Protest Against Racist-Islamophobic Cartoon Against Qatari Players, Women Covered In Black, Men With Guns And Cannons: As the soccer World Cup kicks off in Qatar, protests are intensifying over a racist and Islamophobic French cartoon depicting the Qatari national team’s players in a negative light.
A cartoon published by the French newspaper Le Canard enchainé in October depicts the Qatar team’s players in a negative light. The cartoon is stereotyping Arabs.
Arab (Qatari) men are depicted in caricatures as long-bearded, masked, angry, and armed (with machetes, guns, and rocket launchers).
هذا يُقدم الاملام الفرنسي المقاعد القطري لكرة القدم pic.twitter.com/5PeWzDU2Nh
— Hassan AL ANSARI (@HassanALANSARI3) November 6, 2022
Posted by Le Canard Enchaîné in French cartoon حقير ذكريتها الصرميتها الفاضحة وكراهية الإسلام
يصف #Qatar على انها يمارة استبدادية ومنتخبها تحرسيون. #Qatar_2022 pic.twitter.com/04T0iDNwtm— فـــهــــد (@fahadq801) November 7, 2022
In this, the star wearing the famous number 10 jersey is presented wearing a suicide vest.
Social media users are protesting against this cartoon which appeared in a satirical weekly.
Ahead of the World Cup, the main criticism leveled by Twitter users against the caricature is that the cartoon portrays Arabs, especially Qataris, as outright racist from a Western perspective.
Qatar National Library President and Minister of State Hamad al-Kawari have also reacted against the cartoon.
Another day, another instance of French racism & xenophobia against Arabs as the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is just around the corner
France’s weekly Le Canard Enchaîné @canardenchaine published caricature of Qatari footballers dressed as terrorists
— Saad Abedine (@SaadAbedine) November 8, 2022
”Show some sportsmanship. We welcome harsh language criticism and even satire.
But Le Canard enchaîné is lying. “They are trying to defame Qatar, attack it and spread ethnic hatred through lies,” said Hamad Al-Kawari.
There is also criticism of the Islamophobic content in the cartoon. In the cartoon, Muslim women are depicted as covering their entire bodies with black clothes.
There are reactions that the cartoon exposes the anti-Muslim and racist attitude of the French newspaper.
French newspaper @canardenchaine publicly shares and promotes racist sentiments (in a caricature) towards Qatar and its national team. This is disgusting.
— سارة ح. Al-Ansari (@sxalansari) November 6, 2022
The ‘cartoon controversy’ has also erupted amid reports of human rights abuses and exploitation of LGBTQ+ communities in Qatar ahead of the World Cup.
The 2022 Football World Cup will begin in Qatar at the end of this month. Qatar is also playing in the World Cup as a host country.
Content Highlights: Outrage against racist and Islamophobic French cartoons depicting Qatari players and Arab people.
