1; WELCOME BACK TO THE NEWS, I WILL CONTINUE ON WHAT I TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME, A QATAR AMBASSADOR FACES BACKLASH OVER HOMOPHOBIC REMARKS; HE TOLD GERMAN TELEVISION BROADCASTER ZDF THAT HOMOSEXUALITY WAS “DAMAGE IN THE MIND,”; 2; 7; THAT IS ALL, HAVE A GOOD NIGHT; THEY GAVE PROTECTION OF HOMOSEXUAL FANS AS WELL AS AGAINST POSSIBLE RACIST OR ANTI-SEMITIC ATTACKS. THE COMMENTS ALSO PROMPTED A PROTEST TUESDAY IN FRONT OF THE FIFA MUSEUM IN ZURICH. 5; 3; AN INTERVIEW FILMED FORMER QATARI INTERNATIONAL KHALID SALMAN ADDRESSED THE ISSUE OF HOMOSEXUALITY, WHICH IS ILLEGAL IN THE MUSLIM COUNTRY. HE SAID THAT THEY HAVE TO ACCEPT THEIR RULES. SOME SOCCER PLAYERS HAVE RAISED CONCERNS OVER THE RIGHTS OF FANS TRAVELING TO THE EVENT, ESPECIALLY LGBT+ INDIVIDUALS AND WOMEN, WHOM RIGHTS GROUPS SAY QATARI LAWS DISCRIMINATE AGAINST. 6; HE SAID “(HOMOSEXUALITY) IS HARAM. YOU KNOW WHAT HARAM (FORBIDDEN) MEANS?,” WHEN ASKED WHY IT WAS HARAM, SALMAN SAID: “I AM NOT A STRICT MUSLIM BUT WHY IS IT HARAM? BECAUSE IT IS DAMAGE IN THE MIND.” AFTER THIS COMMENT THE INTER VIEW WAS STOPPED; 4
