'Fifa and Uefa Cannot Avoid Their Political Duties'

If only Fifa's ethics were at least half decent

Two years is something of a lifetime in internet terms, and presumably most casual visitors passing through have presumed this blog to be long since dead, like millions of other digital diaries and documentations  founded upon the best of intentions. Random work and life events quickly caught up with us after an initial burst of righteous enthusiasm, but the thorny political issues around the coming World Cups are still there to be addressed. The human rights situation has not significantly improved in either Russia or Qatar (in fact in Russia it's probably getting worse), and the discussion is not going quieten down as those tournaments approach, no matter how much Fifa tries to dodge, fudge or ignore the pertinent questions. Still, at least Chuck Blazer and Jack Warner have cleared their desks, even if they only served as fall guys for the inherent corruption and cronyism that must still be purged from Zürich and its satellite confederations.
   
Until we start posting more coherently again, here's a piece posted today at the When Saturday Comes website entitled 'Fifa and Uefa Cannot Avoid Their Political Duties'. Sample passage:

"UEFA is apolitical," its president, Michel Platini, claimed when responding to criticism of their decision to award the 2013 European Under-21 Championship to Israel. Perhaps Israel was not a wise choice for a body that wishes to stay clear of politics. Given that he's tipped as the man to take over the Sepp Blatter's FIFA mantle in 2015, Platini should get used to the idea of politics interfering with sport. With Russia and Qatar as his first two World Cup hosts, political issues will be thumping on to his desk with the force and regularity of a riot policeman's cosh.

Most football fans hope that somewhere there exists a smoking gun that will cause FIFA to reverse its decision to hold the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. But despite the 15-page feature in France Football last week that once again threw into question the legality of the bidding process, and numerous well-documented reasons why Qatar is an execrable choice, we're stuck with the unlikely Middle East venue. As long as that remains the case, the focus will begin to shift towards what can only be described as political issues...

Quote Of The Day - Sham Of Middle East Civil Rights Forum

The people's will - coming soon to Qatar

" 'The Arab foreign ministers,' as one prominent figure in the democracy-promotion world said to me, 'have learned from these meetings exactly how to thwart democracy, not how to help it.' The sessions have taught local leaders the dangers of Western-supported and genuinely autonomous NGOs, and regimes across the Arab world have cracked down on them. Many human rights groups have been hounded out of existence; only the most reliably docile ones are permitted inside the forum’s doors."

James Traub writing in Foreign Policy Magazine on last week's Forum for the Future in Doha. The Forum was the initiative of George W Bush and the G-8 nations, and was founded in 2004 with the aim of promoting democracy and civil rights in the Middle East and North Africa, but Traub now says it achieves the exact opposite. He calls for the Forum's abolition and for the United States to align itself "more clearly and convincingly on the side of those who clamour for change".

Quote of the Week - Arch Puddington, Freedom House

"Questions about freedom? Sorry, can't hear ya!"

"It is often observed that a government that mistreats its people also fears its people. But authoritarian regimes will have a much freer hand to silence their domestic critics if there is no resistance from the outside world. Indeed, if the world’s democracies fail to unite and speak out in defense of their own values, despots will continue to gain momentum." Arch Puddington (great name, it has to be said), Director of Research at Washington, DC-based Freedom House, upon publication of the body's report published Thursday outlining decreased levels of freedom for the fifth successive year in the world's nations.

The organisation also highlighted Russia as one of "the world’s most powerful authoritarian regimes [acting] with increased brazenness in 2010.  Russia’s leadership showed blatant disregard for judicial independence in its handling of, among other cases, the sentencing of regime critic and former oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky after a trial that was widely considered fraudulent." Not to mention ongoing unsolved attacks and assassinations targeting investigative journalists and human rights advocates, and almost total state control of the media.

Blatter Manages To Speak Sense On Human Rights In Qatar

Blatter - has he actually started thinking?

This is going to sound like the kind of thing we’d pretend FIFA President Sepp Blatter uttered in the name of satire. But he actually said it, to CNN. Yes, Blatter managed to address the issue of human rights without shoving his toes in his own maw. On the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he said: “If the principles of human rights will not be respected, then this could be a problem. We will push Qatar to make sure the World Cup will be played in such conditions that other World Cups have been played and that human rights are respected.”

