England and Wales Inadequate Symbol of Tolerance will make little impact in Qatar.
England and Wales Inadequate Symbol of Tolerance will make little impact in Qatar. Because the World Cup will be held in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death, it is time to review the Inadequate Symbol Of Tolerance carefully.
It’s approved this week by the English and Welsh FAs. Also, you’re right; that does sound like a deliciously sweet representation of acceptance.
Nonetheless, was there room for expansion? The FAs could have been more insistent on a timely Inadequate Symbol of Tolerance, but perhaps they shouldn’t have.
A bolder font might be an option. Perhaps a more critical tone could have been used in the Generic Statement of Concern issued in tandem with the Inadequate Symbol of Tolerance.
Tolerance
So, the question is, is the Symbol of Tolerance making an impact? Where do the eyes on this monster come from? Hear me out: may the Inadequate Symbol of Tolerance be brilliant? Is this the beginning of an epiphany?
Perhaps not, after everything is said and done. The emblem does resemble the artwork for a mid-90s rave-pop song featuring the vocal talents of a former resident of Grange Hill. And yes, “standing against all forms of discrimination” may be a bit All-Lives-Matter, a statement so purposely broad that is hard either to agree or to disagree.
Players will still wear the band of love even though it’s said to be haunted by the spirits of bonded servants. There’s an argument that the whole campaign is just a bunch of empty branding, a piece of the message so devoid of substance that it stinks like the corporate equivalent of suffocation.
Regardless, the One Love symbol is a gesture, and gestures are important. To see that on the sleeve of Harry Kane, who has been quietly steadfast in his advocacy for diversity and acceptance in football, was inspiring. Seeing Kane like way will give support and inspiration to someone in the world. This is a phenomenon.
FA
Migrant workers may or may not benefit from the England team inviting them to their training site. In a more practical vein, the FA has approved compensating the relatives of individuals who have died during World Cup construction work.
This could be challenging because Qatar claims that almost no one has been harmed during World Cup construction work. How much is zero multiplied by a billion? All right, let’s seal the deal!
To a certain extent, Gareth Southgate is confirmed when he says that “there is a limit to what we can effect,” meaning that no matter what England does, it will be criticized. The statement is shocking because it seems the closest anyone has come to reveal the truth about this issue.
But not in the sense that I am implying. This week, we have another report from Qatar.
Dr. Hend Al Muftah is an influential member of Qatar’s government and serves as the country’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva.
She frequently speaks on human rights at conferences and other public events. In 2016, she was recognized as Qatar’s top social media influencer.
Declarations
The emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who assured world leaders last week that the World Cup will offer open doors (note: not actual open arms) to “fans from all walks of life,” probably code for “the gays,” appointed her to Qatar’s Consultative Council the following year.
Dr. Hend has sponsored the Scoring4TheGoals program that “breaks down boundaries & increases cultural understanding.” Her LinkedIn page states she is “very interested in dealing with kids and varied cultures.”
She seems like a terrific, progressive choice for chair of the UN Forum on Human Rights, and Qatar has been lobbying hard for her to be appointed in this role. This coincides with the beginning of the World Cup, a nice coincidence.
Social media posts by Dr. Hend suggest she shares the view that LGBT rights are “disgusting rights” (“May God curse them!”). adding that Jews are “our adversaries” who should be “paralyzed” because they “have dominated, tyrannized, and ruled the world.”
Although this does explain why she posted a viral message that promises to “trample the last corpse of a cursed Zionist” and linked to the observation that Jews, gays, and western civilization are responsible for “obscenity, decadence, cocaine, crack, exhibitionism, sex, and violence.” It does sound like a fun evening out.
Hend
Unfortunately for Dr. Hend, the content was brought to light by the monitoring organization UN Watch, which labeled her as “Qatar’s ambassador of hate,” which doesn’t sound like the ideal ambassador for a human rights event during the One Love World Cup.
Why would I tell you this story if I didn’t want to? Why? Because below all the dismal specifics, and even though Dr. Hend may have altered her beliefs, there is an honest message about acceptance and divergent worldviews.
It is enlightening to hear someone state what they truly believe, even if that person is an evildoer.
The current situation around the Symbol of Tolerance is quite obvious. To avoid offending your hosts, who don’t share your enthusiasm for this particular brand of tolerance and human rights, you must walk a tight line.
Twelve years ago, Qatar correctly forecasted the future, and now it has mostly dominated this field. In the event of a global energy catastrophe, Qatar’s gas reserves will last for 200 years. Qatar does not want guidance on how to act. The State of Qatar has a Drone Army.
Qatar
Besides hosting the World Cup, Qatar is also home to the infamous Glastonbury spider. Qatar will gladly have you in for a show once you arrive. Qatar has the finest intentions, but they believe you’re doomed no matter what. Nonetheless, that emblem is dope as hell, buddy.
Trying to corporate-message their way out of a situation where nothing can ever be right because virtually everything sounds wrong, it is hard to blame the FA’s statement drafters and logo designers.
Of course, Fifa is to blame, not just because they gave the World Cup to Qatar.
They are also to blame because they allowed Qatar to bid on the tournament first, took the money, and pretended to support progressive values while supporting the Taliban and other extremist groups. What options do we have in light of this? Cupid’s arrows, terse declarations of love.
And, maybe most importantly, an awareness of how limited everything is.