LEADERS of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) have criticised the venue and timing of the 2022 football World Cup, which begins in Qatar on 20 November, and urged awareness of human-rights abuses during the tournament.

“This is a country where human-rights organisations and trade unions have addressed the degrading situation of migrant workers, the massively restricted rights of women, the lack of protection for sexual minorities, and the lack of freedom of expression, religion, and media,” Annette Kurschus, Praeses of Westphalia and President of the Council of the EKD, told Bernd Neuendorf, president of the German Football Association.

“Far from being played in isolation on TV, the World Cup shapes the character and mood of the public space, and will also affect those — not just believers — for whom these weeks are a time of Advent reflection,” she said.

The open letter, co-signed by the EKD’s sports officer, Thorsten Latzel, said that more than one million low-wage workers faced “highly precarious” conditions in Qatar, which has the world’s highest carbon-dioxide emission rate. It urged Mr Neuendorf’s delegation to “stand up clearly for human rights” by inspecting migrant living quarters and defending women and sexual minorities.

“Religion and sport intersect in several areas, both contributing to an open, democratic and decent society,” said Praeses Kurschus, who also chairs the EKD’s Evangelical Press Association and the supervisory board of the German Bible Society.

“People have rights, no matter where they come from and work, or which gender, religion, or sexual orientation they have. . . Their protection must be just as important as high ecological standards at any major international sporting event.”

A total of 32 national teams will be competing at the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the first in an Arab country, which will end on 18 December, Qatar’s National Day. Preparations for the tournament have been marred by controversy over the death and injury rates among labourers drafted in to construct the venues. 

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