Like any other regime in the Muslim lands, Qatar is simply another example of a nationalistic, oppressive and racist state. 

Not only that, but Qatar is a state subservient to foreign Colonialist powers. 

For example, it is home to al-Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military base outside of America. 

Al-Udeid Air Base played the leading role in destroying and occupying other Muslim lands, such as Iraq (and slaughtering 387,000+ Muslims, according to the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs). And this is before the U.S. murdered over 500,000 children in Iraq through sanctions, which then Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said was “worth it.”

This is the Muslim blood regimes like those of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and so on all have on their hands. Let’s keep this point in mind when framing how we frame the actions of these regimes, especially their superficial antics (like Qatar’s attempts at “dawah” to Islam through stickers in hotels and speaking events during the FIFA World Cup). 

To build infrastructure for the World Cup, Qatar struck the backs of migrant labourers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. According to a report in The Guardian, no less than 6,500 of these workers have died due to the harsh labour conditions since 2010.

In addition to seven new stadiums, dozens of major projects (like a new airport, roads, hotels, a public transport system, etc), Qatar also racked up a bill of nearly $300 billion dollars. So, on top of throwing away Muslim life, Qatar is also throwing away the Ummah’s wealth. 

Regimes like those Qatar are not interested in the welfare of the Ummah. 

In fact, these regimes – and their states – are artificial entities imposed upon the Muslim lands.

Just look at Qatar’s population and how males vastly outnumber females in a colossal, irregular manner. This imbalance is from an artificial population explosion stemming from migrant labour, not organic, natural growth. It’s simply people brought into pave roads and, once they’re spent, thrown back to where they came from because they’re unwanted in Qatar. 

Not only that, but Qatar treats the workers in a brutal way. 

These workers are forced to work in appalling conditions. More than half of them reside within labour camps throughout the country. Most cannot afford to bring their families with them, and when they can, those families are relegated to slum-like areas hidden from the public eye. 

This is the reality of Qatar. So, we mustn’t be fooled by the Qatari regime’s “Islamic dawah” to FIFA fans. The fact that this “dawah” is happening in the backdrop of an event that celebrates nationalism should tell us the true intent of the regime.

Islam condemns nationalism in all its forms. 

Rasul’Allah (SAW) said: “He is not one of us who calls to tribalism. He is not one of us who fights for the sake of tribalism. He is not one of us who dies following the way of tribalism.” (Sunan Abi Dawud: 5121)

SubhanAllah! How can we tolerate such events in the Muslim lands?

In truth, states like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, Bangladesh, Iraq and so on do not follow Islam, especially in public affairs like politics and economics. They pay lipservice to the deen with superficial antics, but they don’t truly serve the deen. 

Worse, these regimes create environments that empower the Kuffar to attack and insult Islam.

So, during the FIFA World Cup, Qatar set up zones for fans to buy beer (khamr). They’re also letting the foreign teams wear symbols of the LGBTQ+ movement, like the rainbow. And they are encouraging a discussion – within the Muslim lands – that puts Islam up for debate.

The irony is that despite all of Qatar’s treachery up to this point, it’s still not enough for the Colonialist powers and their elites. The fact that the Western powers refuse to respect the norms of the Muslim lands (i.e., not drinking khamr, avoiding zina and deviancy, etc) shows us that the West will not stay quiet until we abandon our entire deen.

Moreover, the West will keep humiliating us. For example, Qatar spent billions of dollars on weapons from France, yet a French newspaper depicts the Qatari football team as terrorists. 

The Qatari regime (and all other regimes in the Muslim lands) are a source of humiliation and shame for our Ummah. They are not fit to rule us. Rather, their job is to shuttle our resources to the West and serve the Colonialist powers like slaves.