Maadeed-Qatar.jpg 916w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Noof-Al-Maadeed-Qatar-400x277.jpg 400w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Noof-Al-Maadeed-Qatar-800x554.jpg 800w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Noof-Al-Maadeed-Qatar-768x532.jpg 768w" sizes="(width: 916px) 100vw, 916px" />A screenshot of Noof Al-Maadeed from her YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0z87dJFrtY">video</a> entitled عودة #نوف_المعاضيد الى قطر ٢٠٢١ (The Return of #Noof_AlMaadeed to Qatar 2021), posted on October 6, 2021</div>
This post was written by <a href="https://twitter.com/khalidibrahim12">Khalid Ibrahim</a>, executive director of the <a href="http://www.gc4hr.org/">Gulf Center for Human Rights</a> (GCHR), an independent, non-profit organisation that promotes freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly in the MENA region.
Noof Al-Maadeed, is a 23-year-old Qatari woman, full of ambition and high hopes. When she faced domestic violence from members of her family, including her father, and government institutions failed to provide her with any protection, she fled her country to Britain after using her father's phone without his knowledge to obtain permission to travel. In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiwphTZvRQA">television interview</a> on August 4, 2020, she spoke of her November 26, 2019 escape from Qatar to Britain, via Ukraine.
Upon arriving in Britain, she applied for asylum. During her stay in Britain, Al-Maadeed introduced herself as a defender of Qatari women’s rights and explained how male guardianship prevents women from working or traveling without a male family member's consent, as well as how women victims of domestic violence are left with little protection.
Al-Maadeed withdrew her application for asylum in Britain after receiving assurances from the Qatari authorities that she would be protected if she returned to her home country. On October 6, this year, Al-Maadeed posted on her Instagram account a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUsAz7Rj_pQ/">video</a> in which she explained the details of her return from London on September 30 to the capital, Doha, where she arrived the following day.
What happened next is incomprehensible. Qatari authorities, who pledged to protect her, as it should with to all citizens, reneged on all their promises and left her alone trying to survive domestic abuse.
In a <a href="https://twitter.com/noofalmaadeed/status/1447939179250335754">video</a> posted on <a href="https://twitter.com/noofalmaadeed">her Twitter account</a> on October 12, Al-Maadeed said that she had been subjected to three failed assassination attempts by her family. She also described her father's coming into the lobby of the hotel where she was staying, despite being one of her main opponents and the reason for her running away from home. Perhaps the following tweet, dated October 12, honestly sums up the torments she suffered upon her return:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
اهلي و الناس الي يصيرون لي يبون يذبحوني.
— نوف المعاضيد (@noofalmaadeed) <a href="https://twitter.com/noofalmaadeed/status/1447910959901728773?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="translation">My family, and those who I count as my own, want to slaughter me.</blockquote>
Shortly thereafter, she posted the following <a href="https://twitter.com/noofalmaadeed/status/1447939179250335754?s=20">tweet</a>:
“Sheikh Tamim is the only one who can stop the danger to my life with his own hands.”
On October 13, Al-Maadeed completely disappeared from social media, and her whereabouts have not yet been known. The Emir of Qatar, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamim_bin_Hamad_Al_Thani">Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad</a>, on whom Al-Maadeed relied for protection and pleaded for support, was not able to provide the necessary protection for a citizen who did not commit any violation and voluntarily returned to her country based on many promises from the authorities that they'll keep her safe.
Since her disappearance, there have been conflicting reports, with regards to what has happened to the 23-year-old. According to some reports, Al-Maadeed was <a href="https://www.gc4hr.org/news/view/2904">killed</a> by her family, while others reported her forcible <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/qatari-women-s-rights-activist-noof-al-maadeed-being-held-against-her-will-in-psychiatric-hospital-7jbhjp6s3">detention</a> in a psychiatric hospital under heavy sedation, Meanwhile, the Qatari government refuses to provide documented information to prove that she is alive, which raises many suspicions.
The Gulf Center for Human Rights cannot confirm any of the above-mentioned reports but holds the authorities, who have pledged but failed to protect Noof Al-Maadeed, responsible for any harm done to her. At present, all information indicates that Al-Maadeed is facing serious risk to her life and freedom. If not killed, then it is a fact that she may be facing a lengthy incommunicado detention, which puts her life at imminent risk.
The GCHR, once again calls on the international community, particularly UN institutions, and governments with influence in Qatar—including members of the European Union—to take immediate action to pressure the Qatari authorities to ensure that Al-Maadeed is safe and can live freely in Qatar.
The government of Qatar cannot continue to ignore international opinion that is searching for the truth, and its absolute silence will be a sure condemnation, as it bears full responsibility for preserving the safety of its citizens, including Nouf Al-Maadeed.
