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The World Cup in Qatar has brought the country’s human rights record and gay laws into the international spotlight.
Same-sex relations are banned in Qatar, and “enticing or enticing a man or woman in any way to engage in an illegal or immoral act” is punishable by one to three years in prison.
Dr Nasser Mohamed, who is originally from Qatar but now lives in the US, told the Sky News Daily podcast that LGBT+ Qataris felt “left out” in the conversation about the country hosting the World Cup.
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“I’ll use an analogy where the kids are being domestically abused in a wealthy family’s house, and the family is now having a big dinner party where everyone is invited,” he said.
“The topic has become less about us and more about the visitors who are attending. It’s really just a philosophical, abstract debate that’s actually disconnected from people on several levels,” he continued.
Despite living in the United States for more than a decade, Dr Mohamed has only recently come out as LGBT+ in Qatar – putting his safety at risk.
“I came out to some friends after I left in 2011,” he said.
“I lost some of them, I was attacked. I have been living as an out gay man in the US ever since.
“Then in 2016, when I decided to apply for political asylum and stay here permanently, I decided to call my mum and tell her. Unfortunately, that was the beginning of the end of our relationship“
He told Sally Lockwood on the Sky News Daily podcast that he had received death threats since coming out and now feels he will “never go back” to the country he grew up in.
Producer: Soila Apparicio
Interview Producer: Alys Bowen
Promotion Producer: David Chipakupaku
Editors: Paul Stanworth and Philly Beaumont
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