A speech that got people talking
In response to the controversy of Qatar hosting the World Cup, Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president made a speech. However, there were several parts of it that prompted strong reactions.
Look at these small sections of Mr Infantino’s speech:
Section A
"Today I have very strong feelings. Today I feel Qatari. Today I feel Arab. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel a migrant worker. I feel like them because I know what it feels like to be discriminated, to be bullied as a foreigner in a country. At school I was bullied because I had red hair and freckles [...] What do you do then? [...] You try to engage… You don’t start accusing or fighting, you start engaging. This is what we should be doing."
Section B
"I think for what we Europeans have been doing in the last 3,000 years, around the world, we should be apologising for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people."
Section C
"The only way of obtaining results is by engaging, seeking dialogue, not by hammering, insulting. When your child does something bad at school and you tell him he’s an idiot he’s useless and you put him in his room what do you think his response is? If you talk to him say let’s work together you will have better grades, he will recognise that and he will be better."
Pass to you!
Choose one of the speech sections above and answer the following questions:
- What is Mr Infantino trying to say?
- How do you feel about the way he said it?
- What would you say to Mr Infantino in response?
When you’ve written your comment, make sure you stop to read what other Topical Talkers have said. Reply to their comments using the thumbs up, thumbs down and question mark icons.
Comments (92)
I think Infantino meant that a mistake should not be treated with a mistake
And I agree with him, because we are all at risk of making mistakes, and this in itself is not considered a problem.
I agree because... no one wants their mistakes being pointed out so that they can be criticized, we all want to be treated gently.
I'm not sure about this because... I grew up in a home where we were encouraged to make mistakes, not because of anything but because it shows that we are trying to make effort, also don't you think people can make mistakes and learn from them.
I agree because we all make mistakes and we get things wrong sometimes but that is part of life! I think he is trying to say that.
All he said is the truth. What he simply meant is that respect other people way of life. You won't see a Qatari on Tv saying the west should ban elderly home . Like people send their own parents their. In short respect other people's culture.
Because fans are different from all over the world, everyone has different cultures, and the culture of the host country must be respected, so there will be no problems, and everyone will be treated well I agree with you
Yes, why did the world bet on Qatar, so the questions were: Will the smallest country in the world succeed in organizing a huge World Cup that exceeds expectations? Yes, it is Planet Qatar, gentlemen.
The Qatari citizen is considered the owner of the largest average income in the world, so before she comes to talk about her financial losses, know that they don't care.
Qatar spent billions of dollars to host the World Cup, but before this, Qatar provided its people with all their needs from A to Z until “the Qatari citizen has the highest average income in the world.” Years ago, Qatar decided to start relying on sources of income other than liquefied gas, and chose tourism.
Any country that wants tourism must have something attractive for tourists and an infrastructure that appeals to them
So Qatar has spent more than 200 billion to build a new country with all the meaning of the word, including hotels, islands and tourist facilities. But how do you know the world with these facilities and infrastructure?!
There is nothing better than hosting the largest football forum in the world, which is the World Cup, because the whole world sees and gets to know the host country, so it was, colloquially, a "masterstroke" from Qatar
It spent 18 billion dollars on stadiums and their facilities for the World Cup
And what did Qatar also do?
On the doors of all hotels in Doha, there is a QR barcode to introduce Islam
- In every stadium there is a chapel and places for ablution for the first time in the World Cup
- Alcohol was banned in stadiums and public places, and special places were allocated for it (and this is the fee for hosting the World Cup)
Immoral clothing for women and men was prohibited, and all parades and other things were prohibited in the streets and public places.
- The opening of the World Cup was with verses from the Holy Quran recited by Ghanem Al-Muftah
Qatar is indeed a very rich country. But there have been many reports that the foreign migrant workers who built the stadiums, and who are not Qatari citizens, received low pay and suffered from poor safety standards. Would you say that everyone living in Qatar benefits equally from the country's great wealth?
Respecting another persons culture and religion should not entail you having to adopt that culture and religion yourself. It is a matter of respecting their right to have certain views and act in a certain way.
I agree with you @glorious_lake that we should learn to respect other people's cultures and religions but that does that mean that we have to adopt those cultures and traditions. We should respect Qatar's culture and tradition.
On the other hand, Qatar has also decided to make respect the cultures of the modern world and to allow LGBTQ+ to attend the world cup with the condition that they respect the nation's culture in which public displays of affection will be frowned upon.
I think this is a commendable effort on both sides to ensure peace. For the greater good and for the interests of everyone, compromises need to be made. This way everyone will benefit and everyone's cultures will be respected without having to necessarily adopt those cultures.
I agree because...Your words are correct, we have to respect all different cultures regardless of whether our culture agrees or disagrees with it.
We do not impose our culture on others, so whoever gets used to respecting opinions will find someone who respects his opinion.
thanks for your comment
This is true because whoever you respect respects you, and when we look, we will find that respect for this difference generates love between peoples. It is not necessary for me to enforce this culture, but I respect it.
For example, Qatar did not force anyone to enter its religion and apply all its traditions and culture, but it said respect these customs and traditions.
I agree a little but also I am not sure because you say we don't have to adopt it to show respect but we kind of do because if you think about a country where hijab is obligatory then if you are a woman and don't wear it then that could be seen as disrespect. I think there is a fine line.
We do not impose our culture on others, so whoever gets used to respecting cultures and opinions will find someone who respects his culture and opinion.