Written by <a href="https://globalvoices.org/author/gulf-center-for-human-rights/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by Gulf Center for Human Rights">Gulf Center for Human Rights</a>]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<media:content url="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Noof-Al-Maadeed-Qatar-400x300.jpg" medium="image" width='270' height='202' /> </item>
<item>
<title>Qatar urged to release 21 detainees held for protesting ‘discriminatory’ election laws</title>
<link>https://globalvoices.org/2021/09/30/qatar-is-urged-to-release-21-detainees-held-for-protesting-discriminatory-election-laws/</link>
<comments>https://globalvoices.org/2021/09/30/qatar-is-urged-to-release-21-detainees-held-for-protesting-discriminatory-election-laws/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gulf Center for Human Rights]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 30 Sep 2021 13:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Censorship]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Citizen Media]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Elections]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Freedom of Speech]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Human Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Middle East & North Africa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Protest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Qatar]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://globalvoices.org/?p=747243</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The laws, ratified by the Qatari ruler to regulate the upcoming vote, bars citizens who are classified as "naturalized" rather than "native" from running in elections, voting, or both.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<big class='tagline'>First Shura elections spark controversy</big>Originally published on <a href='https://globalvoices.org/2021/09/30/qatar-is-urged-to-release-21-detainees-held-for-protesting-discriminatory-election-laws/'>Global Voices</a><div id="attachment_747285" style="width: 714px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-747285" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-featured_image_large wp-image-747285" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Qatar2-714x450.jpg" alt="" width="714" height="450" />Hazzaa Almurra PhD, is one of the detainees, and has spearheaded the mobilization for the protests against the electoral laws and what he described as the “incomplete citizenship” he and his kinsmen hold. He appeared in a video challenging Qatar's Emir, and pledging to protest discrimination till the last breath. Screenshot from video published in this <a href="https://twitter.com/EremNews/status/1425032603502104587">tweet</a>.</div>
This post was published on 19 September by the <a href="http://www.gc4hr.org/">Gulf Center for Human Rights</a> (GCHR), an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly in the MENA region. An edited version is republished as per a republishing agreement.
The London-based Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) called on Qatari authorities to release 21 citizens who were detained earlier this month for peacefully protesting recently-issued laws that regulate the state's first legislative elections.
In a statement published on September 19, GCHR urged the Qatari government “to immediately release all detainees in connection with the recent peaceful protests, and to protect public freedoms, especially freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly.”
The group also called on Doha to amend three laws that regulate Qatar's first-ever Shura Council elections.
On July 29, the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, ratified <a href="https://al-sharq.com/article/29/07/2021/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82-%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%B1-%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%86%D8%B8%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D9%85%D8%AC%D9%84%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%89">Law No. (6) of 2021</a> that governs procedures for the Shura Council elections due to be held in October, in which two-thirds of the 54-seat assembly are to be elected for the first time. The emir also ratified <a href="https://twitter.com/al_watanQatar/status/1420670870272593920/photo/2">Law No. (7) of 2021</a> which details the formation of the council and its jurisdictions. Furthermore, the emir issued <a href="https://www.diwan.gov.qa/briefing-room/news/general/lg/2021/july/29/lg02">Decree No. (37) of 2021</a> defining the 30 electoral districts of the Shura Council, from which one member is to be elected for each electoral district.
The two laws and the associated decree are seen by <a href="https://www.gc4hr.org/news/view/2809">GCHR</a>, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) and others to <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/09/09/qatar-election-law-exposes-discriminatory-citizenship">establish</a> blatant discrimination between Qatari citizens, denying a large group of them the right to run for office or the right to vote, or both, and completely marginalising other groups in society.
According to a <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/09/09/qatar-election-law-exposes-discriminatory-citizenship">report</a> issued by HRW on September 9, the new electoral regime bars Qataris who are classified as “naturalized” rather than “native” under the country’s controversial 2005 nationality law from running as candidates and prohibits them from voting.
Unprecedented popular protests
The ratification of these laws triggered rare protests in Qatar, by mostly members of Al-Murra tribe, one of Qatar's largest tribes, whose members are largely denied the right to run for office, vote, or both.
A peaceful gathering held on August 9 by Al-Murra tribesmen demanded that the Shura Council elections law be overturned, as well as demanded the right to full citizenship, respect for freedom of expression, and the promotion of social justice among citizens. The protests continued for several days.
The security forces made several attempts to break up what turned into a sit-in. They also stormed the homes of influential members of the tribe, arresting dozens of them who led the protests and participated in them.
Detained and denied family access
According to GCHR, reliable local sources have confirmed that the number of detainees from this tribe has exceeded 50. Many have been released after being forced to sign written pledges not to demonstrate again. However, 21 people remain in detention at the State Security Service or in police stations, according to the same sources. The authorities denied them access to their families or to a lawyer.
Among the detainees from the tribe are Hazzaa bin Ali Abu Shraydeh, Dr. Rashid bin Ali Abu Shraydeh, Saeed Al Dajran, Jaber Abu Shaqla, Abdullah Al Alyan, and poets Saleh Al Nusheira and Ali bin Rashid Al Subaih Al-Marri.
