It is hard to know how many migrant workers died building the soccer stadiums for the 2022 World Cup games in Qatar, but the two popular numbers are 6,500 and 15,000. Either way, no one cares.
In addition to the staggering death toll for two weeks of entertainment (if you enjoy watching soccer), there are persistent rumors that Qatar bought its way into winning the decision to make it the host of this year’s Mondial. Well, nothing new in this regard, either. We have not changed since ancient times, when people were served as food for lions before cheering crowds, or when people fought against the beasts for the audience’s delight. In fact, we have become worse. So why should anyone care if thousands had died building modern entertainment halls?
I admit that I am not a soccer fan. My teacher, RABASH, also did not care for it, but he respected the fact that it gives people joy. I can understand that and respect that, too. I also believe that if I were to attend a game and sit among the cheering fans, I might end up shouting at the top of my lungs and rooting for whichever team the people around me supported.
Still, I feel no craving to do so. And more than I regret the loss of life, I regret the stark apathy with which humanity accepts this. This apathy causes much more than the death of thousands of construction workers; it causes wars, brutality, pollution, exploitation, and every wrong that humans inflict on other humans and on the entire planet.
I hope that while people are celebrating soccer, they will at least think less about killing one another, but I am not sure that even this is true.
Photo Caption:
Doha Katar Qatar Stadium 974 Doha 4 days before the city hosts the FIFA World Cup, WM, Weltmeisterschaft, Fussball 2022 Foto: Moritz Müller
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