"The local organising committee in Seattle, one of the host cities for the Fifa tournament next summer, have said the match at Lumen Field on 26 June will feature celebrations of the LGBTQ+ community, external. Following Friday's draw and Saturday's fixture allocation, it has been confirmed Seattle will host the Group G match between Egypt and Iran. In Iran, the maximum punishment for homosexual relations is the death penalty, while in Egypt, morality laws are frequently used to suppress LGBTQ+ rights and relationships."
"And in a statement, external on Tuesday, the Egyptian FA said it has sent a formal letter to Fifa secretary-general Mattias Grafstrom, rejecting "in absolute terms" any activities linked to LGBTQ+ support during the match. The game takes place on the weekend of Seattle Pride, and two days before the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots - generally regarded as the birth of the LGBTQ+ rights movement."
The Egyptian Football Association has sent a formal letter to FIFA requesting that planned LGBTQ+ "Pride Match" celebrations at the Egypt vs Iran 2026 World Cup fixture in Seattle be prevented. The local organising committee in Seattle scheduled celebrations at Lumen Field on 26 June, coinciding with Seattle Pride and the Stonewall anniversary. Iran enforces the death penalty for homosexual relations while Egyptian morality laws frequently suppress LGBTQ+ rights. The Egyptian FA argued the initiative clashes with the cultural, religious and social values of both countries, cited FIFA's neutrality statutes, and urged the match remain focused solely on football.
Read at www.bbc.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]