Hazzaa bin Ali Al-Marri, PhD, is a lawyer who played a prominent role in leading and mobilizing for these protests. He appeared in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AssAdNp0K98">several recordings</a>, in one of which he made an appeal to the Emir of Qatar, saying:
<blockquote>We will demand our rights and dignity in this country and from within the country, even if we are destined to die in prison.</blockquote>
Hazzaa uses <a href="https://twitter.com/DrAbusharida">his Twitter account</a> to publish his frank words and critical opinions on what is happening in Qatar. On July 28, he wrote:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
منذ نشر الدستور في الجريدة الرسمية ونحن ننتظر استكمال المؤسسات الدستورية،تأخر لأكثر من 15 عام،تأخر وتأخرت معه المحكمة الدستورية،ونسأل الله أن يأتي بعد هذا التأخير كل الخير. <a href="https://t.co/X7fW0Ko7Au">https://t.co/X7fW0Ko7Au</a>
— د.هزّاع بن علي (@DrAbusharida) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrAbusharida/status/1420142256015745030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="translation">Since the constitution was published in the Official Gazette and we have been waiting for the constitutional institutions to be completed, it has been delayed for more than 15 years, and the Constitutional Court was delayed with it. We pray this delay brings good news.</blockquote>
GCHR was informed that the protesters have designated his home, located in the Al-Muaither area of Al-Rayyan City, 16.5 km from the capital Doha, as the headquarters of their gatherings.
“Chosen candidates and voters”
The state's first elected Shura Council, due to take place on October 2 and governed by these discriminatory laws, will consist of 54 seats.
On September 15, Qatar's Supervisory Committee of the Shura Council elections <a href="https://www.raya.com/2021/09/15/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83/?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=pmd_6ysgoyYNKam9Av.DQ.E_9EikuL8C40Hrbuv4UR6SYUw-1631949245-0-gqNtZGzNAyWjcnBszQil">announced</a> that 294 candidates, from over 30 constituencies across the country, have registered their candidacy in the preliminary election lists. Reports received by GCHR confirmed that some candidates were forced to withdraw due to pressure from influential government forces, and that others had their names removed from the candidates’ registry.
On the same day, Mubaraka Al-Marri, a Qatari female citizen <a href="https://twitter.com/MBH_68/status/1438137782409568263">tweeted</a> to her 23,000 followers:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
اخواني وأخواتي دائرة (١٦) لقد تم ازالة اسمي دون علمي ودون اخطاري باي طعن،ودون تنازل مني وسوف اراجع لجنة الانتخابات لتوضيح اسباب الاستبعاد. <a href="https://twitter.com/qatarelections?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@qatarelections</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TamimBinHamad?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TamimBinHamad</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KBKAlThani?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KBKAlThani</a>
— مباركة المري #2022 (@MBH_68) <a href="https://twitter.com/MBH_68/status/1438137782409568263?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="translation">My brothers and sisters in Constituency (16), my name has been removed without my knowledge and without notifying me of any appeal, and without my ceding [my candidacy]. I will reach to the Elections Committee to clarify the reasons for [my] exclusion.</blockquote>
Meanwhile, many citizens have taken to Twitter to describe the upcoming elections as a sham that does not represent the people of Qatar.
Mohammed Almarri <a href="https://twitter.com/UserAlmarri/status/1438842223660048385">tweeted</a>:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
تأسيس <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D9%85%D8%AC%D9%84%D8%B3_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%89_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%B1%D9%8A?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#مجلس_الشورى_القطري</a> وآلية انضمام جميع اعضاءه سواء بالتعيين او “بالانتخابات” ليس لها علاقة بالديمقراطية ، والسبب ان مُرشحي <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA_%D9%85%D8%AC%D9%84%D8%B3_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#انتخابات_مجلس_الشوري</a> والناخبين تختارهم الحكومة بدون ادنى مبادئ العداله والمساواة ولا حتى المصلحه العامة!!!
