David Beckham has been accused of ‘stamping out hope’ for the queer community in Qatar over his promotional work for the country’s upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Dr Nas Mohamed, became the first openly gay man in Qatar, has slammed the football star for being complicit in the discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.
According to the letter obtained by The Independent, Dr Mohamed told the former English captain he was 'taking money and looking the other way’ and urged him not to be ‘silent toward injustice’.
He wrote: “You are stamping out hope for the LGBT community in Qatar.
“You show up... take money and look the other way. Furthermore, you send a message that there is truly no chance for us to escape our current persecution and live freely.”
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He added: “This whitewashing of the persecution of the LGBT community in Qatar does not just erase the pain of those suffering from it, but also undermines their pleas for asylum when they do escape. After all, if David Beckham describes Qatar as ‘perfection’, how bad could it really be?”
Dr Mohamed said Beckham’s support of Qatar, a nation where it is illegal to be homosexual, paints an 'inaccurate representation' and continues to risk the lives of the LGBT+ community.
He concluded: “I am asking you [Beckham] to use your platform to amplify our voices and highlight that we are not OK."
According to Fox Sports, Beckham will earn $277 million (AUD$ 425m or £150m) next month as the World Cup kicks off.
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However, as his involvement has garnered widespread criticism for denouncing homosexuality and its history of women’s rights, Beckham has assured fans that his partnership would help ‘bridge’ the gap.
The football star insisted that anyone would be allowed into the country’s football stadiums with venues hanging up Pride flags.
A source told The Sun: “David believes in Qatar’s commitment to progress and that the World Cup — the first to be held in the Arab world — can effect significant positive change.
“He strongly believes in the power of football to bridge differences but, crucially, has seen the progress on issues that matter.”
LADbible has since reached out to David Beckham’s team for comment.
Topics: News, World Cup, Sport, LGBTQ, David Beckham, Celebrity, Mental Health
Charisa Bossinakis