A widely circulated poster welcoming Qatar contains incorrect information. But some of the "bans" show activities that are also prohibited by Qatari law or that are generally discouraged for visitors to the country.
"Qatar welcomes you!"
This is how the poster begins, which was distributed on social networks a month and a half before the start of the World Cup. Here, visitors to the country are asked to "show respect for local religion and culture" by avoiding the following:
Drinking alcohol, homosexuality, obscenity, foul language (profanity), loud music and noise, dating, disrespect for holy places, and photographing people without consent.
Who is really behind this, and is some of the content true? We will look at this in more detail.
The poster was first distributed in Arabic and then also in English and Norwegian. Among other things, it is shared by the Arab football site EPL World, which has over 2.8 million followers on Twitter.
Rejected
According to Mark Owen Jones, a professor of Middle Eastern studies at Hamad bin Khalifa University in Qatar, the poster has received over 15,000 retweets and over 45,000 likes.
Jones is behind several studies on the spread of misinformation. He dismisses the content and compares the group behind it to people standing in cities around the world handing out flyers about God and religion.
No, alcohol was not banned - on the contrary, the rules became less strict - no music, no dates, no loud noises, no swearing, he writes on Twitter.
The poster was not published by the Qatari authorities, which the WC felt it their duty to clarify. In a statement, the committee writes that the poster is not from an official source and contains factual errors. Also about 20 things you should know before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, check out this post.
The poster has been verified by Reuters, AFP and News Mobile, among others. Dagbladet, TV 2 and Aftenposten wrote about the case.
Not surprised
But even if the poster is not official, some of the illustrations show behavior that visitors to a Muslim country are usually warned against. Some actions may result in arrest, fines, deportation and/or imprisonment.
Marie Norbakk, social anthropologist and researcher at the Kr.
- As a person who works with Qatar, I did not react in any way. There are a lot of people in Qatar who want people to respect these things, she said.
- I'm not familiar with this particular organization, but in the past I've come across leaflets handed out several times calling for respect for public morality in dress.
Qatari women
Behind the widely distributed poster is the Reflect Your Respect campaign, which aims to promote traditional Islamic values in Qatar. The campaign was first launched in 2012 and relaunched in 2014 to encourage foreigners to cover their shoulders and knees in public. Find out also why FIFA may abandon the format of three-team groups at the 2026 by following this link.
According to Doha News, Qatari women were behind it. Spokeswoman Umm Abdullah said many Qatari women avoid public places and malls because they don't want to expose themselves or their children to these things.
“We will cherish our traditions and values,” she said.
"Reflection of your respect" refers to Article 57 of the Constitution of Qatar. It states that everyone who is in the country is obliged to observe public order and morality in accordance with national traditions and established customs.
However, there is nothing in Qatar law about a specific dress code, although many parks and malls have their own dress codes enforced by security guards, Doha News reported in 2014.
