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.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim’s actual closing speech reportedly said “that the papers presented showed a vital civil society and governments’ honest determination to strengthen their efforts in the implementation of human rights mechanisms.” That’s a big E for Effort – good job! And he pointed out that “human rights are not an invention of the West but are part of the heritages of the Arab culture.” Perhaps almost as old as homosexuality itself.