— Mohammad Almarri (@UserAlmarri) <a href="https://twitter.com/UserAlmarri/status/1438842223660048385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="translation">Establishing the Qatari Shura Council and the mechanism by which members are to join, whether by appointment or ‘elections,’ has nothing to do with democracy, and the reason is that the Shura Council's candidates and voters are chosen by the government without the slightest principles of justice and equality, not even public interest!!!</blockquote>
Written by <a href="https://globalvoices.org/author/gulf-center-for-human-rights/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by Gulf Center for Human Rights">Gulf Center for Human Rights</a>]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<media:content url="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Qatar_-_19_September_20211-400x235.jpg" medium="image" width='270' height='202' /> </item>
<item>
<title>Arab states’ reconciliation with Qatar leaves pro-unity Saudis behind bars</title>
<link>https://globalvoices.org/2021/01/13/arab-states-reconciliation-with-qatar-leaves-pro-unity-saudis-behind-bars/</link>
<comments>https://globalvoices.org/2021/01/13/arab-states-reconciliation-with-qatar-leaves-pro-unity-saudis-behind-bars/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Dahlia Kholaif]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Jan 2021 18:02:32 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Bahrain]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Censorship]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Egypt]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Freedom of Speech]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Human Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Qatar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Saudi Arabia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[United Arab Emirates]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Weblog]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://globalvoices.org/?p=726174</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Prominent Saudis, including cleric Salman al-Odah, who spoke against the boycott of Qatar in 2017, face a long list of charges such as incitement against the ruler.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<big class='tagline'>Saudi critics of kingdom's rift with Qatar languish in prison </big>Originally published on <a href='https://globalvoices.org/2021/01/13/arab-states-reconciliation-with-qatar-leaves-pro-unity-saudis-behind-bars/'>Global Voices</a><div id="attachment_726344" style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-726344" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-726344 size-featured_image_large" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/mbs-qatar-800x450.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="450" />A <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20210105-qatar-saudi-leaders-hug-end-embargo-bitter-rivals">screenshot</a> from France24 report showing Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani being welcomed in an embrace by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in al-Ula, Saudi Arabia, January 5, 2021.</div>
A rift between Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt led to an outright boycott and blockade of Qatar in June 2017. As these Arab nations <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/6/blockading-nations-drop-13-demands-on-qatar-sources">reconcile</a>, many wonder what will happen to Saudi citizens detained for voicing opposition and calling for unity.
Since the so-called Arab Spring, regional alliances have split Qatar to one side and the quartet on the other, who all accuse Qataris for meddling in their affairs.
Doha, the Qatari capital and seat of power, welcomed political shifts countries hit by uprisings and supported the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and elsewhere, but the quadruplet's leaders deemed such political changes harmful to their interests, and saw the <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/07/muslim-brotherhood-qatar/532380/">Muslim Brotherhood</a> as an Islamist terrorist organization.
Ultimately, tensions escalated, leading all four countries’ to boycott and blockade the tiny, gas-rich Gulf state, pushing it deeper into the arms of regional rivals, Turkey and Iran.
Following several attempts to bring the Gulf states together, on January 5, the once-feuding leaders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/05/arab-states-agree-deal-to-end-three-year-boycott-of-qatar">signed an agreement</a> brokered by Kuwait and the United States, to settle their differences and restore ties.
In the Saudi airport of al-Ula, north of Medina, the kingdom's de-facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, commonly known by his initials MBS, greeted his rival, Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, as both leaders <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20210105-qatar-saudi-leaders-hug-end-embargo-bitter-rivals">donned</a> surgical masks due to the coronavirus.
Almost immediately after reconciliation announcements, media outlets associated with each side of the quarrel and which have, for years, been locked in a <a href="https://www.alwatan.com.sa/article/1057204">fierce media war</a> of weaving conspiracy theories and bashing rivals, began <a href="https://www.alwatan.com.sa/article/1066075">praising</a> the reconciliation and welcoming the unity among the ranks of Gulf brethren.
Meanwhile, at least 20 Saudi citizens who expressed similar sentiments at the beginning of the feud and thus <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-41260543">appeared to oppose their leaders</a> in Riyadh, remain incarcerated on myriads of charges.
A Twitter account called “Prisoners of Conscience,” dedicated to supporting Saudis imprisoned for expressing their opinions, tweeted:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
? WE CALL FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF ALL PRSIONERS OF CONSCIENCE WHO WERE DETAINED JUST BECAUSE THEY CALLED FOR RECONCILIATION WITH QATAR, 3 YEARS AGO.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%A9_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%A9?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#المصالحة_الخليجية</a>
— Prisoners of Conscience (@m3takl_en) <a href="https://twitter.com/m3takl_en/status/1346167829326929928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
Among those prisoners is prominent Islamic cleric Salman al-Odah, whose detention in 2017 came hours after he published the following tweet on September 8, 2017:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ربنا لك الحمد لا نحصي ثناءً عليك أنت كما أثنيت على نفسك..اللهم ألف بين قلوبهم لمافيه خير شعوبهم
— سلمان العودة (معتقل) (@salman_alodah) <a href="https://twitter.com/salman_alodah/status/906280562956132352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="translation">O’ God, praise be to You. Put harmony in their hearts for what is best for their nations.</blockquote>
Since then, 63-year-old Odah has been kept in mostly solitary confinement, with periods of limited or no access to his family, and in conditions which his son <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/30/opinion/saudi-arabia-political-prisoners.html?smid=tw-share">said</a> reflect the authorities’ intention of “killing him slowly.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
اللهم أعده لأهله ومحبيه والأمة العربية والإسلامية والعالم<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84%D9%88%D8%A7_%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%A9?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#لاتقتلوا_سلمان_العودة</a> <a href="https://t.co/UI2yoVMFfW">pic.twitter.com/UI2yoVMFfW</a>
— د. عبدالله العودة (@aalodah) <a href="https://twitter.com/aalodah/status/1344348513577168897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="translation">O Lord, bring him back to his family, loved ones, the Muslim and the Arab nations, and the world. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84%D9%88%D8%A7_%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%A9?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#</a>Don't_Kill_Salman_Al_Odah</blockquote>
Al-Odah's son, Abdullah, based in the US, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/30/opinion/saudi-arabia-political-prisoners.html">describes</a> the cleric's health situation:
<blockquote>During the Nov. 18 court proceeding in Riyadh, my siblings were struck by how significantly weaker and emaciated our father was. Having lost half of his hearing and vision in prison, he was incoherent and had difficulty hearing and seeing them clearly. They felt that our proud, determined father seemed completely submissive and nodded at whatever he was told. They feared that in his precarious state, he could be forced into signing any kind of confession.</blockquote>
Following a year in detention without trial, Saudi's attorney-general sought a <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/09/12/saudi-arabia-prominent-cleric-may-face-death-penalty">death penalty</a> for Odah on 37 charges, including inciting people against the ruler, calling for change in government and possession of banned books.
