Al-Qaeda terrorist group warns Muslims to keep away from the World Cup in Qatar
Al-Qaeda has issued a dire warning to Muslims, urging them not to attend the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
The terrorist group issued a statement the day before the FIFA World Cup began, but stopped short of issuing direct threats.
SITE Intelligence Group, a non-governmental organization based in the United States that monitors the online activity of jihadist organizations, revealed the alarming message on November 19.
“We warn our Muslim brothers from following this event or attending it,” the group said.
The ominous message was issued by the militant group’s Yemen-based branch, which chastised Qatar for bringing “immoral people, homosexuals, sowers of corruption, and atheism into the Arabian Peninsula.”
According to Reuters, Al-Qaeda added that the event diverts attention away from the “occupation of Muslim countries and their oppression.”
The terror group’s warning to Muslims comes as the World Cup host nation continues to face criticism for human rights violations against the LGBTQIA+ community.
Individuals in the LGBTQI+ community and those who have interacted with someone of the same sex face up to seven years in prison.
The country also follows a version of Sharia law, which means that men who are intimate with each other could be sentenced to death.
While Qatar enforces these laws during the World Cup, the country has stated that it will welcome people of all sexual orientations as long as they follow local customs.
The hashtag #BoycottQatar has recently dominated Twitter and Instagram, while the same phrase can also be found on TikTok and was even broadcast by football fans holding banners during games in France and Germany.
Al-Qaeda terrorist group warns Muslims to keep away from the World Cup in Qatar
