‘Hypocrite West’ ignores Qatar’s progress on human rights

Over the previous few weeks, Western criticism of Qatar over human rights and particular person freedom have intensified right into a sustained and coordinated smear marketing campaign forward of the 2022 World Cup. 

Just lately, German Inside Minister Nancy Faeser criticised Qatar’s organisation of the World Cup, stating that it was “very difficult” for Germany to be related to the host nation over what she alleged was human rights abuses by Qatar.  

In response, Qatar summoned the German ambassador to sentence Faeser’s feedback. Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani, Qatar’s International Minister, responded rapidly and unequivocally. He accused Germany of “double requirements” and suggested Berlin to conduct a wholesome dose of self-criticism. 

Faeser, nonetheless, made a volte-face quickly after and praised Qatar for the “excellent legal guidelines” Doha had enacted to guard human rights. 

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) too had followed go well with with Secretary-Normal Nayef al Hajraf praising the main position of Qatar in “constructing bridges between civilisations and bolstering understanding between peoples throughout the boundaries of mutual respect” and slammed Germany’s remarks.

A couple of weeks in the past, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, additionally complained concerning the “unprecedented” marketing campaign focusing on the nation. He characterised this malicious defamation as stuffed with misinformation and disinformation, a protracted marketing campaign which has been ongoing since Qatar received the honour of internet hosting the soccer World Cup manner again in 2010.

It’s true that previously human rights organisations had been vital of the systemic issues associated to migrant employees’ rights stemming from the Kafala system which has since been scrapped. Nevertheless, prior to now 3-4 years, the UN’s Worldwide Labour Organisation (ILO) has praised Qatar’s reforms, together with eradicating the exit visa for home employees, establishing a non-discriminatory everlasting minimal wage and easing job change procedures. 

Equally, worldwide commerce unions and experts concur that these efforts are real and represent nice progress. These actions are far more superior than what different Gulf nations have in place for his or her migrant workforce. Naturally, there’s all the time scope for improvement.

However, given the progress on this situation, one would query whether or not this mean-spirited mudslinging towards Qatar has any intention or goal. Speaking about sanctions and whatnot may be very counterproductive, and Germany ought to have understood this nicely from its latest expertise of dealing with adversarial results of Western sanctions on Russia. 

Whereas many observers think about the criticism by Western international locations as disingenuous at finest, two details should nonetheless be underlined within the context of the weaponisation of human rights. 

First, this method is cost-effective in comparison with different varieties reminiscent of embargo, blockade or armed battle. As well as, the framing of conditions by way of human rights lenses tends to draw worldwide public opinion. Sadly, the reductionist method used on this context is unfair and unethical because it deliberately ignores the goal nation’s political, social and financial progress. 

This injustice results in questions concerning the motives of the Western mainstream media. Notable to quote the British media right here since The Guardian, The Occasions, Every day Categorical, The Solar, Every day Mail, The Telegraph and Metro UK have mentioned Qatar roughly 1,735 occasions of their headlines, 40 % of that are concerning the World Cup. 

Such an organised marketing campaign reveals that appreciable focus has been positioned on mere allegations of human rights abuses and dangerous working situations for migrant employees. The Western media reported little on the large efforts to host the 2022 World Cup in Doha. 

For instance, there was not a single piece of protection on how Qatar has made the event accessible to spectators with disabilities. Due to such bias, Western media protection ought to query its “comforting sense of moral superiority” when it asserts daring claims concerning the political views in the direction of sport and leisure. 

Because of shaping public notion of a rustic primarily based on alleged rights transgressions, two birds are hit with one stone. The reputational value would develop into a lot increased for a rustic forged earlier than the worldwide public as a “prison”, triggering world polarisation.

France additionally determined towards broadcasting World Cup video games in public on huge screens in its a number of cities below the pretext of allegations of human rights abuses and dangerous working situations for migrant employees. Given the rising incidents of anti-Muslim hatred in France, at occasions even state-sponsored, an affordable response that one may anticipate from Qatar can be, “You have to be the final to speak about human rights.” 

Western criticism of Qatar for internet hosting the 2022 World Cup is inherently hypocritical and results in a dead-end. As an alternative of partaking in worldwide dialogue and negotiation to enhance the rights of migrant employees, Western nations select to play the blame recreation. 

The brand new labour regulation abolishing the Kafala system has laid the grounds for higher working situations, making Qatar the primary nation to do such a reform. 

Constructive and well-grounded criticism primarily based on factual truths ought to by no means get replaced by deep-seated prejudices and instrumentalisation of human rights as a pretext to defame any nation.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors don’t essentially mirror the opinions, viewpoints and editorial insurance policies of TRT World.

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Supply: TRT World