Qatar World Cup ambassador says homosexuality is ‘damage in the mind’

2022 FIFA World Cup, Al Bayt Stadium — The World Cup begins in Qatar in lower than a fortnights’ time amid a backdrop of controversy (Image: Getty)

A interview with Qatar World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman he claimed homosexuality was ‘harm within the thoughts’.

The match begins in lower than a fortnight’s time with the Gulf State’s report on human rights firmly underneath the microscope.

Addressing the problem of homosexuality, Salman, chatting with German TV, mentioned: ‘They've to simply accept our guidelines right here.

‘(Homosexuality) is haram. what haram (forbidden) means?.’

When requested why it was haram, Salman mentioned: ‘I'm not a strict Muslim however why is it haram? As a result of it's harm within the thoughts.’

The interview, that was as a consequence of air in full afterward Tuesday, was then instantly stopped by an accompanying official.

FIFA wrote to all competing nations final week and urged these participating to stay to soccer and keep away from changing into embroiled in political points, with Qatar’s stance on homosexuality, which is illegaland punishable with a jail sentence of as much as seven years – and even, in concept, the dying penalty – underneath specific scrutiny.

The Al Bayt Stadium will play host to the opening game of the World Cup on November 20 — The Al Bayt Stadium will play host to the opening sport of the World Cup on November 20 (Image: Getty)

The world governing physique is but to reply to Salman’s aborted interview, however former president, the disgraced Sepp Blatter, just lately cleared of fraud expenses by a Swiss courtroom in July following a £1.7m cost to the previous Uefa president Michel Platini, admits choosing Qatar to play host was an error.

‘The selection of Qatar was a mistake,’ Blatter mentioned. ‘On the time, we really agreed within the government committee that Russia ought to get the 2018 World Cup and the USA that of 2022.

‘It will have been a gesture of peace if the 2 long-standing political opponents had hosted the World Cup one after the opposite.

‘It’s too small a rustic. Soccer and the World Cup are too massive for that.’

Requested if he felt answerable for the choice, Blatter replied: ‘For me it's clear: Qatar is a mistake.

‘The selection was dangerous. What I’m questioning: why is the brand new Fifa president [Gianni Infantino] dwelling in Qatar?

‘He can’t be the top of the native World Cup organisation. That’s not his job. There are two organising committees for this – a neighborhood one and one from Fifa.’