There is a famous saying * who respects respect *.
The one who goes to another country is a guest there, for some days or weeks. It is not necessary to preserve the customs, traditions and culture of this country, but only to respect them and not to mock them.
Good point, however if respecting a culture in one country goes against the culture in another do you think this may cause issues?
Conflict and problems occur when cultures differ, this is in the case of confronting uncivilized or democratic minds to receive these oppositions or cultures.
But if we want to succeed and continue and keep pace with our era with new thinking, we have to turn a blind eye to these differences and accept other cultures with their advantages and disadvantages.
This is a really interesting question and I thank you for bringing up this question.Let me give a small example to answer this question.I am a vegan and within my country itself there are different cultures where one culture allows people to eat non vegetarian foods wherein in my culture eating non vegetarian food is a sin.I have people around me who eat non vegetarian foods.I do not stop them from eating it.I respect their own culture and their own choices.One has to understand that by respecting some other cultures' practices they are not over stepping their own culture and still they are very well bound by what their culture says.
Thank you for sharing your experience and this example for comparison @crafty_quince. Do you think there is a difference when it comes to a question of traditions or cultures conflicting with human rights? Is it always possible to respect both?
I thank you for posing another interesting question.In certain cases we have to give up on the principles laid down by our culture or tradition for the good of people.For instance,the "sati"practice,where a woman has to sacrifice her life immediately after her husband dies, was familiar back then.But as time progressed this was abolished.There are instances such as this where some culture or tradition may go wrong and may not go with human rights.These traditional and cultural principles were all shaped by our ancestors who were also humans and hence these principles can be imperfect.So in such instances,we can make a change in our cultural practices in accordance with the human rights.By doing this,we are making our culture or tradition even more perfect which is a kind of respect towards it and
we are also abiding by the human rights.To me,Respect not only means that we should go by what our culture or tradition says but it can also be bringing about a positive change that is really necessary and that makes a culture or tradition even more beautiful.
I agree because everyone's culture and traditions are meant to be respected even though you do not want to get involved in it, but for the fact that you decided to be nationalistic, your own culture would definitely be respected someday by a million people. Someone once said, "Once you understand and appreciate other people's cultural background, then you can also connect with them more.
I agree because Dealing with people is dealing with thought and mentality, not dealing with traditions and customs.
Because traditions and customs were built years ago by grandparents and parents, and no one has the right to interfere with them.
Only the intervention is through discussions, opinions, development and success in matches, for example, and honorable works and competitions...
You write that nobody has the right to interfere with traditions and customs. How much do you think traditions change over time, from generation to generation? What happens when traditions conflict with human rights? Is it possible to respect both?
To what extent do traditions change?
I think (negative traditions) change with the passage of generations and the development of ideas and understanding of life well.
But if the traditions are good and do not offend others, then I believe that they do not change with the passage of time, because we look for what is beautiful and good and move away from what is bad and ugly.
It may or may not be a good point of view.
Traditions and customs must be respected as long as they do not contradict our religion.
What other reasons might cause Traditions and customs to be respected?
Not to conflict with religion, noble principles, or health, and not to violate any human right.
Thanks for the reply Amica, well it actually takes a long time for a particular tradition and culture to be changed especially when you have already gotten used to the culture, and the idea of changing will sound new and surprising to people in that community. Traditions and human rights are two different words, traditions are rules expected of all citizens or members of a particular group or country to obey and be guided with, while human rights are rights bestowed upon the individuals of a country in order to create order and peace in the country. When traditions conflict with human rights, the rights of the individuals will be denied and the individuals might create a protest against the tradition especially when their rights are denied falsefully and demand for change and the change request might be denied by the government and that is when the problem starts from till its becomes a case then riot. I think it is actually possible for one to respect both because when one decides to adhere to the traditions of the country and at the same time exercise their human rights positively, then you have respected both your human rights and the traditions of your country successfully and peacefully.
I agree because when you respect another person religion and culture doesn't mean you have to adopt to it for instance I respect the Indian culture doesn't mean I will start leaving like Indians having respect for someone doesn't necessary mean I will start doing what the person does.
I agree because..We should not be biased towards a particular culture or country.
Because in the field of sports, for example
Competition is honorable just for fun and suspense, not fanaticism and extremism.
i agree with my compadre' above . culture is beauty at its best. it is beauty personified .for the fact you tolerate and respect other people traditions and cultures doesn't necessary mean you should adopt it. its comes to us personally as individuals to choose whether to adopt it or not .if you respect someone's culture someone else will respect your culture
I agree because...This is what I am saying from the beginning.
The saying in short:
Respect others (in any field) and they will certainly respect you.
I respect where you're coming from and in a general sense that there are bad things happening
everywhere. However, to me it is more than fair for anyone to criticize for two very specific things.
1. To bribe your way to having the world cup while having laws that legally discriminate against a group of people is wrong.
2.Because you don't have the infostructure to host this tournament, you put migrant workers through modern day slavery is awful. I believe the criticism is fair when it's about things that directly impact the WC.
l don't understand why everyone is specifically fixated and angry about this particular World Cup. Every single country in this world has done some evil to it's own people and people from other eountries. lf we are going to have this morale stance on the World Cup then there would be no World Cup at all.I'm not saying what Qater has done is right by any means,but I'm just stating an obvious point that I have not seen made by anyone else.