<div id="attachment_726352" style="width: 828px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-726352" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-726352 size-full" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Al-Odah.jpeg" alt="" width="828" height="563" srcset="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Al-Odah.jpeg 828w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Al-Odah-400x272.jpeg 400w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Al-Odah-768x522.jpeg 768w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Al-Odah-800x544.jpeg 800w" sizes="(width: 828px) 100vw, 828px" />An image from Twitter of detained <a href="https://twitter.com/aalodah/status/1344348513577168897/photo/1">Saudi cleric Salman al-Odah</a> with a grandchild.</div>
As rival parties made amends, calls for Odah's release, along with other prisoners, have gained momentum.
Michael Page, deputy director in the Middle East and North Africa division of Human Rights Watch, tweeted:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Now that <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Saudi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Saudi</a> Arabia is easing tensions & opening border with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Qatar?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Qatar</a>, how about releasing detainees like <a href="https://twitter.com/salman_alodah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@salman_alodah</a>, accused of opposing a blockade (that only ended up separating families, stranding workers, & interrupting people's medical care)? <a href="https://t.co/rxnbyUFAuV">https://t.co/rxnbyUFAuV</a> <a href="https://t.co/e9RPq52L3Q">pic.twitter.com/e9RPq52L3Q</a>
— Michael Page (@MichaelARPage) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelARPage/status/1346206179626725377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
Other notable detainees on similar charges, including harboring ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and Qatari government, and expressing public support for imprisoned dissidents, are Awad al-Qarni and Ali al-Omari:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
?Breaking news 2 
We confirm that 
Sheikh Salman al-Odah 
Sheikh Awad al-Qarni 
Sheikh Naser al-Omar 
are still in solitary confinement under very bad circumstances.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%AE_%D8%AC%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%A9?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#اعدام_المشايخ_جريمة</a> <a href="https://t.co/sQl9FYY66K">pic.twitter.com/sQl9FYY66K</a>
— Prisoners of Conscience (@m3takl_en) <a href="https://twitter.com/m3takl_en/status/1132472751074287616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
Other prominent detainees include Mustafa al-Hasan, an academic; Abdullah al-Malki, a writer, and Essam al-Zamil, an economist.
Their arrest came over three years ago, around the same time that the Saudi authorities rounded up several female activists calling for women's right to drive, including iconic activist <a href="https://globalvoices.org/2020/12/29/saudi-court-slams-jail-term-to-iconic-female-activist-despite-global-criticism/">Loujain al-Hathloul</a>.
Written by <a href="https://globalvoices.org/author/dahlia-kholaif/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by Dahlia Kholaif">Dahlia Kholaif</a>]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<georss:point>24.5471230 43.7695312</georss:point><media:content url="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/mbs-qatar-400x300.jpg" medium="image" width='270' height='202' /> </item>
<item>
<title>‘Stop silencing MENA critical voices,’ say activists in open letter to Twitter and Facebook</title>
<link>https://globalvoices.org/2020/12/20/stop-silencing-mena-critical-voices-say-activists-in-open-letter-to-twitter-and-facebook/</link>
<comments>https://globalvoices.org/2020/12/20/stop-silencing-mena-critical-voices-say-activists-in-open-letter-to-twitter-and-facebook/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Dahlia Kholaif]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 20 Dec 2020 14:16:53 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Algeria]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Bahrain]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Censorship]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Citizen Media]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Digital Activism]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Egypt]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Freedom of Speech]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Human Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Iran]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Israel]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Jordan]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Kuwait]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Lebanon]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Libya]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Media & Journalism]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Middle East & North Africa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Morocco]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Oman]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Palestine]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Protest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Qatar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Saudi Arabia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Syria]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Tunisia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Turkey]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[United Arab Emirates]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Western Sahara]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Yemen]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://globalvoices.org/?p=725146</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A decade after uprisings heavily relied on social media to topple dictators across the region, human rights defenders denounce these platforms' discrimination against voices of dissent still fight for freedoms.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<big class='tagline'>Human rights defenders denounce censorship by social media platforms</big>Originally published on <a href='https://globalvoices.org/2020/12/20/stop-silencing-mena-critical-voices-say-activists-in-open-letter-to-twitter-and-facebook/'>Global Voices</a><div id="attachment_725255" style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-725255" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-featured_image_large wp-image-725255" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/pexels-tracy-le-blanc-607812-800x450.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="450" />A mobile phone stacked with many major social media platforms. Photo by Tracy Le Blanc from <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/apple-applications-apps-cell-phone-607812/">Pexels</a>, a free photo database.</div>
Seventeen human rights organizations from the Middle East and North Africa region issued a joint statement on Thursday to Facebook and Twitter, denouncing social media platforms’ shushing of dissent voices by pulling down their accounts.
