Doc67 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 9:51 am

orichá wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 9:17 am

hburns wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 7:26 pm I'm confused. Are the Qatari's for or against the gays? Given the lack of women visible and it being a total cock fest they must be for the gays.

The true irony about homosexuality in Arabia is largely unknown by Western folk. In fact, there are a very large number of covert gays, both male and female in many Arab nations, including, and especially,in Saudi Arabia. Why? Well nobody knows for sure why, but many speculate that the very strict rules of public social movement tend to keep men and women apart. If you are a woman, unless you are related to a man, you can't go about town freely to meet guys in the coffee shop. In contrast, look at the men. In Saudi, Iraq, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, Pakistan, etc, the fellas are always out and about with their pals in tea shops, etc... Men can go to each other's apartments if they are not married. But it would be impossible or tricky to take a single woman home unless you are of the privileged wealthy classes etc... Saudi princes have for years notoriously bought peasant women and girls for their private entertainment at home. But there are more middle class and downright poor people in Saudi than princes... Because of the harsh rules of gender segregation, there is generally a lot more homosexuality in Arabia than the West. They just keep mum about it.

So, in a nutshell, Islam can turn you gay?

Or have I missed something?

I didn't say that Islam makes people gay. The religion has had various quite different social effects manifestations since it's inception, some liberal, others inhibiting. I said that due to the strict segregation of gender in many Arab countries, especially in Saudi Arabia, there are large numbers of covert homosexuals. This is a fact known to many and unknown to even more ...

Doc67 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 9:51 am
So, in a nutshell, Islam can turn you gay?

Or have I missed something?

They do say that is was the Muslims who invented sex. Then the Christians introduced it to women

ali baba wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 8:23 pm

The concept of simply marrying the one you love is a uniquely western one.

I just want to point out that this is a very recent development and for much of Europe's history your spouse, your lover and your business partner were 3 different people.

this is very true
Getting divorced just because you don't love a man is almost as silly as getting married just because you do

i was always under the impression that muslims regarded boys for fun women for babies.

untll they discovered 13 year old white girls that is.

SATURDAY, November 26, 2022
World Cup fans shun Qatar over pricey hotels and LGBTQ, alcohol bans
Expensive accommodation and bans on alcohol and supporting LGBTQ rights are causing World Cup tourists to stay in the United Arab Emirates instead of Qatar.
Host nation Qatar has been heavily criticised over several issues, which is thought to have put many fans and tourists off visiting the country.

Qatar had been hoping to welcome huge numbers of visitors from around the world due to several favourable factors.
These include a better location for international flights than the previous three hosts, South Africa, Brazil, and Russia, and the fact that eight World Cup stadiums are close to its capital, Doha. Also, as a smaller country, Qatar can facilitate tourists more easily.

However, the country has reportedly failed to meet its visitor targets for the World Cup, with stadiums showing large patches of empty seats during games.

Three reasons have been given for the disappointing turnout:
- Expensive accommodation
-Strict laws and restrictions including an alcohol ban
-The banning of gestures in support of LGBTQ rights, including the “OneLove” armband that team captains had planned to wear. Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and punishable by up to three years in prison, and even the death penalty for Muslims.

These factors have caused many fans to fly to Dubai, where accommodation is cheaper and alcohol is legal and freely available.

They can also take advantage of the 10 low-cost flights per day from Dubai to Doha.

UAE’s Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh are also popular destinations for football fans who did not want to stay in Qatar.

According to the Associated Press, most fans chose other cities over Doha after accommodation prices in the Qatari capital surged a few months before the tournament.

AP said a last-minute alcohol ban in stadiums had also caused tourists to divert to other countries where they can drink in nightclubs, bars, and resorts while watching World Cup matches.
- AP

Qatar’s Ghanaian workers cheer the Black Stars: ‘We have suffered here, so we should be able to enjoy ourselves’
As Ghana faced Portugal, hundreds of migrants gathered outside the stadium to celebrate every goal – despite being unable to afford a ticket
Pete Pattisson in Doha
Fri 25 Nov 2022 14.34 GMT
As a roar erupts around the stadium, Philip* leaps into the air. “Goal!” he screams. And then a moment later, “Goal?” He looks confused. He cannot figure out if his beloved Ghana have scored against Portugal, and no one nearby seems to be sure either.

That is because Philip is not in the stadium, but one of hundreds of Ghanaian supporters outside. They have rushed to the ground from construction sites, guard duties and cleaning shifts across Qatar, to support their team. But with no screen showing the game, they are left to gauge its progress from the sounds in the stadium and the few who can stream it on their phones.

With the exception of the hosts, Ghana may make up the largest population in Qatar with a team in the tournament, and on Thursday night they turned out in force, whether or not they had tickets.

“You need a card to buy a ticket, but I don’t have one, so how could I get a ticket?” says Philip, describing the dilemma faced by many low-wage workers. “I’m still happy. It’s not often I get the opportunity to be in a place like this,” he adds.

A few hours earlier, as he travelled from the rundown workshop in the north of the country where he lives and works, his mood was different. Brimming with anger, he described the daily humiliation he endures in Qatar.

“It’s very terrible, very terrible here. They treat us like slaves,” he says. Philip is a ‘helper’, a catch-all job, which means he can be put to work doing anything. “I only get 1,000 rials (£225) a month. Even if they make us do overtime, it’s still 1,000 rials.” Asked about Qatar’s recent labour reforms, he retorts, “No, no, no, no! That is all lies!”

But as Philip boards the metro to the stadium, his anger evaporates and football takes over. Within seconds, he has fired up the Ghanaians fans, shouting, “Ghana! Ghana! Ghana!”
https://www.theguardian.com/global-deve ... -world-cup