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I REMEMBER THE holes in the ground, designed to allow for the efficient drainage of human blood after the state-sanctioned beheadings had been completed.
My visit to Al Safat Square in Riyadh in 2011 will always stay with me, and is perhaps just one of the reasons why the announcement that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup seems so egregious.
While my visit didn’t coincide with a public execution, I could feel a ghostly darkness below the blinding desert sunshine. “Chop Chop Square”, as it is less affectionately known, used to be the site of regular public executions, by sword, that took place in the Saudi capital.
When I walked across the sweltering square in the al-Dirah neighbourhood of Riyadh, flanked by the impressive Grand Mosque, tourism didn’t exist in the Gulf state. It was still a closed society, open only to foreign investment, infrastructure and military interests. It would have been inconceivable just 13 years ago to imagine that this insular place could realistically become the host nation of such a global event.
Now, the executions have moved behind closed doors, far removed from the encroaching eyes of Western sensibilities. Saudi is open for business and is apparently ready to welcome the world to its sunny promise of football and fun. Yet when Mohammad Bin Salman, the Kingdom’s Crown Prince and de facto ruler, took over in 2015, executions almost doubled from that year to 2022.
If the recent revelations in Syria can teach us anything, it is that the only thing more frightful than human rights abuses carried out in plain sight is when they happen behind the opaque facade of apparent respectability.
The awarding of one of the world’s most prestigious international events to Saudi Arabia represents the apex of a decade-long sportswashing programme in which golf (the LIV Tour), Formula 1 [the Jeddah Grand Prix) and now football have been used to launder the country’s human rights record.
Just after Argentina’s World Cup victory in 2022, Lionel Messi appeared in a number of high-profile tourism ads for Saudi Arabia.
He was variously depicted either roaming around an empty desert on a camel or kicking down apparent stereotypes about the anachronisms of Saudi culture. His voiceover intoned, “What I love about Saudi is that I always discover what I never expected.”
I feel the same way, Lionel! Another human rights abuse around the corner, come explore! The willingness of sports stars to priortise their own personal accumulation of extreme wealth, at the expense of ethical considerations, is perhaps unparalleled when it comes to Saudi’s recruitment across football and golf, in particular.
While the world’s international football federations gathered in Switzerland to rubber stamp the Kingdom’s entry to the big league, it is now up to the players and the fans to ask a simple question: How far exactly does our ethical radar extend, and are we willing to legitimise the way this country operates? Are we happy to drink the Kool-Aid?
It’s important to acknowledge the progress that has been made in a number of key areas in Saudi society. Aspects of male guardianship have been relaxed. Women have been able to drive cars since 2018. Foreign women are not required to wear the abaya anymore (although the same privilege doesn’t extend to the native female population).
The outward facade that Saudi presents is a country which is modernising… shiny new skyscrapers and ultra chic new cities such as Neom are emerging from the Gulf sands. Yet all this clashes with a much darker underbelly of human rights abuses. This marginal liberalisation has failed to materialise into meaningful progress in the area of criminal and social justice.
There is a litany of screaming, inconvenient truths about Saudi Arabia that sportswashing can never fully silence. This is a country still governed under the repressive weight of Sharia Law. Homosexuality is strictly outlawed and is technically punishable by death. Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy and political dissent is quashed. In 2015, the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia upheld the case of Raif Badawi, a blogger convicted for apostasy. He was sentenced to 1000 lashes and imprisonment. He was released after seven years.
I can only begin to imagine how excited he is about the World Cup.
On 12 March 2022, Saudi carried out its largest mass execution in its history. Those executed were convicted of “allegiance to foreign terrorist organisations” and holding “deviant beliefs,” according to the Saudi Press Agency. On that day, 81 people were killed. Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, claimed that half of those killed were minority Shia Muslims, who had engaged in political protest.
How can the international community roll over and turn a blind eye to kangaroo justice like this for the sake of football? What is perhaps more alarming for the thousands of non-Saudis who will surely flock to the Kingdom for the tournament is the fact that the country has this year executed more foreigners than at any other time in its history. According to a calculation by Agence France-Presse (AFP), 101 non-nationals have been put to death so far in 2024. Some of these executions were of prisoners convicted of drug-related offences.