That's a good point, unique_night. Can you name any other examples of countries whose hosting of large sporting events was controversial? Do you think the criticism of those countries was justified?
unique_night, you make a valid point given some of the previous locations for major global sporting events. Although what I find particularly interesting is that the World Athletic Championships were hosted by Doha, Qatar in 2019 and I don't remember the same level of controversy around that. Why do you think that is? Has that much changed in 3 years, or is it explained by the difference in popularity between the World Cup vs Athletics, or something else?
I understand that every country has done wrong at some point but Qatar is one of the many countries still doing wrong today. Theres basic human right standards that Qatar do not follow. For example, being LGBTQ+. What will happen if someone in Qatar is LGBTQ+? They'll get killed or arrested. What if a pride flag was in Qatar? Whoever has it will again be arrested. This isnt the only problem, if someone in Qatar gets arrested, most of the time they do not have access to a lawyer or a translator so they would most likely be arrested even if they did nothing wrong. This is 2022 now and it needs to change; in fact it should never have been like this in the first place. People preach 'everyone is equal' but clearly not if people are still getting killed and imprisoned for loving whoever and being themselves. Additionally, the control over women is insane. They have to ask MEN for PERMISSION to get access to reproductive healthcare. What on earth happened to 'your body, your choice'. If a country/countries laws violates basic human rights the way Qatar and some others do, they should not be allowed to host a big event such as the World Cup until the government of that specific country learns to respect everybody and treat everyone equally
I just wanted to expand on my point about all countries doing evil. Yes, I do agree with you on this but again, this is the present. This has been happening for decades and you would think by now everyone would be equal. Countries such as England, France, Italy, Canada have done wrong in the past and sometimes now but not as extreme as killing someone for loving someone or not allowing women to have rights (as of 2000s and up). They have laws that allows anyone to get married, they allow people to he lawyers if they get arrested, they don't kill people for loving someone, they allow pride flags in the country, women have actual lives and do not need to ask men for permission to do anything. THIS is human rights. Its basic respect and the bare minimum but still, people in these countries are so much less afraid to be themselves and in fact, they're more proud to be themselves and preach what they love. Respect should never go one way, it should always go both ways
Polarizing message but probably bad execution and worst timing .
Infantino as FlFA president should have acknowledged the concerns of having a World Cap in Qatar , but then pivoted to being optimistic that this World Cap will be just as good as the others from a logistical and fan perspective .
Instead ... we are talking politics , cultural differences and polarizing topics less then 24hr before the start of a World Cap instead of highlighting the excitement of the opening match between Qatar vs Ecuador.
With the fact that Europe should repent for another 3000 years , l would be careful because it will sound like a whole part of Europe yes, but Europe as a whole certainly not . For example ,as a central European ( slovaks , Czechs , poles ) , l don't know that they were colonial and so on l have nothing to a apologize for . We as central European citizens . And secondly , l don't know what the whole world is doing . Sometimes they have some laws that you don't have to agree with but when someone goes there , they have to respect and obey them . When they banned alcohol , it's logical , anyone who didn't expect that is a fool . The fact that they are against LGBTQ I is due to their faith and laws . When you go to another country , you have to respect the laws , whatever they are . Or just don't go there and that's it . This hysteria about nothing is really over the top......
It's a trend that whenever a World Cup isn't in Europe, there's complaints and efforts to paint everything in a black light. In 2010,the media caused panic about alleged violence, crime and ill preparedness of South Africa .Imagine how it felt to the Africans. In Brazil 2014 again...Now there's all these documentaries about corruption at FIFA conveniently just before the tournament. Its tiring really and whatever Infantino's motive, I see why he's annoyed.
One of the occasions where there is a global turnout and global follow-up of people is the World Cup, so it is good to invest this event in raising awareness of human problems such as global warming, famine or diseases
It is a good point that the World Cup is a global stage and platform.
I will choose to speak in yellow in the part where he says I was bullied at school because my hair is red, so does he want to say that Arabs treat foreigners unequally? When you want to show something you don't like and at the same time the problems fade away, you use this method of writing and I respond to this comment that even if Arabs do that with foreigners, this is nothing but a reaction to what foreigners do when they prevent Arab female students from studying because of the hijab only and because they are Muslims . I apologize for my bluntness but the comment is really annoying
I choose section C. Mr. Infantino is trying to explain what the State of Qatar has been subjected to in terms of bullying and racial discrimination as an Arab country, unfortunately. I feel grateful and thankful for what Infantino said, as he is trying to communicate the idea to the minds of all levels of the world’s people, in a frank way without courtesy, and in an indirect way, addressing the hearts and minds of those who are bullied and those who are not bullied, and that we all have to respect the cultures of different countries and peoples of the world, so I will say Mr. Infantino has all the respect and appreciation because you told the truth and objected to bullying in a civilized manner and in a sophisticated manner that makes it clear that it is better that there is no idea of distinction and distinction between people and countries
aware_idea thanks for this comment. Tell me what is it about Mr Infantino's speech that makes you say that he has a sophisticated manner.
Ask the opinions of the Arabs, the Africans, the Asians on the interview. Their opinion is different from that of the Europe and the west.
Respect peoples culture when you go to their place and stop trying to impose your views in the name of human rights...
Well for the migrant workers and the accidents and deaths, Qatar will need to answer. As for the others please... respect their culture and way of life.