Let’s hope he’s not talking about Argentina 78. And naturally, the Scepticism Radar at WCHR world headquarters began to howl like a distressed mongoose. Is this just placatory PR to make up for his sad remarks about homosexuals abstaining from sexual activity while at the WC, and his admission to the Zürich-based Sonntagszeitung that he hadn’t even known that homosexuality was illegal in the Gulf state? Or has Sepp been subscribing to our feed and belatedly realised that the governing body’s mission could become more noble than merely making cash from man’s ability to kick a round ball?

Qatari Gay Rights - A Twit Twitters

Sheikh's required reading

The Chairman of the Qatar 2022 World Cup Bid Committee, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Thani, last month let his twitter followers know in unambiguous terms what he thinks of people who object to the host country’s laws banning homosexuality.

“It’s interesting that all of a sudden everyone who was anti-qatar2022 is now a gay rights activist. Glass houses, anyone?” he twote on December 14th. It’s interesting that anyone who expresses themselves on twitter seems to wind up sounding like a chat room bigot. Glass skulls, anyone?

On the same day he saw fit to further enlighten the world with his playground analysis. “People should stop using the topic of homosexuality as a scapegoat for their general (and discriminatory) attitude towards Qatar and the ME.” Yes, far better to use the topic to criminalise innocent people for their sexuality.

Educating Sepp Blatter

FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s weekend interview with the Swiss Sonntagszeitung was headlined by his announcement that FIFA will form an “independent” anti-corruption committee. So, the world’s football governing body has decided to slap on a condom several hours after completing full sexual intercourse.

Blatter - praying for enlightenment

In classic FIFA fashion, this initiative comes not from any sense that tackling corruption is the right thing to do. Rather, in Blatter’s words, its purpose would be “to strengthen our credibility and re-define our image in the realm of public relations.” For these must always be the prime motivations behind any moral undertaking.

The rest of the interview was the usual self-aggrandizing cant about how he had to struggle to survive from the moment he was born, how he went to a monastery in the Swiss town of Einsiedeln to pray for a successful World Cup in South Africa, and how the marching band in Visp – a ski resort where he owns a flat – apparently is prone to playing a Sepp Blatter March when they parade beneath his balcony (we’d be happy to provide some lyrics for their next procession). He also admitted to having “few genuine friends”, and aired his standard lament about “obsessive” journalists who insist on bringing up FIFA’s long history of corruption. Shame on them.

Human Rights - The Gulf Version

Two out of three banned in most Gulf states

Bridging The Gulf, a European Commission- and Dutch Foreign Ministry-funded body that aims to promote “understanding about the Gulf region in Europe”, has analysed the Arab Charter on Human Rights that was adopted in 2008 by ten Arab states, including 2022 World Cup host Qatar.

“The Charter’s significance lies in the fact that it is an instrument from the region, negotiated by states of the region,” notes the article. Meaning, no interfering international organisations imposed their deviant concept of human rights on the charter. Still, the document is reportedly a huge improvement on the 1994 version, which “fell far short of international human rights law”, but now “does recognize many important rights that are consistent with international human rights law as reflected in treaties, jurisprudence, and opinions of UN expert bodies. It recognizes the right to health, education, fair trial, and freedom from torture and ill-treatment, the independence of the judiciary, the right to liberty and security of person, and many other rights.”

Brazil Shows Qatar The Way On Gay Rights

Rio beach boy may arouse Qatari interest

When Brazil hosts the 2014 World Cup, they will surely welcome a sizeable delegation from Qatar to large it up in fancy hotels, enjoy the best free seats at the biggest games, and generally whore around to embark on a serious fact-finding mission on the best way to host an international football tournament, while ensuring that their behaviour scrupulously reflects the central tenets of the Koran. During this doubtless instructive time, they may want to venture out and take a few notes on local lifestyle choices.

Brazil, under outgoing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, may have been criticised by both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch this year for its tacit support of dictatorships in countries like Iran and Cuba, but at least it has responded to public pressure on gay rights issues. Earlier this month, Lula and his Human Rights Secretary Paulo Vannuchi signed a decree to create the National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Council.

Qatar Hosts Human Rights Convention. Good Job!