Critics of my argument will claim hypocrisy. Why is it okay for the United States, another country that uses capital punishment, to host the World Cup in 2026, but it isn’t okay for Saudi Arabia? The major difference is this: in Saudi, the death penalty is routinely used for crimes of political dissent, not the supposedly high threshold of first-degree murder like in the US system.
The Explainer / SoundCloud
A lot has been made of the rise of women in Saudi. It is true that significant numbers of women attend university, for example. However, despite some advances, Saudi Arabia still operates a system of male guardianship, in which many major life decisions must still be signed off by either a woman’s father or husband. This includes marriage and divorce and guardians “are still able to file cases of disobedience against a woman, which includes absence from the home,” according to Equality Now, a women’s justice charity.
There was a moment at the selection event in Zurich last week when the camera zoomed in on the famous World Cup trophy sitting atop a table, with the deep green Saudi flag behind it. My eye caught the outline of the sword which adorns the bottom half of the pennant. This sword is the symbol of the House of Saud, the nation’s founding family.
Yet to many, it will bring to mind the people who met their end through the abominable use of this instrument of barbarism at Chop Chop Square. What will this public square be used for during the World Cup? Probably a Fan Zone with big screens, drowning out the ghosts of a dark history.
Simon Tierney is a journalist and writer.
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Unfortunately, it’s all about the money.
@Annette: it’s gas, not one mention of the daa and its links with Saudi. They run and manage two airports out there and I think there’s a third airport at the Red Sea to be added. I’m amazed how they’ve managed to keep that relationship under the radar for so long. State owned airport authority doing business with shady regimes? I think there’s an article/opinion piece in that for someone
@Annette: You might be right. The author is absolutely right about SA. However, it shouldn’t take sports events, etc. for people to mobilise their criticism. You either think practices in various countries are intolerable and to be condemned or you don’t. Nobody mentions Mullah run Iran. Far and away the greatest state executioners of the world in recent years. Our own president even sent a fawning letter to their president, and when confronted about its tone ( given state sanctioned torture, mutilation, blinding, and rape of women who dare to protest. Gay folk being hanged to death from cranes in public squares), blamed the Jews for leaking it.
These societies shouldn’t avoid criticism because they’re not holding tournaments.
@Dave Angel: full sure it was common knowledge just like the DAA run the airport in Dubai. You can bleat on about sports washing but the reality is , most football fans will watch it, even if the country has a questionable human rights record.
@James Brennan: the daa don’t run the airport in Dubai nor the duty free. They have a duty free in Abu Dhabi tho
Israel are still in FIFA
@James MC: and Murcia
@James MC: Why wouldn’t they be? They’re a Western democratic country that has very close ties to Europe. If Cyprus and Turkey are in EUFA, there’s not reason why a modern and advanced country like Israel shouldn’t be in it also. They are the exact opposite of countries like Saudi Arabia when it comes to upholding freedom and fundamental rights.
@James MC: god bless Israel
@Marc Power: put down the Scofield Reference Bible, buddy. That verse is also refering to the tribe of Jacob’s descendants, not a modern nation state.
@Frank O’Hara: “Israel upholding human rights” lol.
@Frank O’Hara: You really don’t give a flying how many civilians Israel murders do you? You truly are a poor excuse for a human being
@Frank O’Hara: Isreal. Yeah. Genocide paid for by Uncle Sam. While his citizens have to pay for their own healthcare. Fabulous
@Frank O’Hara: fool.
@James MC: Yes they do. You haven’t provided any sort of coherent rebuttal to the points that I made. Is that because you know I’m right?
@FoxyBoiiYT: Cry more buddy. If you care about dead civilians, tell your buddies in Hamas to stop building their missile launching facilities and military bases right beside and in some cases inside schools and hospitals. Israel hasn’t “murdered” a single civilian because anyone with half a brain would know that for such a statement to be true would require Israel to be doing so deliberately, which they are clearly not. You are a liar and a bad one at that. The IDF is one of the most moral armies in the world and I will continue to strongly support them in all of their military operations.
