David Beckham is under fire from critics. In an advertising campaign, the former British footballer promotes Qatar, two months from the World Cup in this country. He describes it as a paradise country, while Qatar is regularly singled out for its poor human rights record.
” It’s perfection for me “says a still charming David Beckham, surveying the Qatarin the desert, on a boat, or on a motorbike… Polished landscapes, smiling inhabitants: “it’s an amazing place to stopclaims the former football legend, I can’t wait to take my kids there.. »
But too much is too much. This advertising campaign bristles internet users and certain English media such as the DailyMailwho accuses: David Beckham declares himself a feminist, defender of homosexuals, engaged in humanitarianism… and for ten million pounds, nearly twelve million euros, he becomes the acceptable face of an Arab country where the homosexuality is illegal.
David Beckham would, according to the Telegramsigned a contract equivalent to 178 million euros over fifteen years with Qatar, in order to ensure its promotion, in particular for this year’s World Cup.
Amnesty International also denounces the footballer’s advertising campaign. The human rights organization regrets that the fame of the star is not used to denounce the abuses suffered by the thousands of migrant workers employed to build the infrastructure of the Football World Cup.
Felix Jakens, one of Amnesty’s UK officials:
Beckham’s global fame and status is gold for Qatar’s image, but he should use that image to call on Fifa and the Qatari authorities to address the terrible abuses faced by tens of thousands of migrant workers. when building infrastructure for the World Cup.