CNN’s Dana Bash grilled Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) on his recent World Cup trip to Qatar, urging him to answer to criticism over the country’s terrible human rights record amid its World Cup hosting duties.
Murphy posted a controversial photo of himself with UN Secretary General António Guterres and Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatar’s Foreign Minister on November 21.
Many of the responses to Murphy’s tweet were extremely critical, with many questioning why the senator referred to Qatar’s foreign minister as a “friend” and highlighting the thousands of migrant workers who died during the construction of World Cup facilities.
Also highlighted by commentators were Qatari officials’ oppression of journalists, and the country’s anti-LGBTQ policies, as well as s Qatar’s alcohol ban during the soccer tournament.
“The foreign minister is a friend but Qatar is a complicated partner. This is a country that needs to do better when it comes to its record of political freedom, its protection for workers. But it is also a country that has helped us save the lives of tens of thousands of afghanis. Qatar is the country where all the interpreters and personnel that supported the U.S. military in Afghanistan go while they’re awaiting processing to come to the United States. Nobody else was willing to step up and do that except for Qatar…” Murphy claimed.
Bash followed up however, pressing Murphy about human rights abuses in the country: “Did you use your time talk privately with leaders there about human rights abuses?” she asked.
Murphy then claimed that he had, and that he had even met with ‘human rights leaders’ during his most recent visit.
The current World Cup which is now being hosted by Qatar has been a source of global controversy. FIFA, in particular has come under fire for letting the repressive Middle Eastern Regime play host to the popular sporting event.
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