COMMENTARY | Abdoul Mahdieu Savage | 20/11/2022

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino assumed the critics of Qatar’s human rights abuses were only Europeans motivated by a form of aggressive orientalism when he launched his unwholesome diatribe against critics of the World Cup host nation, Qatar. As an Italian himself, he points out that: “We have told many, many lessons from some Europeans, from the western world. I think for what we Europeans have been doing [for] the last 3,000 years we should be apologising for [the] next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people.” It is tempting to commend him for his forthright candour. The problem arises at a deeper level: his glib reference to European history around the world collapses several distinct epochs and periods of unpalatable historical narratives. This is one way to trivialise the experiences of slavery and colonialism, for example, to give Qatar an off-ramp. Infantino’s criticism comes directly from Edward Said’s seminal work, ORIENTALISM. This book foregrounds European attitudes, opinions and perceptions of people of Asia, and by extension the colonised, as stemming from their assumed superiority.

But people from outside Europe have raised concerns about the myriad of unexplained deaths of migrant workers in Qatar during the construction of football stadiums. Most of these workers were from the developing world: Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines. His speech established a false moral equivalence between the 3000 years of European global domination in the world and the present erosion of human rights in Qatar. It is doubtful whether there was any need to make this comparison. The labour laws governing Qatari migrant workers under the ‘Kafala system’ are ancient and arcane. Indeed, there is hardly any respect for minority rights in the country. In addition, Qatar reneged on its initial commitment to allow alcohol consumption at the games. He’s at worst being wilfully reductive, assuming that the millions of Africans and their descendants who endured slavery deserve no serious moral consideration today in much the same way Qatari migrant workers don’t deserve any mention.

His PR exercise was tone-deaf. He and it’s clear he set out to satisfy his hosts, no doubt. But he ends up trivialising the histories of African and Asian nations, which once were under European colonial rule.

So, why did so some people jump on the bandwagon to sing his praises as one who spoke on behalf of Africans, Asians and minorities around the globe? He did not at all! Truth is, he merely muddied the waters.

It is the case that in the 21st century, each and every one of us must endeavour to treat people from different cultural backgrounds with respect. Perceptions of the world may differ, but that is not reason enough not to coexist in peace and harmony. Understanding the other means a willingness to learn.