@Dave c: Are you actually having a laugh? The population of Gaza has increased by 2% every year since 1948, including during the current war. The only “genocide” going on is the imaginary one in your head. 14,000 of the dead bodies are Hamas militants and another 10,600 dead bodies have no ID or proof that they even existed in the first place. In May, Hamas were caught lying about the number of women and children that were killed during the war and had to change their own numbers from 24,000 all the way down to 12,800. Also, it’s great that America has such good healthcare. Those who work hard are able to get the best-quality services. Those who don’t are not entitled to mooch off the system. I’d take their healthcare system over the HSE any day of the week.
@Marc Power: God ain’t real, and god was real god certainly wouldn’t be blessing a terrorist state like Israel.
@Frank O’Hara: bla bla bla.
@Frank O’Hara: the video of an ambulance with emergency lights running being shot up by Israeli army on 6th Dec, is latest clear irrefutable rebuttal of your post.
@James MC: So are Russia and China. But no one bleats on about them on a daily basis. I’ve become deeply suspicious of people that only mention Israel in such debates.
@Frank O’Hara: unless your a Palestinian sheltering in a tent in freezing conditions. Then your free game for the Israelis. The more the merrier as far as they’re concerned. Disgusting race.
@Frank O’Hara: you’re right. You win.
@Derick R M: Russia are banned from international sports lol. Exactly, double standards. As for China, not the best at footie
@Frank O’Hara: Wow you are so !gn0rant it’s just incredible… I think you should move to America in that case you’d fit in well there buddy!
Sport as we knew it is long past. It’s pure business and only business. Sky sports and their ilk have made sure of that.
@JP: exactly sport is big business. Peoples selective outrage at “this country does this and that country does that” is getting really annoying. Either watch it or don’t. Countries are also free to boycott. And this rubbish of wearing rainbow arm bands in Qatar was some wild cultural supremacy mixed with pink washing.
Its a bit late lad, these slave labour, human rights abusing, journalist chopping up, oil goat humpers literally now own the world
While they buy off the west via sport and the billions in arms they purchase, they are literally allowed bomb Yemen back to the stone age under the excuse of fighting “terrorists”, and the usual suspects who bang on about how bad russia and israel are seem to just forget them cos sure dont they own all those clubs and sponsor all them sporting events……sure they cant be that bad like
@Patrick Newell: Saudi are in bed with Israel and USA. Saudi have the hall pass you described because of this alliance. USA and Israel also like to bomb places back to the stonegage “cuz turrurism”.
@James MC: Are you denying that groups like ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah are terrorist groups? You are one thick plonker if you think that targeted bombing campaigns by America and Israel just happen for no reason.
@Frank O’Hara: former Al Queda leader about to get taken off the terror list. Hmmmm, why is that? Also, what is a terrorist anyway.
@Frank O’Hara: i was also referring to the sham war on terror and Israels seemingly aimless campaign of destruction in Gaza.
@Frank O’Hara: all popped up out of thin air did they. Nothing to do with American foreign policy or the genocide Isreal is responsible for?
@James MC: That hasn’t been confirmed but if such a thing happened, I would strongly condemn it. There’s no such thing as a halfway Jihadist just like there’s no such thing as a halfway crook. It’s pretty simple, a terrorist is someone who engages in acts of terror, such as mass murder, suicide bombings and executions in order to advance their extremist political agenda. I agree that the naivety and overindulgent hopefulness of some Western politicians is annoying. These new guys are just as evil as Assad in terms of their beliefs and if it was up to me, I’d have invaded Syria already to topple them, considering they only have about 15,000 troops in total.
@James MC: The war in Gaza wouldn’t have happened if Hamas didn’t launch their savage and barbaric attack on Israel and commit the worst atrocities to Jewish people in a single day since the Holocaust. 85% of people in Gaza either “supported” or “strongly supported” the October 7th massacre and they are getting their just deserts for their sick Jihadist ideology. Also, the War of Terror was absolutely necessary. Osama Bin Laden was an evil man who needed to be taken out. Also, I couldn’t care less whether Saddam Hussein actually had WMDs or not, he was responsible for a genocide against the Kurds and the Yazidis and he executed at least 250,000 people during his brutal reign. He needed to go and I strongly supported the toppling of his government.
