It'd be 'hypocritical not to' attend Qatar World Cup, Robbie Williams says
It'd be 'hypocritical not to' attend Qatar World Cup, Robbie Williams says
The former Take That frontman highlighted "double standards" in singling out Qatar for criticism before the World Cup.
2 min read
Robbie Williams will perform in Doha on 1 December [Getty]
British pop star Robbie Williams has hit back at critics of his decision to perform at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, saying it would be "hypocritical" of him not to go.
Williams, 48, spoke to Il Venerdi di Repubblica to highlight the alleged double standards in singling out Qatar for criticism.
The Gulf state has been targeted by a negative media campaign in the lead-up to the World Cup, focused on alleged mistreatment of migrant workers and persecution of the LGBTQ community.
Qatari authorities say most of the claims are sensationalised or untrue, and that everyone is welcome at the World Cup regardless of sexual orientation.
“Of course, I don’t condone any abuses of human rights anywhere,” the singer said.
“But, that being said, if we’re not condoning human rights abuses anywhere, then it would be the shortest tour the world has ever known: I wouldn’t even be able to perform in my own kitchen.”
He added: "Anybody leaving messages saying ‘no to Qatar’ are doing so on Chinese technology. It would be hypocritical of me to not go [to Qatar] because of the places that I do go to."
The former Take That frontman is set to perform at the Doha Golf Club on 8 December.
"What we’re saying is: 'You behave like us, or we will annex you from society. Behave like us, because we’ve got it right,'" Williams said.
The singer has become the latest public figure involved in the tournament to hit back at criticism and calls for a boycott.
On Saturday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino blasted the "hypocrisy" of some of the criticism, while also expressing support for the LGBTQ community and migrant workers.
"This moral lesson-giving - one-sided - is just hypocrisy," said the Infantino said.
"I don't want to give you any lessons of life, but what is going on here is profoundly, profoundly unjust."
He added: "For what we Europeans have been doing for the last 3,000 years we should apologise for the next 3,000 years before starting giving moral lessons to people."
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