The first couple of days of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar were so exciting. Many surprises happened, and we can’t wait to see what is next. But what happened on the field is not the only exciting topic.
Many fans were surprised by the restrictions Qatar forced. To some extent, even FIFA was astonished by some last-minute ones. It was pretty late to make any changes to the venue, so now the visitors should live with the restrictions. Let’s see what exactly those are.
Alcohol is very limited
In general, alcohol consumption is not encouraged in Qatar. There is something called the “tax over the sin,” which makes the prices of alcohol way too high. This makes drinking a luxurious activity, and now, with the FIFA World Cup, it has actually become worse. Back in 2014, FIFA managed to convince Brazil to change its legislation so that beer would be allowed at the stadiums.
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However, this didn’t work with Qatar. At games, people won’t be able to consume any alcoholic drinks at the stadium. Only some of the VIP visitors will be able to have some drinks in the lounges, but this is also coming at a price — supposedly around $800. So, now maybe you are actually happy that you can watch FIFA on FireStick first because it is super easy and second because you can have a cup of beer.
Once the news broke out, many people thought they would find a workaround, and maybe they could just bring some alcohol with them. However, this is not a good idea since there are very severe taxes and penalties against those trying this out.
Public affections
Being affectionate with your loved ones is more than usual for most countries, and we are not even bothered when we see someone kissing. However, this is not the case in Qatar. Their public showing of affection is not tolerated. Qatar is also a country that is not very tolerant in many ways. Homosexuality is a crime in the country. This made a lot of football fans from the LGBTQ+ community very angry, but unfortunately, FIFA couldn’t do anything about that.
All those religious and local restrictions will have to be respected, and the officials will monitor the visitors’ behavior. Displaying any of the symbols related to LGBTQ+ communities is strictly prohibited, and if someone breaks this law will be prosecuted.
As the Qatar officials said, “indecent acts and the act of sexual intercourse outside of marriage” will also be prosecuted. The punishment will be very severe, and you most definitely don’t want to deal with the law system in Qatar. One very strict restriction is that pregnant women will be allowed to watch the games only if they have a marriage certificate, especially if they need medical help.
Strict religious restrictions
Qatar is a very religious country, and many of the visitors, even if they are familiar with Islam, they are not used to the religious restrictions. Don’t even think about criticizing the religion at the stadium or outside. Some laws forbid this, and you don’t want to break them. Qatar officials warned people that they might be prosecuted criminally if caught criticizing Islam.
One of the restrictions of the Islam religion that we already discussed is alcohol consumption. But it is not the only one. The consummation of pork is also forbidden. So, fans are not allowed to bring any pork products with them.
Fans should be dressed
Qatar is a very hot place. The temperatures there are something many people are not able to deal with, even in the months of November and December. However, another restriction for the visitors at the stadium will not be allowed to remove their t-shirts like we have seen them in any other World Cup. At the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, all fans should be properly dressed at any point when they are at the stadium or any other public space. Here’s a quote from the official statement of Qatar officials: “both men and women cover shoulders, chests, stomachs, and knees, and that tight leggings be covered by a long shirt or dress
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