England fans were barred from this Friday’s (25th) match between England and the United States, for the second round of Group B of the Qatar World Cup, for wearing replicas of the Crusades costumes. Such clothing is considered culturally insensitive in a Muslim country, according to FIFA.
England fans have been wearing body armor, plastic helmets and toy guns as costumes at England games for years.
Images of some fans wearing the costume during England’s 6-2 victory over Iran on Monday (21) were criticized on social media, prompting the organization to crack down on the costumes.
“These attire, in an Arab or Middle Eastern context, could be perceived as offensive, so this is the reason they are not allowed in stadiums,” a FIFA spokesman said.
For many Arabs, the Crusades evoke a painful history of violent invasion by Christians seeking to capture Jerusalem and nearby areas under Islamic rule between the 11th and 13th centuries.
Issues around culture and rights are as much in focus as football at the World Cup in Qatar.
On Monday (21), in the game against the United States, supporters of Wales were forced to remove rainbows with the colors of the LGBTQIA+ community from their hats.
Same-sex relationships are illegal in Qatar.
Welsh football officials said on Thursday that FIFA had confirmed that fans wearing rainbow hats and flags would be allowed into the stadium for Wales’ match against Iran on Friday. -fair. Footage from the arena during the game shows fans wearing the prop.
Before the start of the World Cup in Qatar, the captains of England, Wales, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark gave up wearing armbands to support gay rights, after pressure from FIFA.
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