Zia Chaudhry MBE DL
Barrister, Speaker, Author.
Despite an abundance of British credentials (born here, brought up here, educated here, joined an establishment profession here, pay my taxes here, received an MBE from the Queen, unfailingly polite, self-deprecating sense of humour, well-behaved in a queue and love cake), I must admit I did not feel very British when it came to some of the media coverage of the competition in Qatar. I have always been wary of hurling the “racist” label around too liberally, maybe in part because I have been blessed with “success’, but try as I might I cannot avoid the word when I look at how Qatar has been treated recently.
Major global sporting events are an ideal opportunity to bring people together and reinforce the common bonds of humanity. Or, they can be an ideal opportunity to propagate notions of superiority and the promotion of cultural hegemony. And when it is the latter, we see on full display the increasingly evident liberal hypocrisy which picks and chooses the causes it deems worthy of support – political or otherwise. For example, for years we have heard how sport and politics should not mix. Then Ukraine was invaded and suddenly no event could take place without mention of the plight of the Ukrainians. Imagine the surprise of the Palestinians, with their decades-old struggle to be free of oppression!
Growing up in Britain it’s easy to buy into the idea that Western values are superior. Yet what happens when we scratch beneath the surface?
There are daily debates in Britain and America which seem to struggle with basic definitions of man and woman, so how well-placed are we to export our views to other nations when we seem to be in a state of confusion ourselves? Don’t get me wrong, I am all for an exchange of ideas and if we believe “ours” are more beneficial to society then we should not be afraid to say so. But that does not mean that all norms of respect are cast aside. And it certainly does not entitle us to ignore the laws of other states when we choose to visit them.
Sadly, some of the coverage of the World Cup has merely served to highlight the limitations of “liberal” tolerance. We will put up with your funny ways when it suits us (particularly when we want your money) but only as long as you accept our inherent superiority, and when we decide to criticise you, your job is to humbly submit. For too long it has appeared that many nations were willing to go along with this model but in 2022 the world looks very different to how it did in 1922 and there are those who are struggling to cope with that. They can dress up their concerns however they like but it is becoming apparent that the emperor is not wearing any clothes, and he is not enjoying this being pointed out.
Much of the unsuspecting and well-intentioned public has been misled by irresponsible depictions of so-called tolerance without analysing this further. I am clear in my understanding that Muslims in the UK must abide by the law of the land. There is no debate about this. So if Muslims with four wives for example, cannot expect English law to recognise them, how is it that some people can expect Qatar to change its laws and norms to accommodate their behaviour during a month-long competition.
And what was depicted as some rights issue was of course no more than a reminder that certain behaviour was not acceptable in public in Qatar. There was no enforcement of “Islamic values” on unsuspecting visitors. There were no religious police investigating whether couples were married or not, or insisting that women cover their hair, or ensuring that nobody consumed alcohol. But there certainly seemed to be a lot of people enjoying each other’s company, the football on display, and their host’s hospitality.
If I avoided the British media and its barbed comments, I saw a World Cup which really displayed the meaning of the Qur’anic verse stating “We made you into nations and tribes so that you can get to know one another” [Qur’an: 49:13]. It was a joyous occasion. It culminated in one of the best finals ever. It will be remembered for years to come. All that Qatar asked for in return was a little respect.
• Zia Chaudhry MBE DL
Barrister, Speaker, Author.