MAGAZINE

The beautiful game? Qatar, football and freedom
05 Oct 22
Index

The hosting of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has caused global outrage, with many calling for a boycott of the event. As we approach November, when the tournament will start, we decided to turn the lens to the question of football and freedoms. We set out with a simple question: “Is football bad for free speech?” And yet the answer was complex. Kaya Genc writes about Turkish President Reccep Erdogan buying up sporting clubs to stop the arenas being used for protest; China’s leader Xi Jinping force-feeds the nation’s kids a diet of soccer while Uyghur footballers playing for Chinese teams are paraded as examples of racial harmony. Against these negatives are stories of remarkable positivity. Permi Jhooti, the real-life inspiration for Bend It Like Beckham, says football gave her a voice to challenge the traditions she had been raised in. The same applied to Khalida Popal, the first captain of Afghanistan’s women’s team. We asked a leading philosopher, Julian Baggini, whether we should expect the world’s footballers to speak out against atrocities. His answer was no. We asked an activist from Qatar whether we should boycott the tournament. His answer was yes. Beyond the special report, we interview the activist Benedict Rogers, Martin Bright looks at the history of reggae in Poland, we report on "banned books clubs" in the USA and Flo Marks writes about the erasure of bisexual identities.

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FEATURING

Jihyun Park

Jihyun Park

Jihyun Park is a UK-based activist who defected from North Korea. She recently coauthored her memoir, The Hard Road Out.

Jihyun Park

Jihyun Park

Jihyun Park is a UK-based activist who defected from North Korea. She recently coauthored her memoir, The Hard Road Out.

Julian Baggini

Julian Baggini

Julian Baggini is a British writer and the academic director of the Royal Institute of Philosophy in London.

Julian Baggini

Julian Baggini

Julian Baggini is a British writer and the academic director of the Royal Institute of Philosophy in London.

Khalida Popal

Khalida Popal

Khalida Popal is an Afghan football player and director. She is also the founder and director of Girl Power Organization and the Program and Event Director of the Afghanistan Women...Read More

Khalida Popal

Khalida Popal

Khalida Popal is an Afghan football player and director. She is also the founder and director of Girl Power Organization and the Program and Event Director of the Afghanistan Women’s National Football Team.

IN THIS ISSUE

Failed empty gesture 0 – 1 Strong silent stand

The Iranian team's defiant stand against oppression at the World Cup in Qatar puts everyone else to shame

How ‘industrial football’ was used to silence protests

Football fans turned out in large numbers during the Gezi Park protests in Istanbul. They’ve paid the price since

Xi’s real China dream

China’s leader is football mad and he has put the sport at the forefront of many initiatives. When it comes to the nation’s freedoms that’s been a mixed blessing

Refereeing rights: Why we shouldn’t expect footballers to hand out human rights red cards

Do sports stars have a duty to be politically active? A leading philosopher argues that the responsibility lies elsewhere

How well do you know the beautiful game?

What do you know about the intersection of human rights and football? Take our quiz and find out

Contents – The beautiful game? Qatar, football and freedom

The autumn issue of Index takes as its central theme the FIFA World Cup that will take place in Qatar in November and December 2022. A country where human rights are constantly under threat, Qatar is under the spotlight and many are calling for a boycott of the...

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