The <a href="https://www.accessnow.org/facebook-twitter-youtube-stop-silencing-critical-voices-mena/">letter</a>, in which Global Voices is a signatory, marked the 10th anniversary of the so-called Arab Spring, which began in Tunisia and rippled across the region. Over the past decade, activists and peaceful protesters have heavily relied on social media to expose corruption and police brutality in their countries, as well as to organize mass demonstrations that tore down long-time dictatorships and disrupted others. During the uprisings that swept across the region, social media was used so heavily to organize and communicate that the period was nicknamed “Facebook revolutions.”
As freedoms and rights have diminished in many countries throughout the region in recent years, social media platforms remain a rare window of respite for voices of dissent. However, the group of signatories noted, Twitter and Facebook have targeted activists and opposition users.
“As we mark the 10th anniversary of the Arab Spring, we, the undersigned activists, journalists, and human rights organizations, have come together to voice our frustration and dismay at how platform policies and content moderation procedures all too often lead to the silencing and erasure of critical voices from marginalized and oppressed communities across the Middle East and North Africa,” wrote the signatories.
The statement added:
<blockquote>Arbitrary and nontransparent account suspension and removal of political and dissenting speech has become so frequent and systematic that they cannot be dismissed as isolated incidents or the result of transitory errors in automated decision-making.</blockquote>
Along with Global Voices, endorsers of the open letter included parties from across the MENA region, including Access Now, Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), Article 19, 7amleh, Daarb bees website, Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP), Gulf Centre for Human Rights, and other leading human rights organizations and journalists.
Listing a series of incidents in which activists and journalists in the region have had their accounts unplugged by Facebook and Twitter in Tunisia, Syria, Palestine and Egypt, the letter stated that “examples such as these are far too numerous, and they contribute to the widely shared perception among activists and users in MENA and the Global South that these platforms do not care about them and often fail to protect human rights defenders when concerns are raised.”
The statement also noted that the two popular social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter, often rush to respond to public outcry from Western activists or private advocacy by human rights organizations, while advocates in the MENA region are mostly ignored, with end-users being “frequently not informed of which rule they violated, and are not provided a means to appeal to a human moderator.”
The letter further said:
<blockquote>Remedy and redress should not be a privilege reserved for those who have access to power or can make their voices heard. The status quo cannot continue.</blockquote>
Urging Facebook and Twitter not to “be complicit in censorship and erasure of oppressed communities’ narratives and histories,” human rights groups called on the two giant social media platforms to follow four main measures to address raised concerns in a region they described as having “one of the world’s worst records on freedom of expression.”
The measures put forth by the human rights defenders include that Facebook and Twitter do not engage in arbitrary or unfair discrimination, by actively engage with local users, activists, human rights experts, academics, and civil society from the MENA region to review grievances, as well as rely on necessary local and regional expertise in order to develop and implement context-based content moderation decisions that are aligned with human rights frameworks in the MENA region.
The letter also called on platforms to “pay special attention to cases arising from war and conflict zones to ensure content moderation decisions do not unfairly target marginalized communities,” and to offer greater transparency than public apologies for technical errors that persist as “erroneous content moderation decisions.”
At the time of writing, Twitter and Facebook have not responded to the letter.
