Qatar’s Security Cooperation with Iran to Control Iranian Spectators
Qatar’s security cooperation with Iran to control Iranian spectators at the 2022 Qatar World Cup began amid international public protests over human rights conditions in Qatar and various situations for foreign workers and different social groups in the country. Hosting the world’s most important sporting event in a country like Qatar has been a significant topic for both political and sports experts for several years, not just this year or last.
Special Situation in Qatar
The special situation in Qatar and the social and political control of interactions within the country by its ruling system is nothing new. Qatar has been well aware of the public sensitivity regarding its hosting of major world football teams and the World Cup for several years. It is unrealistic to expect that Qataris would be surprised or caught off guard by signs of international public anger over their hosting.
The process leading to FIFA’s awarding of the World Cup hosting rights during the tenure of its notorious president Sepp Blatter was so corrupt, and the political and financial interactions Qatar engaged in to secure the hosting were so blatant that it left a bitter taste, especially for the chef themselves. The result of growing public sensitivity about Qatar’s hosting was the formation of a special situation in the country.
It was natural that reports about the dire situation of foreign workers, who bore almost the entire burden of construction and infrastructure development for the tournament, led Qatari officials to conclude that the only way to maximally control domestic interactions and events and to curb the spread of news about worker deaths, their living conditions, rights, and treatment by Qataris was through strict measures.
The main task and priority were naturally widespread financial investment in the media, using sports and non-sports celebrities, and most importantly, wielding influence over European and American politicians, each of whom was in one way or another indebted to Qatari money.
The Tournament Started, and the Situation Became More Special
While the special situation in Qatar naturally continued with the tools and strategies mentioned, and Qataris had begun a new round of media activities to promote the grandeur and magnificence of their World Cup hosting, the weeks leading up to the tournament’s opening sounded the alarm for Qataris.
The international public found new reports about the situation of foreign workers alarming, and concerns about social and sexual minorities were also raised. The rights of homosexuals and their severe restrictions in Qatar suddenly became a significant issue. Qataris suddenly realized that the massive presence of foreign spectators and the stadium conditions could be a serious threat.
The behavior of players, their interviews, symbols, and jerseys were also an additional threat. In this more special situation, maximum control over everything happening in Qatar became necessary. Qataris succeeded in using their influence over foreign officials to get figures like the FIFA president and the French president to openly support them.
Restrictions on alcohol consumption, which were suddenly imposed, and warnings about carrying homosexual symbols in stadiums were also accompanied by the support and approval of the FIFA president, which ultimately led to the captains of teams being prohibited from wearing armbands supporting homosexuals.
Iranians Took Charge of the Situation
The World Cup and Iran’s matches in this tournament have been more influenced by domestic developments in our country and the public protests and demands of Iranians than anything else. It is unbelievable that the refusal of our national team players to sing the national anthem in the match against England and their compulsion to sing it in the match against Wales gained more importance for international journalists and media than the course and events of the games themselves.
British and European sports and football experts pointed out the pressures applied to the players in both the situation where Iran’s match against England ended in a heavy defeat and the situation where our team defeated Wales. The presence of Iranian spectators in stadiums and their carrying of symbols and chanting of various slogans attracted much attention, and the match against England clearly became an arena for bringing the voice of the people’s demands into the sports field.
Alarm for Iranians and Qatari Security’s Response
A Sky News sports reporter sounded the alarm about Qataris’ security cooperation with Iranian security forces to control Iranian spectators. He provided a detailed report on the situation of Iranian spectators, their symbols, jerseys, banners, and slogans they prepared, as well as what was done by them during the match before the start of Iran’s national team match against Wales.
He specifically mentioned that a young Iranian girl holding a national team jersey with the name Mahsa Amini and the number 22 in memory of her age at the time of her demise was removed from the stadium by Qatari security officials. The fate of this young Iranian girl is unknown.
Now, following the activities of a hacker group, new documents have emerged indicating a prior agreement between Qatari officials and Iranians to control Iranian spectators. The Black Reward hacker group, which made headlines by hacking the Fars News Agency and releasing numerous and varied documents, has published documents that indicate deep and dangerous cooperation between the two sides, which apparently has been in place for some time.
Qataris provided the identities of Iranian ticket buyers for the World Cup matches in a detailed list to Iranian security officials, and it is natural that the groundwork for controlling and tracking them during and after the World Cup has been laid. Additionally, Qataris promised Iranians that they would help as much as possible to control spectators and prevent protests and the carrying of protest symbols. As a result, the crackdown on Iranian spectators is not surprising, and now there are serious concerns about the continuation of the tournament and the situation of Iranian spectators, and more importantly, the fate of spectators whose identities are fully available to Iranian security officials.
In this regard, we also suggest the following articles
- The Homeland of Football and Politics
- Qatar, the Censor’s Ideal Host