I believe that those statements did not come from him in vain, because he knows the truth and sees the development that Qatar has made in the field of workers' rights, and that big leap in human rights has affected his statements while he is asking Europe to apologize for its bad past with regard to human rights. Here some may be surprised. From his statements, but if it is indicative, then it indicates that he is aware of the events and their development, and that he is eager to participate and interact between peoples, and I see that he has a love for getting to know the Arab and Islamic peoples, and we do not forget that he believes that Qatar is the best to be able to produce an honorable and different version of the World Cup
best_groundhog tell us more about the point you mention about the development that Qatar is making in workers rights
I feel he is simply trying to say one thing UNITY. Everyone thinks they have unity, but not really, I don't think so, in modern day times it is one thing after the order, if it isn't gender discrimination, then it is about sexuality or race. I feel happy, I feel educated, after a long time I finally feel like I am not alone, I can boldly say that I share perspective with other people, I feel that Mr Infanito gave everyone relief, believe it or not he said things that we are all thinking but were too afraid to say, he is saying basic problems I feel he is also trying to say how people do not know how to talk to each other even in my school environment students do not know how to converse with each other so we should have basic skills like listening skills and talking skill . In response I will tell Mr Infanito to stand strong and have peace that he is not alone, we all feel the way he feels and the sooner we understand people and their point of views, we will be able to make the world better.
Thanks for your comment accurate_wombat. Can you think about your point that 'he said things that we are all thinking', who might not agree with what he said? Do you genuinely think that everyone would feel the same as Mr Infanito?
Yes, I do I mean who wants to say that most of our problems are caused all sorts of discrimination. Only backward people would not agree, but people who are able to see things from different lights would be able to understand what he means.
I feel that the fact you have to relate with someone those not mean that you must adopt the culture and the believes of the person, but you just have to respect and try to flow with the person, in other for peace.
Your respect for the principles and culture of others does not mean that you follow them or replace them with your own principles and culture. All that matters is that you must respect these different principles and culture for different people and not attack them with discrimination, racism and backward thinking. Rather, they must be accepted and used intelligently to benefit and exchange experiences and cultures. We must meet abuse with kindness. .
I agree with Mr. Infantino's statement that we must respect all cultures and religions if the country is Islamic we must respect it. People are opposed to the World Cup in Qatar because Qatar has established strict laws against LGBT people, because Qatar is an Islamic State.What Mr. Infantino is trying to say in section C is that we encourage our children and our children if they fail a test or a job We don't have to beat them and curse them because it shatters him the most, it doesn't make him better, it makes it worse, so we have to encourage him to become the best all person to go wrong and fail, so you have to support him and encourage him and help him to become as good as you want.
I agree with your point of view, respect is our duty and not voluntary, so we have to respect different religions and cultures, and in terms of encouraging children if they fail a test or a job, there is no human who does not fail, we all fail, but the secret is to try again several times until we reach the end and achieve our goals, it has been said "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger"
I agree because we have to respect culture of all religion.In order to make peaceful society,we should respect all religion.
When I get less marks in my exam my parents used to scold me by giving others example.It shatters me a lot.Due to their taunt, I feel too bad.Sometimes,I used to think that I am not a good child.I became hopeless by thinking about my marks and my parents taunt.
So,I want to ask all the parents why they give taunts to their child?They have to encourage and support their child for their better future.
Can you explain the link between your point about parents and respecting cultures, amiable_dove?
I'm sorry.I think you didn't understand what I want to say.These both things I have written is different.I don't think parents and respecting cultures links.I apologize again for what I had written.
It should not entail respecting the cultures and religions of other people, and it should be forced to build cultures and religions on your own. We must all educate ourselves. Many things are not perfect, but reform and change take time.
all what i got from his message is that we should treat people with respect. we should not be judging people on how the look or feel , we should respect people because they are humans like us. we should respect other people cultures and way of life.
If you ask me, I feel he is trying to say that we should be a little more polite and accept people the way they are, I mean it is not as hard as people make it to look. I mean for as long as we have known there have always been a way people act in a community so why the head-to-head battle now, all of a sudden. I feel the leaders and the grown-ups contribute I mean it is in human nature to learn and I would not be surprised if the poeple who engage in potting down other people's opinion learnt it from our so-called leaders of today.
I feel he is trying to say the world is constantly changing and to some extent he is saying as the world is changing you either change with it or move along. He is also trying to propose a question, he is trying to ask the world if our solution to everything is arguing and pushing blame. I mean are we not all just trying to be the better version of ourselves.
In my view I think Mr Infantino is right: we should not run away from engaging with issues. I agree that people who are different tend to be bullied, and we should not allow it. However, I strongly disagree with his statement about Europe having to apologise. I think Europe should be appreciated for bringing democracy to where it is now. Humanity had to go thru different stages to reach where we are today. I come from Romania and our country was conquered by the ottomans and people were killed if they didn't want to convert to islam (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantin_Brâncoveanu). Nobody is asking them to apologise for that. What about Genghis Khan's mass exterminations ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destruction_under_the_Mongol_Empire)? How were Europeans any worse?
Am going with A because I simply understand is that life is dynamic and it changes but most people forget this. The situation we find ourselves in would one day change because nothing last forever, our past predicament is someone present condition and the way we experienced it may have been different so we should not be quick to judge forgetting we were one day there. To err is human and to forgive is divine.
