The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) has published a new memorandum that shines a light on injustices in the small emirate of Qatar (German title: "Katar: Öl-Milliarden für Islamismus und Gastarbeiter als Arbeitssklaven"). Qatar's aggressive foreign policy has global consequences – and the human rights situation in the country itself is precarious. Qatar is trying to use the 2022 Soccer World Cup to polish its image and to gloss over the injustices in the country. "The memorandum gives insight on how the emirate uses its oil billions to finance extremist organizations. Meanwhile, the situation of the migrant workers – which has been disastrous for years – has not improved. Religious minorities are not allowed to practice their faith, and women are still under a de facto male guardianship," stated Tabea Giesecke, STP expert on ethnic, linguistic, and religious minorities and nationalities.

Be it the precarious conditions in connection with the construction of the stadiums, or the churches that are forced to go underground… Qatar can be seen as a huge company that controls everything. Islam is the state religion, and Sharia law applies. "Wahhabism, an especially conservative interpretation Islam, leaves no room for women's rights or freedom of religion," Giesecke emphasized. "The Qatar news outlet Al-Jazeera propagates an extreme interpretation of Islam as well, thus preventing neutral reporting." The memorandum contains a report by Dr. Kamal Sido, Middle East Correspondent of the STP, who last visited Qatar in March. In the scope of his visit, he got an overview of the situation, spoke to migrant workers, and visited underground churches.