@Dave c: Stop spouting such low-IQ nonsense. Islamic terrorism and barbarism existed well before America first got involved in the Middle East in the late 1950s. Also, the last time I checked, the population of Gaza has grown by 2% every year since 1948, including during this current war. The only “genocide” that is happening is the imaginary one inside your head. The IDF is one of the most moral armies in the world and the people of Gaza should be grateful of how they’ve been treated so far by them. If it was up to me, I would give Hamas 48 hours to surrender. If they didn’t, I would drop a small nuclear bomb on Gaza to really teach them a lesson.
@Frank O’Hara: the Syrian rebel leader was former Al Queda Syrian leader. He’s now in direct contact with Blinken! What the double standard from the Americans and yourself?
@Frank O’Hara: you the film “team America” was satire, yeah?
We heard it all before Qatar and it was the most successful tournament ever. FIFA learnt a valuable lesson. Virtue signaling is real. Nobody really cares. Cha-Chinnnggg
As long as Israel isn’t banned from all International competitions then hypocrisy is rife and I wouldn’t bother complaining about anyone else
Doesn’t matter, Ireland won’t be there lol
@Hot Jim: easily the most sensible comment on this article
Islamic countries shouldn’t be holding these sort of tournaments full stop. Their values are backward and they simply don’t believe in basic rights like free speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, free elections and not stoning women after they get raped for “dishonouring their family.” Not to mention the fact that they use slave labour to build the stadiums that are used in these tournaments by confiscating the visas of immigrant workers from India, Thailand and other Asian countries to stop them from escaping and force them to work 18 hour days.
@Frank O’Hara: you’re right. only countries that have legal access to hardcore pOrn, the highest levels of ssri users, castrate their children, have unrestricted access to late term abortions, friendly to NATO and export their human rights abuses overseas should be allowed host world cups.
@James MC: Newsflash buddy, abortion is also legal in Islamic countries. In fact, Islam is the only Abrahamic religion and the only major world religion that actually permits abortion. Their Hadiths state the it is allowed up until 120 days, which is four months. Abortion is a savage act, I agree, but don’t try to pretend that Islam isn’t the most liberal when it comes to its rules. Anti-“depression” medication is also in all Islamic countries and they have their own version of NATO which is OIC. Also, don’t you realise that all the Sheikhs are snorting cocaine and screwing prostitutes? The Emir of Qatar was literally banned from a gay nightclub in London and the Sultan of Oman was also gay. Everything that you hate about the West happens in Middle East countries, just behind closed doors.
@Frank O’Hara: western exceptionalism and hegemony is the worst.
Islam and western societys don’t mix
Q outrage etc
@Darragh Mcnamara: western societies and western societies don’t mix.
@Darragh Mcnamara: must get my haircut in town so many to chose from
@Darragh Mcnamara: what am I supposed to be seeing in this video? They’re saying “there no truth but Allah” they have a Free Syrian flag, look to be Syrian, sunnah facial hair, assume they’re celebrating the liberation of Syria.
@Darragh Mcnamara: if we had public executions for knife crime and drug trafficking I think we would have a better country
No stopping the Saudi’s now. Why don’t you call out the US for selling arms to Israel!!
The Saudi authorities have issued a statement condeming Armagh GAA and expressing concern for the rule of law whenever an Irish rugby player is around. Prince Head Banga Owally said, “the time for Ireland to stop this sports washing to cover the actions of authorities is over. As Vogue Williams says, keep it out of reach of children”.
Who’s we?
The Saudis are quaking in their boots with heavy hitters like this bloke on their case
You’re confusing professional football with sport. It’s not sport. It’s a board game for billionaires with plebs and serfs mass spectating. Very gratifying for the billionaires and a good rachet for squeezing the life out of democratic processes.
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