Written by <a href="https://globalvoices.org/author/dahlia-kholaif/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by Dahlia Kholaif">Dahlia Kholaif</a>]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<georss:point>26.7652302 32.1679688</georss:point><media:content url="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/pexels-tracy-le-blanc-607812-400x300.jpg" medium="image" width='270' height='202' /> </item>
<item>
<title>Migrant workers face racism and rampant human rights violations across the Gulf</title>
<link>https://globalvoices.org/2020/06/17/migrant-workers-face-racism-and-rampant-human-rights-violations-across-the-gulf/</link>
<comments>https://globalvoices.org/2020/06/17/migrant-workers-face-racism-and-rampant-human-rights-violations-across-the-gulf/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gulf Center for Human Rights]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Jun 2020 19:27:56 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Advox]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Bahrain]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Censorship]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[COVID-19]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Digital Activism]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Disaster]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Economics & Business]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Governance]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Human Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Kuwait]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Lebanon]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Middle East & North Africa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Qatar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Saudi Arabia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[United Arab Emirates]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Women & Gender]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://globalvoices.org/?p=710069</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Migrant workers in the Gulf region are being subjected to a fierce campaign calling for their deportation that is riddled with racist speeches and hatred.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<big class='tagline'>Migrant workers face COVID-19 with no medical care or unions</big>Originally published on <a href='https://globalvoices.org/2020/06/17/migrant-workers-face-racism-and-rampant-human-rights-violations-across-the-gulf/'>Global Voices</a><div id="attachment_710451" style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-710451" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-710451 size-large" src="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/49642266248_02c86f4166_b-800x600.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="600" srcset="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/49642266248_02c86f4166_b-800x600.jpg 800w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/49642266248_02c86f4166_b-400x300.jpg 400w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/49642266248_02c86f4166_b-768x576.jpg 768w, https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/49642266248_02c86f4166_b.jpg 1024w" sizes="(width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Anti-kafala demonstration in Lebanon. The sign in Arabic reads “I'm a [female] human and I have a right to live.” Photo by <a href="https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/33dd0cd6-a82e-484c-8ffd-ba4decfabd9b">International Domestic Workers Federation,</a> licensed under <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/?ref=ccsearch&atype=rich">CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0.</a></div>This post was written by <a href="https://twitter.com/khalidibrahim12">Khalid Ibrahim</a>, executive director of the <a href="http://www.gc4hr.org/">Gulf Center for Human Rights</a> (GCHR), an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly in the MENA region.
Migrant workers in the Gulf region and neighboring countries have been subjected to fierce campaigns calling for their deportation that is riddled with racist speeches and hatred. They have been left alone to face the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic with no access to medical care or unions, according to research by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR).
Over the years, migrant workers in Lebanon, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Bahrain have been subjected to massive human rights violations through the notorious <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kafala_system">kafala (sponsorship) system</a> that strips them of their basic civil and human rights. They lack the right to move, travel or change work, the right to health care and the right to union representation or formation of organisations. In addition, migrant workers are denied the right to citizenship — even if they spend their whole lives working in these countries.
The kafala system, which enshrines discrimination and exploitation, contradicts the principles of human rights and modern work systems that are guaranteed under <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CMW.aspx">the International Convention on the Rights of Migrants and Members of their Families</a>, signed in 1990. This convention entered into force on July 1, 2003, after being ratified by 20 states, but has <a href="https://indicators.ohchr.org/">not been signed</a> by the Gulf states and Lebanon.
<h3>Lebanon</h3>
With the collapse of the Lebanese pound and the stress of COVID-19, migrant workers — especially domestic workers — face extremely harsh conditions. The Lebanese labour law does not protect domestic workers — who are usually women — because they are subject to a sponsorship system that links their legal status with a contractual relationship with employers. At the end of this contract, workers lose their legal status and face possible detention and deportation. Likewise, they can only change their place of work with employer consent, which exposes them to exploitation, forced labour and human trafficking.
The number of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon stands at <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde18/0022/2019/en/">250,000</a>, most of them women, who immigrate from different countries — notably Ethiopia. On June 5, Ethiopian domestic workers gathered in front of their country's consulate in Beirut, waiting to return home. Some left work after being paid in Lebanese pounds, which was inadequate to meet daily needs and made it impossible to send any money home to their families. Others left work who had not been paid in the past several months. Their status has become illegal and they need a speedy resolution from authorities.
The crisis in Lebanon has cast a shadow on all migrant workers, according to this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQnAiORFRHc">BBC report</a>. In 2012, Stop Violence and Exploitation, a civil society organisation, published a <a href="https://www.kafa.org.lb/sites/default/files/2019-01/PRpdf47.pdf">study</a> on the sponsorship system, calling for the end of exploitation of women migrant workers and an alternative system that provides legal protection and freedom to choose their workplace.
<h3>Kuwait</h3>
On May 28, blogger Reem al-Shammari posted a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHjCwO1mjH4&feature=youtu.be">video</a> on Snapchat, verbally attacking Egyptians working in Kuwait. She said:
<blockquote>Kuwait is for Kuwaitis, not for Egyptians. … You are hired. Understand … Egyptians are not partners with Kuwaitis in the homeland.</blockquote>
The video met widespread opposition from Kuwaiti citizens, but hate speech is still a growing phenomenon on social media sites, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of this hate speech has illogically linked migrant workers to the spread of COVID-19. <a href="https://www.alaraby.co.uk/economy/2020/6/7/%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%B7%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AC-1">However, moderate voices</a> have defended migrant workers and their achievements as a result of their hard work.