Everyone makes mistakes and no one is perfect, but when you try to paint an image that is not existent to the world creates a false ideology and makes everyone competitive in a bad way which breeds unhealthy vices. Most European countries have directly or indirectly made developing countries feel inferior and this gives room for them to take advantage of the countries. Some people do not see this as a problem because it has become a lifestyle and a normal occurrence and the best way to break this thought is by first having honest dialogue and not just the type were agreements and documents are signed but relationship should be formed so that the forgiveness they are seeking would not be just a political thing but rather a milestone.
Hi Curious_contribution, interesting perspective that signing agreements and documents is not a sufficient method of tackling such issues of inequality!
Could you offer some suggestions as to how we could facilitate honest dialogue and relationship building as a milestone rather than merely through politics? For example, could this be done through the internet? peaceful protest? non-governmental organisations?
I look forward to your thoughts!
All the methods that you have mentioned are correct and are good methods but at the same time have been used in the past and did not avail. Dialogue is meant to be between two people but when the internet is brought into the picture it creates havoc because it becomes everybody problem. There are various international organizations such as the UN and they have a lot of influence when it comes to decision making. One way to promote honest dialogue is to create ground rules, identify shared principles and then create room for open disagreement. This method in my opinion should be done between leaders of the country and not representatives.
I think he is trying to get us to understand that we can talk to people in a better and more caring manner. I would like to give an example, if a child does something and instead of talking to them nicely you call them names like maybe criminal, what do you expect to happen, the child would obviously become a criminal, as a manager he just basically shared a contributing factor of the success of his club. If someone need motivation you motivate and you don't so it harshly, everyone can correct people what differentiates the people that are corrected is the manner of approach. No human being alive wants to be disgraced.
From my point of view, I think Gianni's speech was good. I believe in freedom of speech. Agreed with section C. Diplomacy and dialogue are important to success. When the baby causes trouble, if the mother hits it and doesn't listen to it, the reacts badly, but if the mother talks with her child and understands his point of view, it comes to a good conclusion. This is what Gianni demanded. Dialogue is the most important means of communicating information, modifying wrong ideas, knowing others' desires, and communicating to solve a problem. Gianni also called for an end to discrimination and racism . Football is universal and has different cultures. Every country has its own culture and politics, and wherever the World Cup is held, we must respect those cultures and shuns racism.
I feel like he was trying to tell us to literally just stop with the criticism, we are quick to criticize but never quick to try to help and when other people help, we are also quick to criticize the people who are helping.
In my opinion he is trying to say that we all have past and hidden problems, I mean if these statements did not come directly from his mouth who would think that they were true, I feel like he isn't trying to center on anything specific, but he is just trying to let us know that people and feelings change. To some extent he is also trying to say that not everyone who feels discriminated or secluded is always right, how do we react, how do we behave when people tell us certain thing. Do we try to make them see our point of view by calmly explaining or do we just burst out with all our emotions at full force.
In B I think he was just speaking about the golden rule treat others the way you want to be treated. But most people do not do that, using myself as an example, people do not treat me the way I treat them, but they always have advice on how I can treat them better, I feel like the one question we should ask ourselves is that if people treat us the way we treat them will we be happy, everyone wants to be treated right but no one wants to treat someone else right. Sooner or later, we will realize that we can, and we must treat each other better.
Why do you think people find it hard to treat others the way they want to be treated?
I feel they might feel weak, when they treat people nice, or they are ignorant to the fact that everything that goes around comes around.
Speech (C) delivered by Mr. Infantino is trying to convey to us that to obtain engagement by seeking dialogue, understanding and tolerance, because insulting methods do not work and do not lead to engagement. What Mr. Infantino spoke about in speech (C) is that there are many who use the wrong methods of engagement. I want to say to Mr. Infantino that he is right in his speech, because engagement is by seeking dialogue and understanding and not by insulting
Hi Giving_mood,
Well observed that insulting methods of communication are often counterproductive. Can you offer some ideas as to how we can encourage dialogue which is more understanding in nature? What methods of engagement would you recommend?
In my opinion, it is possible to encourage dialogue by hearing the ideas of others and promoting their ideas, and we should not mock the ideas of anyone, because if we mock the ideas of others, they will lose their desire for dialogue, but we cannot do without dialogue because dialogue is an essential thing that we benefit from in education and also in change
The FIFA president has been defending Qatar with these speeches while addressing critics of Qatar's World Cup preparations. The FIFA President wanted to say that football is powerful in resolving divisions between different peoples of the world and bringing them closer together. He wants to build bridges between cultures and provide all support in order to overcome cultural barriers. He stated: FIFA is an open, transparent and democratic organization and we are always ready to work together. As Nelson Mandela said, “Sport has the power to change the world.”
I like your comment very much that the FIFA President was trying to say people should be united by sport. Why do you think others found his speech offensive?
I think that Mr. Infantino used to say that he is against bullying and that engagement and integration with others creates many opportunities for dialogue and understanding, and that all people must be respected regardless of culture, religion, identity and appearance.
In speech A Infantino wants to say that we are all similar, the Africans are like the Europeans and also like the Asians. And the difference in our color or culture is just a way to distinguish between the different people and their different culture.
Why do you think some people though Infantino's speech was insensitive?
In my opinion some people thinks that Infantino's speech was insensitive because he wanted to confirm that all of us are like each other and we should not feel anxious about our differences.
Became a huge fan of him.Qatar is going to host World cup we know it for years. Now when everything is ready we are going to enjoy world cup at thet moment they are starting criticism plus bringing up issues and issues. We are waiting for world cup for 4 years. Iagree with him let the football bring people together.
