An ambassador for the World Cup in Qatar has described homosexuality as a “damage in the mind” in an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF solely two weeks earlier than the opening of the soccer event within the Gulf state, highlighting issues in regards to the conservative nation’s therapy of gays and lesbians.

Former Qatari nationwide crew participant Khalid Salman informed a German reporter in an interview that being homosexual is “haram,” or forbidden in Arabic, and that he has an issue with kids seeing homosexual individuals.

Excerpts of the tv interview have been proven Monday on the ZDF information program Heute Journal. The full interview, which is a part of a documentary, might be proven Tuesday on ZDF.

Germany’s inside minister condemned Salman’s remarks.

“Of course such comments are terrible, and that is the reason why we are working on things in Qatar hopefully improving,” Nancy Faeser stated Tuesday.

About 1.2 million worldwide guests are anticipated in Qatar for the event, which has confronted criticism and skepticism ever for the reason that gas-rich emirate was chosen as host by FIFA in December 2010. Concerns about LGBTQ vacationers attending the World Cup have additionally been expressed for a very long time.

In the interview, Salman additionally stated that homosexuality “is a spiritual harm.” “During the World Cup, many things will come here to the country. Let’s talk about gays,” Salman stated in English, which is concurrently dubbed into German within the TV section. “The most important thing is, everybody will accept that they come here. But they will have to accept our rules.” The interview was reduce brief by a media officer of the World Cup organizing committee after Salman expressed his views on homosexuals, ZDF reported.

Faeser, who can be liable for sports activities, stated when she visited Qatar every week in the past that the nation’s prime minister had given her a “safety guarantee” for followers “no matter where they come from, whom they love and what they believe in.” Faeser stated there was no change to that stance from the prime minister, who can be Qatar’s inside minister. She plans to go forward with a visit to Germany’s opening World Cup match towards Japan.

Last month, Germany’s ambassador to Qatar was summoned by the federal government there after Faeser appeared to criticize the nation for its human rights report.

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