Those concerned about human rights in Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup need not worry. The Gulf Times reports that Doha this week hosted a two-day convention of Gulf state delegates on the subject, and although there was little concrete information about what was discussed, it seems certain that all present agreed on the immediate need to de-criminalise homosexuality, promote equal rights for women, allow foreign labourers to unionise, depose the feudal monarchy, and introduce a free and critical press in the transition to a multi-party democracy with universal suffrage. It’s surely the very least that FIFA demanded when Qatar submitted its bid to host.

Erections in downtown Doha

“Death to patriarchy and the petrocracy!” cried Ibrahim Salama, director of the Office of International Conventions on Human Rights at the UN, in his closing speech. Or possibly not. In fact the Gulf Times reported in suitably long-winded fashion that the forum “focused over two days on the exchange of expertise in studies and recommendations for the implementation of mechanisms of international human rights. The forum reviewed the experience of the countries of the region and other geographical areas.” It was not reported whether videos were shown of humans being whipped or executed to illustrate these experiences.

FIFA Quote of the Day - No Soul, No Sellout

"The problem with FIFA was that it had no interest in extracting human-rights concessions from its hosts. Qatar had monstrous amounts of cash to offer, and FIFA could pretend that its choice had an ambassadorial quality, taking the great fellowship of soccer into the Middle East, where the Olympic Committee still fears to tread. It would, however, be unfair to accuse [FIFA President Sepp] Blatter and his crew of a sellout, since FIFA has never had a soul to barter." From Gwen Knapp, writing in the San Francisco Chronicle on FIFA's award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

Blatter Should Apologise A Little Bit Harder

Deaf, or just plain dumb?

What are we to make of FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s apology late last week to anybody who “feels that they have been hurt” by his remarks that gay people who might want to visit the 2022 World Cup should “refrain from any sexual activities” while in Qatar?
 

The Associated Press reported that Blatter told hacks in Abu Dhabi on Friday he was sorry if anyone was offended by his comments. But being sorry for offending someone is not the same as being sorry for what you actually said. It’s like being sorry for getting caught taking bribes (to use an analogy that may have some resonance in FIFA circles).

Press Freedom League Table - Brazil Moves Up, Qatar and Russia Lying Low

Reporters Without Borders has published its Press Freedom Index for 2010, and it's not particularly  happy reading for journalists working in FIFA's World Cup host countries. 

Best of the bunch is Brazil, up 12 places to 58th on the index, thanks to some "favourable legislative changes", says the organisation. Qatar has slipped down the charts to 121st place, from an already unimpressive 94th in 2009, but at least it's two places above Zimbabwe. "Russia," RWB points out, "which had a particularly deadly preceding year, is still poorly placed at 140th." On the plus side, it's at least ahead of former Communist allies Cuba, Vietnam and North Korea (last place but one, ahead of Eritrea). 

Perhaps if global warming ramps the Qatari summer temperatures up to 150 degrees, then one uncontested Dear Leader (President Sepp) might turn to another President For Life, Kim Jong-Il, with a view to relocating the championship in Pyongyang. No danger there of journalists asking awkward questions.

Quote Of The Day - Slapping Blatter Down

“We are talking about a very basic human right that is being violated. This is not a joke, this is a matter of life and death to people. Qatar and more than 70 other countries in the world still criminalize individuals for homosexual relationships, and some countries even punish them by death sentence.

“It’s disappointing to see that an organization [FIFA] that is promoting the game, which in its statutes condemns discrimination of any kind, is coming out with comments like this.” 

Juris Lavrikovs, communications director for the European branch of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, condemns FIFA President Sepp Blatter for his comments that gay fans visiting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar should "refrain from sexual activities". Full Associated Press report here.

Blatter Can't Bluff When It Comes To Sexual Politics

FIFA President Sepp Blatter was caught short yesterday when asked to comment on how gay fans could expect to visit the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, given that homosexuality is banned in the country. As always when asked to venture beyond political platitudes, the intellectually starved Blatter had no clue how to respond, so attempted a joke by saying that "they should refrain from sexual activities". Almost as enlightened as the time he advised women football players to wear tighter shorts to attract more fans.

Belatedly realising that his every chump-headed utterance is generally reported around the world, Blatter attempted to backtrack with some token eyewash about how "in football we have no boundaries". Which is presumably why no gay professional football player has outed himself since the late Justin Fashanu over 20 years ago. Surely nothing to do with the sniggering attitude of the game's leading functionaries.