NO WORLD CUP 2022 IN QATAR
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Those who have known me for a long time know that I have been concerned and have kept my eyes as well as my ears on this World Cup award and related events since the very beginning.
And that continues to this day! What are my motives?
What do I have to do with Qatar or the 15,000 dead people?
What connects me with each and every one of them?
I have nothing to do with the country of Qatar and its culture, neither privately nor professionally. Nor do I have anything to do with the 15,000 people who died.
But with "one", I have very much to do with human rights, justice and my truth. I did not know a single one of these people!
To feel and sense the suffering they went through; I don't have to know any of them personally to feel it.
How can a country be allowed to host a global sporting event, in this case, a football World Cup, with the knowledge of this tragedy?
There is not the slightest justifiable, acceptable and humane explanation for this!
This World Cup must never take place in Qatar!
These approx. 15,000 people who are no longer alive all had a wife with at least 3 to 5 children in their home country!
These approx. 15,000 people who are no longer alive all had mothers and/or fathers!
These approx. 15,000 or so people who are no longer alive all had brothers and sisters!
These approx. 15,000 no longer living people all had cousins!
These approx. 15,000 no longer living people all had friends!
All of the above are in grief and pain!
They are in hatred and angry and helpless towards the people who are consciously responsible for it!
These approx. 15,000 people were recruited alive and brought to Qatar to build stadiums, roads and infrastructure.
These approx. 15,000 people did not go there of their own free will.
I want to say that they were forced to go there of their own free will to earn money for their families and relatives, feed them, and survive in their own country! They did not go to Qatar alive, knowing they would meet death! No, they didn't! But that is precisely how it happened and was accepted! I don't remember these horrible events being placed in the world media so that it reached people all over the world!
Gianni Infantino, the FIFA President, literally says: "It will simply be the best World Cup in history, the greatest show in the world".
When I talked about it among my friends and acquaintances, many were shocked and replied:
"I didn't know that, or at least not on this scale."
"Yes, I once heard on the side-lines that some construction site workers died there."
Why, and what from, no one could answer me.
The people in charge elegantly covered themselves with a cloak of silence.
FIFA with its networks and all the cooperation partners who are connected to it or are linked to it, such as Adidas, Audi and, in the front line, the Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Gianni Infantino's best friend, are the clock setters and the greedy ones who walk over corpses! Therefore, FIFA and its entourage have a duty to officially cancel this World Cup!
My personal appeal goes out to the active professional footballers!
To all those currently scheduled for this World Cup and those who are not taking part in it, they still have to open their mouths. I count many former players from all participating countries among them. I appeal to the DFB, the most prominent sports federation globally, to take the first step and stay home!
I asked myself from the beginning, how can I, as a footballer and above all as the person I primarily am, travel to a country where people knowingly died for the construction of this World Cup?
How can I travel to a country and enter a stadium where, as in ancient Rome and its arenas, BLOOD has knowingly been shed? How can I be applauded and celebrated in an arena where people have paid with their lives? How can I reconcile that with my conscience?
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You all have a mother, a father, a sister or perhaps a brother. So I don't rule out that not everything applies to each of you.
How do you think they would feel if this happened to their sons or siblings?
Would they be happy for this World Cup and watch it on TV?
What do you think?
I was asked questions like:
For all professional footballers, Nunzio, this is "the event" ever. And many of these professional footballers will probably only have this opportunity to participate in a World Cup once in their lives! However, they can't deny themselves, can they?
Oh yes, they should deny themselves, for they have the privilege to continue to breathe, to continue to participate in life, to continue to exercise their profession as footballers, to continue to pursue a life of consumption, to continue to spend time with their families and friends, to laugh, to cry, to argue, to eat, to sleep, to travel, to love and ultimately simply to be allowed to live. But unfortunately, not a single one of these 15,000 deceased human souls can do that!
I know what you can do! But, unfortunately, you cannot bring every dead person who was involved in Qatar back to life. But you can do one thing! You can gain the greatest respect, the sincerest appreciation and the most profound respect of all the bereaved for LIFETIMES by your non-participation!
You are not just easing the pain or loss of a loved one by doing so.
NO, you are giving them far more. You are giving back human dignity to each and every bereaved person so that from this moment on, they will know, and not only they, but the whole world will know, that they have not been forgotten all these years.
You, the main actors and protagonists, let your heart and soul speak. There is no greater sympathy. And if you possess and carry both, it is impossible to set foot in this country, even to draw attention to human rights.
Many footballers are religious or believe they are. They follow their faith, which they openly display and celebrate. I do not want to presume to question this in any way! But what I do question and presume is:
They cross themselves when they enter or leave the field to confess God/Jesus and look upwards.
Others hold both hands open to the sky to pay homage to their God/Allah, ask that He assist them and say prayers.
What would your God say if you could ask him: God should I play in this World Cup?
What do you think he or she would say?
If you are even remotely a member of a religion or a faith community and follow what is written and said there, his/her answer would be:
"No, my son, you are sinning!"
Not playing the 2022 World Cup takes nothing away from you except scratches your ego and self-esteem.
What do you lose?
A data entry that you were a World Cup participant or even a World Champion to double or triple your retail value and annual salary.
Another question was:
"But, it would be just the right signal to be on the ground to draw attention to the human rights situation there?"
I asked what should that look like?
Holding up flags with "Human rights", as the DFB players did before a match, with a poster or shirt imprint and some paragraphs? Or Manuel Neuer wearing the rainbow captain's armband? It symbolises solidarity, pride, solidarity and, read my lips, against discrimination!
These are all pseudo actions, nothing more!
When this clown event and indeed "greatest show on earth" (according to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, of which he should be ashamed) is over, they will continue to live and uphold their culture, just like any other nation that also disregards human rights or simply live their values, which is also perfectly legal. Because I do not have to dictate to any country how they should live, eat, dress, believe and act. Every nation has its laws, regulations, and rules in all areas of life and work. But I can decide whether I want to enter a country to work, holiday, live or, as in this case, play football. If I disagree with their rules and regulations, then I stay away!
Finally!
These 15,000 people had to go there because they had to work for their families. You don't have to go there to do your work. Not under these barbaric events that took place there.
The value you will gain from all these affected people and all the other people on this earth cannot be achieved (not in the slightest) by participating in the World Cup!
You can all set a THOUGHT for human rights and human life!
The main protagonists of this World Cup are the players. They are the protagonists.
Because of them, people tune in and sit down in the stadium.
You have the most significant influence to stop this World Cup by not showing up!
If they stay away, the Qataris, the FIFA officials, and the other associated business partners can play their own World Cup!
This pool of blood INHUMANE World Cup must and must be taken away from Qatar!
Thank you for your time.
Please join my petition!
Tell as many people as possible to do the same.
Best regards
Your Nunzio
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(Translated by Denise Thomas)
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