Activists, Qatari officials outraged over 'racist' cartoon of national football team

Activists and Qatari officials have expressed anger over a "racist" cartoon of the Qatar national football team in a French satirical newspaper.

The caricature published in Le Canard enchaîné depicts Qatari players carrying guns and wearing explosive belts and balaclavas.

An October edition of the publication focused on Qatar’s role as the FIFA World Cup 2022 host, ahead of the tournament’s start on 20 November.

A clear #racist, #Islamophopic and #anti_Arabs content in French media portrays the football team of #Qatar as terrorists. Of course this won’t take the same attention like other discrimination behaviors. We know why don’t we?
This is not only racist, it is rather genocidal. pic.twitter.com/1E6YUApe2v

— العاشق Ramy Al-Asheq (@ramyal3asheq) November 8, 2022

"Le Canard Enchaîné published a despicable cartoon showing its outrageous racism and Islamophobia. It describes Qatar as a tyrannical emirate elected by terrorists," one activist named Fahad wrote.

It just shows French media and government is inherently racist and islamophob. They just can't digest the fact that Muslim country is hosting a #FIFAWorldCup

Caricature published by Le Canard enchainé focuses on Qatar and its role as World Cup host. https://t.co/2pjB5Eonkw

— Anish Shaikh (@anishshaikh01) November 8, 2022

"It just shows French media and government is inherently racist and islamophob[ic]. They just can't digest the fact that Muslim country is hosting a #FIFAWorldCup," BBC broadcast journalist Anish Shaikh tweeted. 

Others described the cartoon as "genocidal" and told France to look at its own deadly, colonial history.

"Racist disgusting French supremacists think they r in a position or have the right to lecture others about #Terrorism and #HumanRights… look at ur history you… barbarians," one tweeter with the username @CraigeRee wrote.

Qatar’s defence ministry spokesperson Nawaf Al-Thani also condemned the cartoon, referencing France’s history.

"Clear examples of the racist, xenophobic, and hate filled European cartoons both in 1940 and 2022… Haven’t they learned from their long, grim, ultra-nationalist and colonialist history anything? “Crickets”…," he tweeted.

Clear examples of the racist, xenophobic, and hate filled European cartoons both in 1940 and 2022.

Haven’t they learned from their long, grim, ultra-nationalist and colonialist history anything?

“Crickets” …

-#Qatar #FIFAWorldCup #Qatar2022 #France #QatarWorldCup2022 pic.twitter.com/n9tSWt5wnz

— Nawaf M. Al-Thani نواف بن مبارك (@NawafAlThani) November 8, 2022

Qatar's foreign minister has lashed out against "arrogant" critics of the Qatar World Cup, and labelled the negative media reaction to the Gulf state hosting the tournament as "misinformation" in an interview with Sky News published on Monday.

On Monday, the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA) also came out in support of Qatar, saying it rejected "all suspicious and baseless propaganda, which aims only to distort Arab capabilities and competencies".