DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The top U.S. diplomat criticized Tuesday a decision by FIFA to threaten players at the World Cup with yellow cards if they wear armbands that support inclusion and diversity.
“It’s always a concern when we see any restrictions on freedom of expression …,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news conference alongside his Qatari counterpart.
“This is especially true when diversity and inclusion are expressed,” Blinken said at the Diplomatic Club in Doha. “And it seems to me that at least no one on the football field should be forced to stand up for those values and for their team. Choose between effectiveness.”
Just hours before the first players to wear armbands in support of the One Love movement took to the pitch on Monday, football’s governing body warned they would be immediately booked — Twice of which resulted in the player being ejected from the match as well as the next match.
No players wore the “One Love” armbands on Monday, although seven European teams said they planned to wear them ahead of games.
England’s Harry Kane wore the FIFA-sanctioned “non-discrimination” armband, which was offered as a compromise against Iran. FIFA is trying to counter the European movement with its own armbands emblazoned with more generic slogans backed by some UN agencies.
Asked to respond to Blinken’s comments, FIFA referred to an earlier statement allowing “non-discriminatory” armbands to be worn at games as part of a compromise it was trying to reach with the football federation.
Blinken arrived in Qatar on Monday, where he visited a World Cup-linked youth football program. He later watched the United States play against Wales on Monday night.
While publicly criticizing FIFA, Blinken has taken a more cautious approach to Qatar. The energy-rich Middle Eastern nation faced criticism ahead of the race for its treatment of migrant workers and the criminalization of homosexuality.
“We know that this World Cup would not be possible without workers, including many migrant workers,” Blinken said. “Qatar has made significant strides in its labor laws in recent years to expand workers’ rights.”
However, he added: “There is still real work to be done on these issues, and the United States will continue to work with Qatar to strengthen labor and human rights more broadly long after the World Cup.”
Blinken spoke at a news conference alongside Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. Asked by a Qatar-based reporter about “media attacks” on his country, Sheikh Mohammed dismissed them.
“As for the reform of the State of Qatar, I think some people are not taking that into account and are relying on preconceived notions,” he said. “Of course we cannot change the opinion of those who only want to attack us or distort our image.”
Blinken’s visit was part of a strategic dialogue with Qatar, which also hosts about 8,000 U.S. troops at its sprawling al-Udeid air base, the forward headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command. The base is a key node in the chaotic 2021 withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and the evacuation of Afghan civilians.
A major issue to discuss is Iran. Nonproliferation experts say Iran now has enough uranium enriched up to 60% – just a small step away from weapons-grade levels – to reprocess it into fuel for nuclear weapons if it chooses to do so.
Tehran insists its plans are peaceful, even though it has expanded them dramatically since the collapse of Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2015.
Meanwhile, Iran has been shaken by months of protests following Sept. 9. Sixteen 22-year-old women, who were arrested by the country’s morality police, died in custody.
Authorities’ crackdown and violence surrounding the demonstrations have killed at least 434 people, according to Iranian human rights activists who have been following the protests. Iran is also in the World Cup and will face the United States on November 11. 29.
“The world is rightly paying attention to what’s happening in Iran,” Blinken said. “The protests that have emerged since the killing of Mahsa Amini have galvanized the world.”
Questions over recent U.S. decision to shield Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Regarding the lawsuit against him for killing Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi, Blinken said the Biden administration would “simply follow the law” in granting immunity to heads of state.
Blinken adds the crown prince has no plans to visit the US
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Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.