Attribution to Deccan Herald

OneLove armbands were originally started as part of a 2020 inclusiveness campaign launched by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB). The KNVB opposes all forms of discrimination, including by race, gender, skin colour and culture. The red, black and green colours symbolise race and origin. The pink, yellow and blue colours symbolise all gender identified and sexual orientations.

The World Cup is currently happening in Qatar. The penalty for two men sleeping together in Qatar is three years in prison. Clash. The seven captains, of the European teams, competing at the World Cup, had intended to wear OneLove armbands. They were forced, to back down, at the last moment, when the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), warned them that if they wore their arm bands they would be hit with a yellow card. In Soccer, if you get two yellow cards in a game, you are ejected and your team plays a man short. If you get two yellows during the event, you are out for the next game. The captains did not want to put their team in jeopardy, so they had to back down.

However, protests continue. The German team took a team picture, with their hands covering their mouths. Politicians, at individual games, have been seen wearing armbands at the games. Fans, attending the games, wearing OneLove clothing have been detained by security officials and not permitted intoi the stadium until the “offending” clothing was removed.

All protests start small. But they grow. These protests are bringing attention to the horrid discrimination in Qatar and other Arab states. It brings into question why FIFA, back in 2010, chose Qatar as the 2022 site. Similar questions have been raised as to how Russia was chosen as the 2018 site. FIFA and its individual representatives are far richer for making these controversial choices, I am sure.