NTAs: Lenny Henry makes a joke about David Beckham
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This year, the Fifa World Cup will be hosted in Qatar between November 20 and December 18. David Beckham, 47, has been criticised by Judge Rinder, 44, for accepting the £10million deal despite the country’s harsh discrimination laws against women and gay people.
The Good Morning Britain presenter hit out at the former England captain for putting “money before morals”.
He also slammed the decision to hold the major tournament in the oppressive Middle East nation as a “disgrace”.
He spoke about the oppression that women and people from the LGBTQ+ community have to endure in Qatar.
Judge Rinder also condemned the county for their treatment of thousands of migrant construction workers, who he explained had died while the stadiums for the football tournament were being built.
The television personality insisted that countries should not be permitted to use sporting events as an excuse to “cleanse” their unsavoury reputations.
“There should be basic requirements before you are entitled to [host] them, and that’s not just about LGBTQ,” he told The Mail on Sunday.
“It’s about the 6,500 workers who died, it’s about the fact that Beckham’s daughter Harper would not be able to continue with her education [if she was Qatari] without the permission of a male relative.”
Insisting we “know from history” that countries do not improve or change their attitudes after staging such events, he then gave the examples of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Russia hosting the last World Cup.
“It is tragic that we are about to have the World Cup in Qatar,” Judge Rinder lamented. “We need to do the best, all of us, to highlight all of the issues I’m talking about. We can’t bury our heads in the sand.
“You know this is about money, not about the purity or love of the game. What a tragic moment that is.”
The star added that he does not believe The World Cup will force Qatar to fix its terrible human rights laws, which include a three-year jail sentence for homosexuality.
Last month, David was called out on social media after an advert promoting the event was released where he claimed Qatar is “perfection”.
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During the 30-minute clip for Visit Qatar – David was seen filming around the country, hopping aboard a sailing boat and visiting a spice market.
“Qatar really is an incredible place to spend a few days on a stopover,” the former footballer said in the advert.
“This is perfection. I cannot wait to bring my children back here.”
Qatar authorities have so far failed to reassure those worried about their human rights record.
Qatar has a ban on same-sex intercourse and women are required to have a male “guardian’s” permission in order to marry or study abroad on government scholarships.
Despite such discriminatory laws, the country has not yet confirmed fans and players will be safe at this year’s event, which has prompted some to boycott the tournament.
Despite Qatar’s terrifying human rights record, David is also a UNICEF ambassador.
Express.co.uk has contacted David Beckham’s representatives for comment.
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