As World Cup Opens, Qatar’s Religious Freedom Violations Come under Scrutiny

Nov 22, 2022 by Jill

by Dan Hart, Washington Stand:

As the World Cup soccer tournament kicks off this week — the most watched sporting event in the world — host country Qatar has come under increasing scrutiny because of its restrictions on religious freedom and the human rights violations committed there in order to prepare for the tournament.

The constitution of Qatar, a tiny Arab country that lies in the Persian Gulf on the border with Saudi Arabia, stipulates that Islam is the state religion, and that conversion to another religion is illegal. Houses of worship for other religions are only allowed to exist with state permission. In preparation for the World Cup, the Qatari government has made gestures toward increasing religious freedom by donating a plot of land for Christian churches to be built. But as Open Doors USA has reported, “this is the only compound allotted for building churches in the whole nation, so the complex is now overcrowded.” Christians are only allowed to worship within this compound, and Qatari law bans public worship of any other faith other than Islam.

In addition, it is illegal for Christian churches to evangelize or display religious symbols, and private house churches are also banned. For native Qataris who do convert to other religions besides Islam, it is particularly difficult to practice their faith. In Qatari culture, converting to a faith besides Islam is seen as a betrayal to one’s family and family honor. In addition, converts are scrutinized and intimidated by police and can often face the loss of their jobs, societal ostracization, and even lose custody of their children.

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