Can you think of some examples of ways in which football can bring people together?
1- What is Mr. Infantino trying to say?
In my opinion, what he is trying to say is that there is no difference between choosing any country to hold the World Cup in, but every country should be given the right to host the World Cup, and no distinction should be made between countries. We cannot judge that this country is not qualified to host the World Cup without knowing what it will do, so other countries must merge with the host countries and see what they will do to host the World Cup.
2- How do you feel about the way he said it?
I am sure that my feeling is happiness, as he did not discriminate between countries, but rather gave each country its right, and the way he said it I liked it very much, as it made it clear that there should be no discrimination between countries and that all countries are equal.
3- What would you say to Mr. Infantino in response?
Of course, I will say that I support him, thank him, and appreciate his lack of distinction between countries and his knowledge that all countries are equal, and that any country has the right to host the World Cup in it, and I hope that it will remain so.
I choose Section "C"
I think Mr. Infantino is trying to tell the world that instead of standing on the opposite side of Qatar and just throwing only toxic speech and criticism on the policies of Qatar towards the world cup from restricting any LGBTQ logos to restricting alcohol.. etc, he is convincing these people to be cooperative, to try respecting the country's culture and traditions, and to cooperate for making fifa 2022 one of the best fifa plays ever. He clarified his opinion with an example about if you keep insulting the child the behaviors will get worse. As if Qatar is the child and the world else is the parents, if they keep this insults they won't get any benefit, but if they cooperate they'll definitely gain.
What would you say in response to Mr Infantino?
I'd like to say to Mr. Infantino, thank you for respecting other's culture, thank you for being in the right position where you have to be. The right position which is avoiding the unnecessary criticism towards Qatar. And I'd like to comment also and tell these countries who are criticising, consider yourself going yo a visit to someone's place, would you do everything that you like in their home? Or you're just going to respect their home rules, and what they like and what they don't? It's the same thing for Qatar, we are there as guests and they put the rules and we have to respect.
Hi flowing_impression, thank you for your comment. You seem to have a strong opinion on this subject. I'm interested to know if you would follow someone else's rules if it meant limiting another person's human rights?
Well, this question can't really be true because for Qatar being homosexual is a crime and not a right, so technically they're not limiting humans rights, they're limiting what the consider as crimes.
I see what you're saying, flowing_impression -- but that gets at the heart of what "human rights" means. They are not legal rights, limited to one legal system; they are bigger than any one country's list of freedoms or crimes. So the question is about the rights we all have as humans -- not as citizens, as subjects or even as football tourists. Does that change your answer?
I disagree because... he isn't trying to say that opposing them is bad I rather feel like he is trying to say that we should just understand them and their views, because violence does not teach
I agree because Qatar was honestly an unexpected place to host a big event like world cup in it, but for the fact it was possible, instead of us to go outside of the box and insults the policies of Qatar, we should therefore support and be happy with the main reason why we appeared in Qatar in the first place, to celebrate the world cup and not to criticize anyone at all, to have fun and make unforgettable happy moments as a family
I can understand that freedom of expression is guaranteed to all people, but in my opinion this is a World Cup for everyone and it is not exclusive to anyone, but as long as it is found in a country that actually respects the laws and sovereignty of this country.
If the World Cup were to be held in one of the Western countries, I think we would not find anyone spreading all this sedition.
We want a world cup full of happiness and peace for all of us away from negative means of communication.
World Cup is not a dispute between the world
Can you imagine why some people might feel excluded from this World Cup? How do you think those people might respond to Mr Infantino?
I find it painful for some time. But if we ask them the question that if they impose laws on us to attend the World Cup in their country and we reject these laws, will they allow us? And will they then object to what Mr. Infantino says? Or will they agree to him and give up on us?
Soccer has been an INTERNATIONAL sport and has the most fans all around the world regarding of their colour skins, religions and politics . So FiFA needs to learn to have and grant the country host who would tolerate, honor, welcome and secure the common rules and INTERNATIONAL norms for the game fans and players . If not, then give it to the country that can do that . The rest of the world still have had watching the soccer game from TV screens. FIFA leaders, your heavy pockets have dragged you down .
Your comment that their heavy pockets have weighed them down is intriguing. Can you explain what you mean by that exactly?
Section c-
He's trying to say that violence is not a right way to convince someone to do something in the right way, But by letting the child understand that he did something wrong in a good way it will not let him do it again because understanding is the key of success
I have gone through it, and it happens in many countries, but respecting people does not proceed according to gender, color, and religion, but rather with piety, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him) said: “There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor for a white over a black, nor for a black over a white, except with piety.” We imitate the bullying child, but we help others. We feel sorry for the older and sympathize with the younger, and we must separatedistinguished among people
Mr Infantino wants to convey that we should have self control on our actions . We should not bully people on the basis of color , religion, gender or caste . he himself takes his example that he sometimes feel he is a gay , he is African or he is disabled but that does not mean that he bully people or he is being shamed of all this . He just wants that people should not insult other or harm them . He want that parents should be friend of their children as when children do not get good grades then the parents should not lock them in a room or captivate them like a cage instead of that they should talk to them and figure it by all together . He also want that people should respect everyone's culture and rituals . Respecting another persons culture and religion should not entail you having to adopt that culture and religion yourself. It is a matter of respecting their right to have certain views and act in a certain way.
