SYDNEY
\nAustralia\u2019s national football team Thursday condemned human rights abuses in Qatar ahead of the World Cup, becoming the first participating side to collectively criticise the host country.
\nFootball Australia said the reported exploitation of migrant workers during stadium construction \u201ccannot be ignored\u201d, and urged Qatar to legalise same-sex marriage in one of the most significant tournament protests to date.
\nThe upcoming World Cup (beginning on November 20) has been marred by controversy since Qatar was awarded the rights 12 years ago.
\n\u201cWe acknowledge the significant progress and legislative reforms have occurred in Qatar over recent years to recognise and protect the rights of workers, and we encourage all stakeholders to continue this path to reform,\u201d Football Australia said in a statement.
\n\u201cHowever, we have also learned that the tournament has been associated with suffering for some migrant workers and their families and this cannot be ignored.\u201d
\nThe statement from Football Australia was accompanied by a short video featuring 16 players from the Socceroos.
\n\u201cOver the last two years, we have been on a journey to understand and know more about the situation in Qatar,\u201d the players said in the video.
\n\u201cWe are not experts, but we have listened to groups such as Amnesty, Fifa\u201d and \u201cmost importantly, the migrant workers of Qatar\u201d.
\nThe players acknowledged reforms to improve working conditions but said these changes had been \u201cinconsistent\u201d and could be improved.
\nFootball Australia also urged the oil-rich country to take a softer stance towards same-sex marriage, which is illegal in the country.
\n\u201cAs the most multicultural, diverse and inclusive sport in our country, we believe everyone should be able to feel safe and be their true authentic selves.\u201d
\nDenmark in September announced a special black playing kit — the \u201ccolour of mourning\u201d — to recognise the migrant workers who have died in Qatar.
\nAmnesty International last week said workers in Qatar were still being exploited on \u201ca significant scale\u201d.
\nCaptains from a number of leading European countries, including England, France and Germany, will wear armbands in rainbow colours with the message \u201cOne Love\u201d in an anti-discrimination campaign during the tournament.
\nQatar\u2019s ruler earlier this week hit out at \u201cdouble standards\u201d unleashed in what he described was an \u201cunprecedented campaign\u201d of criticism over his country\u2019s rights record.
\n\u201cSince we won the honour of hosting the World Cup, Qatar has been subjected to an unprecedented campaign that no host country has faced,\u201d Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani told Qatar\u2019s legislative council.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SYDNEY Australia\u2019s national football team Thursday condemned human rights abuses in Qatar ahead of the World Cup, becoming the first participating side to collectively criticise the host country. Football Australia said the reported exploitation of migrant workers during stadium construction \u201ccannot be ignored\u201d, and urged Qatar to legalise same-sex marriage in one of the most […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":292048,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-292023","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n