The Norwegian club have actively been working with Amnesty International to highlight the ongoing issues in Qatar
Norwegian side Tromsø IL have made history by launching the first-ever football kit with a QR code which directs supporters to a link highlighting the ongoing human rights issues in Qatar.
https://twitter.com/TromsoIL/status/1467783738729902081
The club have been active on their social media channels and on the pitch about the decision to award Qatar the 2022 World Cup and made headlines after the Norway national team wore t-shirts with the caption ‘HUMAN RIGHTS on and off the pitch’ during an international game at their stadium.
‘HUMAN RIGHTS
On and off the pitch’The Norwegian national team send a powerful message to the World Cup organisers in Qatar 🇳🇴👏 pic.twitter.com/p39oDwrh4h
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) March 24, 2021
Now the club have designed a kit with a QR code which acts as a link to provide people with information on what is happening in Qatar and the sports washing that has occurred when awarding the Arab state football’s biggest tournament.
In a statement on the club’s website, they said: “Hi football world! It’s us from the high north again.
“We hoped FIFA and Qatar would listen to us the last time, but obviously money still trumps human rights and human lives. Remember that you one day will make your own accounting.
“The most valuable asset here will not be the money you made, it will actually be how you treated other people. The most scary thing is that you know you treat people bad. Why else would you spend money trying to show a more beautiful surface of the terrible things you are doing.
“Well, we are back. Look at our new kit. The QR code takes you here. A page that will give you more and more information on what’s going on, on the ground in Qatar.
“Please read up and consider the question: How many human rights violations will it take before the football community unites to demand better protection for migrant workers?
“We can’t pretend football and politics are unrelated, and we must never look the other way when some use our beautiful game to overshadow human rights violations. We can change this together.
“Stop sportswashing. Keep the game clean.”
The club also announced they would be working closely alongside Amnesty International as well as Malcom Bidali – a former migrant worker who was arrested in Qatar for blogging about the abhorrent conditions he and others were forced to work and live in.
They said: “The club is now making a new push – this time in collaboration with Amnesty International and Malcolm Bidali, the former migrant worker who was arrested in Qatar for blogging about reprehensible conditions.”
The code on the club’s shirt takes you to this link which provides the latest ongoing information to help understand why Tromsø are fighting this battle, and why others should follow suit.
Related links:
- How Tromsø led calls for Norway to boycott the Qatar 2022 World Cup
- Life in Qatar as a migrant worker: What it costs to build a World Cup
- Qatar World Cup protests are too late… but they’re far from pointless