SECTION A
I think Mr Infantino is trying to say that we should be proud of who we are and should not allow anyone to discriminate you for who you have chosen to be because everyone has a right to choice and that choice can change you not anyone else, only an emotional person would understand what he is saying because being bullied is not a good experience, its a very discriminating process one undergoes through in life, but there is a reason why one is undergoing though this process, and this reason comes with a choice either to listen to it or to ignore it. We should never allow anyone to change the person you are meant to be, stick to your own self and prepare for a great future.
SECTION C
I think Mr Infantino is trying to say that correcting a child in an unpleasant approach makes the child feels discriminated and undeceive, and the child starts having a very wrong corrupted mentality that anything he or she does is useless and being insulted by others, but if we exercise humbleness and patience in correcting a child according to his or her wrong deeds, the child would try his or her best to avoid such an act in other for you to be proud of them and correction would be accepted peacefully by that child.
I think he is trying to say that we should treat everyone the same and that we should talk to each other to solve our problems instead of fighting each other or saying hateful things. Even words are like weapons, they wound sometimes. We will solve our problems with compassion.
I believe he's trying to say that discriminated people should start engaging. I feel inspired about the way he said it because he tells us how hard it was for him when he was bullied. I would tell him that his idea is amazing and that everyone should respect others, even people that are different. I'll also ask him what else will he do about discriminated people.
What he said was really deep. So many people are trying to solve this riddle. Some disagree, some agree and some just may have a different point of view. I personally think that he meant that we shouldn't judge Qatar so harshly. That we shouldn't judge the people in Qatar for Fifa's choice.
The way he said it only made me more curious since we don't really know what he meant.
If I had the opportunity to ask Mr. Infantino anything I think that I would ask him how choosing Qatar as the host can help the world to change their view on this country. What will the opportunity bring and does he think it will help Qatar after the Cup also?
I see your point mister Gianni Infantino and I agree with you at section C. I think you are trayng to sey that if someone have done something wrong we don't have to say that he is wrong and is a mess .Instead of during this you should better tell to him why is he or she wrong ant try to help him .Then that person will be motivated to try again and do it better .I think this is the way we should treat people.
I think he is trying to say that europeans made some cruel things back then. I totally agree with that, but it is not what we, the actual people did. We didn t exist back then. All of our opinions changed completely. If this was not true, I dont think anybody would be able to say that. I have learned at history lessons what people would do at that time. Even if horible things used to happen, it was not the normal people doing it, but the ones who had the power to, like rich people. Some people deserve an apology, but not for the next 3000 years. The europeans mistakes were awful, but just apologies wont do to much anyway. We can continue make major changes. This would actually help more. Actions speak louder than words.
memorable_cookie what could be some future changes?
I think he is trying to say that it's does matter how you look.
I feel like a little kid who realised that everything is possible. I want to ask him if there is too much money in football in his opinion and if he could spend this money better.
I think that in section B Mr Infantino is trying to say that European people should apologize a lot to diverse people, but I think that he is a little wrong because "the present people " didn't really influenced the diverse people.
I think that he said correct things about the world we are living in and I feel good that he said those things.
I would response him that it is true that diverse people get discriminated, but on the second hand I would tell him that not all the Europeans discriminate them. Should we apologize for things we personally didn't do? I haven't been on earth long enough to be responsible.
Thanks for your comment incomparable_armadillo. Do you think that there is another way of thinking about what he is saying? Do you think 'apologising' is the right word?
That's a fair comment incomparable_armadillo about apologising for the past, although I wonder at what point something is so far back that it's not tied to the present. E.g. A lot of the discrimination protection (e.g. LGBTQ rights) is quite recent history for Europe. Older generations of people alive today lived during a time where being gay was illegal in many parts of Europe. So is it fair for Europeans to criticise, without acknowledging their own national journeys and the time it took for these rights to evolve?
I expect Mr Infantino in his speech was largely referring to Europe's colonial past, much of which does seem like distant history, although its impact lives on (e.g. lines drawn on a map for national borders). 3000 years is perhaps an extreme, but at what point do we acknowledge our negative impacts on the present day e.g. colonial impacts, climate change and the industrialised West, etc? Is the answer for Europe to 'shut up' as a result, or is there a way to engage constructively despite Europe's past?
Section C
I think he is trying to say...
That using force we won't solve anything, at least not for a long . Also that the methods parents try to educate their kids with are not very effective, because they only make tensions bigger.
I feel like he is right, but just in some cases. For example if a kid does not want to learn for school, saying"let us work togheter" would not solve anything.
In response to him I would say that in some cases being a little tougher is good, but never to reach human death.
I think he was trying to say that a mistake cannot be corrected by a mistake, but rather that he is very happy that Qatar will host the World Cup this year, but there are people who attacked him and said that he is a liar and a hypocrite and does not care about himself.
You have chosen Section B.
Question 1: What is Mr. Infantino trying to say? That the Qataris should apologize to the people before giving lessons. Many European institutions work in Qatar. Slogans and moral lessons betray hypocrisy. Conditions for workers in Qatar are better than immigrants in Europe. He also wanted to say, “Let us celebrate peace on the land of peace.” Let us draw a smile, and we must focus on Workers, we do not have to spread violence and hatred, we have to spread understanding and rapprochement among different peoples.
Question 2: How do you feel about the way he said it?
