Qatar, host of the FIFA World Cup Tournament, has announced ahead of the competition that, “the country prohibits anyone from having sex outside of marriage, and World Cup fans are by no means exempted from this.”
According to Qatar government, sex-outside-marriage, by any player and by fans during the forthcoming Tournament, attracts seven (7) years’ imprisonment for anyone who is found guilty of the directive.
Besides, public affection between men and women is also a crime, and no one is expected to wear excessively revealing clothing in public during the event.
Qatar government also said, the country has a strict “no drinking in public” law; and that the country “prohibits anyone from being publicly intoxicated.”
A police source was quoted by the British press to have said, “sex is not the order of the day, unless you come as a couple;” and that, “There will certainly be no one-night stands at this tournament. There will be no partying at all…
“Everyone has to keep a cool head, unless they want to risk going to jail. For the first time in the history of the World Cup, sex is banned. Fans need to be prepared;” the source added.
However, few weeks ago, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, had explained that, “everyone is welcome at the tournament. We don’t prevent anyone from coming to Doha with different backgrounds, different beliefs, Qatar is a very welcoming country.
“We have millions of people who come to visit our country, and the World Cup is a great opportunity for people from different parts of the world to come and discover our culture.”
The World Cup Tournament, organized by FIFA, happens every four (4) years among countries that qualify for the competition.
The competition, which has been since 1930, was won by France in 2018, when the team defeated Croatia by 4-2 in Russia, the host country.