Due to COVID-19, a sharp decline in oil prices has led Gulf countries to reassess their policies regarding migrant worker numbers — many companies have <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/kuwait-airways-to-lay-off-1500-foreign-employees-due-coronavirus-losses">laid off</a> thousands and started deporting those who work illegally.
On June 3, in a <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-03/kuwait-needs-to-slash-expatriate-population-to-30-premier-says">press interview</a>, Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khalid al-Hamad al-Sabah noted that 70 percent of the 4.8 million population was foreign, and said that this amount should be reduced to half in stages. He concluded that “we have a future challenge to address the demographic imbalance.”
<h3>Saudi Arabia</h3>
In May 2020, in an <a href="https://twitter.com/saudiatv/status/1257793654003052546">episode</a> of “We Are All Responsible,” presented on the official Saudi TV channel, the host, Khaled al-Aqili, said:
<blockquote>Unfortunately, the control of expatriate workers over the economy has become a real threat to national security and not only on the economic side but beyond much of that.</blockquote>
He concluded:
<blockquote>We must stop making the Saudi employee a scapegoat with every crisis, and make the expatriate workers, who replaced Saudi workers — who are more efficient than them, the first to be dispensed of, not the sons of the homeland.</blockquote>
This was preceded by a <a href="https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/covid-19-saudi-arabia-to-cut-salaries-by-40-1.1588609488167">ministerial decision</a> issued on May 3, to regulate labour contracts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Promoting discourse that directly targets foreign workers and portraying them as a national security threat definitely stirs up racist, hostile feelings. Justifying this sentiment only fans these flames.
<h3>United Arab Emirates</h3>
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-gulf-workers-idUKKCN21W1NZ">press reports</a> have confirmed the prevalence of the disease among migrant workers, due to a lack of protection and lack of social distancing. Most migrant workers live in crowded common areas and in densely populated commercial neighborhoods.
<a href="https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/supporting_resources/jointletter_emiratigov_migrantworkers_covidprotections_eng.pdf">On April 10, a letter</a> sent by a coalition of 16 nongovernmental organisations and trade unions to UAE Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation Affairs Nasser bin Thani al-Hamli states:
<blockquote>Low-wage migrant workers remain acutely vulnerable to severe human rights violations, that increase their risk of infection from COVID-19.</blockquote>
On March 26, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation issued an arbitrary <a href="https://www.migrant-rights.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Ministerial-Resolution.pdf.pdf.pdf">ministerial decree</a> that allows private companies to amend migrant worker contracts, force them on unpaid leave, or to accept permanent or temporary salary reductions. This decision legally protects companies 100 percent — expatriate workers have no right to complain or resort to the courts.
<h3>Qatar</h3>
Migrant workers in Qatar are not allowed to form unions. Many are exploited doing heavy work for long hours with low paying salaries. COVID-19 has revealed another chronic problem — a lack of health care and adequate housing. The drop in oil prices has led to the layoff of thousands of migrant workers, forcing many onto the streets.
In an April 15 <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/04/qatar-migrant-workers-illegally-expelled-during-covid19-pandemic/">statement,</a> Amnesty International said that Qatari authorities had arrested and expelled dozens of foreign workers after informing them that they would be tested for COVID-19.
On May 23, 100 foreign workers <a href="https://twitter.com/M2jed966/status/1264187688112062467">demonstrated</a> in Doha, to protest non-payment of their wages by Qatari authorities.
Local sources confirmed that migrant workers who work for World Cup 2020 suffer from widespread human rights violations, including low pay and long work hours under the harsh sun. They can not terminate their contracts or return home. A <a href="https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/qatar-100-world-cup-stadium-workers-not-paid-seven-months">recent report</a> issued by Amnesty International UK on June 10 confirmed these conditions and mentioned workers who have not been paid for seven consecutive months.
<h3>Bahrain</h3>
Bahrain also targets migrant workers. On June 5, Member of Parliament Ghazi al-Rahma <a href="https://alwatannews.net/article/878863/Bahrain/%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AD-%D8%A8%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%A8-%D8%A2%D9%84-%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%BA%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A8">announced</a> that he and a number of deputies would present a proposal to amend the labour law in the private sector, favoring Bahraini citizens in the private-sector recruitment process and prioritizing terminations for foreign workers.
Gulf states must abolish the kafala system, ratify the International Convention on the Rights of Migrants and Members of their Families and allow equal civic rights for all migrant workers.
Written by <a href="https://globalvoices.org/author/gulf-center-for-human-rights/" class="url user-link" title="View all posts by Gulf Center for Human Rights">Gulf Center for Human Rights</a>]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss></wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<media:content url="https://globalvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/49642266248_02c86f4166_b-400x300.jpg" medium="image" width='270' height='202' /> </item>
</channel>
</rss>

Home · About · News · Docs · Terms