I agree with Mr. Infantino's statement that we should respect all cultures and religions if the country is Islamic we should respect it and we should not judge people on how they look or feel we should respect people Humans like us.
Question 3: What would you say to Mr. Infantino in response to that? I will tell him that you raised the status of the European workers in the speech you mentioned at the conference, and I would like to thank you for your kind and tolerant words towards the workers!
I think he meant that Qatar should not be judged in this way, just because it banned alcohol and its opinion in the category of homosexuality, but their religion, beliefs and traditions should be respected, and the effort that Qatar made to establish the World Cup should be appreciated. I believe that the choice of Qatar as the host country has changed a lot of people in this country. But if people continue to insult and disrespect Qatar, they will not get any result.
I chose c
His words are directed to all scholars, telling them to stop saying the negative aspects of Qatar hosting the tournament and nonsense.
He is trying to say that we cooperate and adapt in understanding the customs and traditions of that country, despite the difference, but that we must respect that country.
As he said, we do not have to lock the child in his room, as this will negatively affect him, but we must communicate and understand with him and not criticize him or belittle him
Congratulations to the Arab countries for winning the match that took place between Saudi Arabia and Argentina, and better luck for Argentina and victory in the coming times, God willing
In my opinion Mr Infantino is just talking about accountability, we never hold the people who need to be accountable for their decisions, we are always trying to push blame, sadly when this happens, we all know the wrong people feel the effect of the actions of others, they end up feeling bad and singled out.
Hi Accurate_wombat,
Interesting perspective. Do you have any thoughts on how we can make sure we hold the right people accountable for decisions?
Lets see the positive side of the speach of Mr Infantino. Apart from the argument that its the matter of sharing legacy with the world. What if he did mean that in order to give the players an experience to play in all types of weather conditions the World Cup should be held on all the sub continents grounds not just the European ground. It will show the versatility in competitive skills of the participants in more acurate ways. It will help the sportsman in understanding game plans of the teams from diffrent regions and they can play better by devicing better deffensive strategies against each other.
The audience also will get the chance to observe and share different cultural values. It will also boom the economy by organising such events to make it effordable and accessible all the common men of the people outside the Europe. Apart of the cricket and other games the legacy of football also share with the outer world in order to draw the attention towards this game from all the regions and make if popular among the all continents.
If we go to look at the full speech of Mr Infantino, we will get more light, I want to look at the racism aspect of these statements, the fact that I am Nigerian does not mean I cannot support someone from another country, that is racism just pure racism. We have to stop that because everyone in the world has the right to cheers for who they want." That is why we were given choice
I get what Mr Infantino was trying to say but the truth is that it could be also seen as rude and mean. Why, well because he does not know what it feels like to be gay, he does not know what it feels like to be disabled he does not know what it feels like to be African, and in my opinion, he cannot relate being discriminated against because of red hair and freckles to anything he has just mentioned. You cannot actually relate their experience by just saying you 'feel' what they feel.
accurate_wombat what could he have done differently in his speech?
Hi accurate_wombat,
I understand your point - Mr Infantino does not really know how it feels to be all those things he listed. However, you said that you get what he was trying to say, so could you explain this a little bit more? What do you think Mr Infantino actually meant by his statement?
We do not have the right to punish our children in front of their students, brothers or friends in order to achieve better educational results by using the method of dialogue and discussion. Also, we should not insult the child or the seven if he makes a mistake in the trampling or other things in order to enhance his values and make him confident in himself and in the event that he is punished by mistake or insult. Or beating works, but on the contrary, it will develop in the child undesirable habits and concepts that affect his behavior
In fact, I agree with Mr. (Infantino) in what he mentioned, as he focused on the most important pivotal points in his speech that he wanted to consider before judging others. Section (A): He speaks that such a great event united different societies and helped to engage and coexist with everyone. Far from all forms of discrimination, and it also helped the exchange of cultures between peoples, on the other hand (Section / B) made it clear that we are all wrong, but it is good to learn from our previous mistakes, recalculate in matters, and act rationally and wisely, and Section (C) really surprised me when describing Qatar With the child who retracts his mistakes as a result of having received attention and encouragement from his supportive parents (other countries), this step may be the birth and a new beginning for Qatar and a point of retreat for some policies and correcting its misconceptions
Mr. Infantino's words are wonderful in the edifice. I was impressed by his words. He is trying to say that without our unity, "the world unites with Qatar," we will not be able to save the country. I mean, what I mean is that Qatar is a wonderful country and has built many sports stadiums that are very beautiful, and they have registered most of the players Their record, for example, Cristiano Ronaldo scored the fifth goal, it was wonderful. The manner of riddles in which Mr. Infantino speaks has both a good and a bad side. Bad because I think someone might misunderstand what he's saying. I would like to send a message to Mr. Infantino. You are wonderful, and I know that you stand with all countries. You deserve to be the president of FIFA. And I would like to send a message to the world. Raise your hands with each other, because we live in one world. Do not disparage Qatar, as it is a wonderful country.. Respect each other's cultures. In the end we are one people.
I choose Speech (A)
He tries to say that Qatar and the controversy that befell him brought back bad memories for him with his schoolmates who bullied him. Qatar embodied him when he was young..so he feels strong feelings...because he knows that bullying is not a solution to anything...instead of looking at the great side of Qatar..and looking at everything she prepared during the celebration...the controversy over her choice increased! ... Respect is what wins people... and he is the one who tried to deliver it, the FIFA president