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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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It’s not rocket science lads, season ban for anyone hiring undocumented workers. Simples.
@canuckandgo:
Undocumented? Illegal workers
@Just Some Guy: Same thing – but yeah, let’s call a spade a spade. Presumably these boat owners are being prosecuted though? Right?
Pendency at it’s best…
@canuckandgo: but sorry i thought controlling your borders was racist and we were all supposed to feel sorry for US businesses without a supply of illegal immigrants? So it happens in ireland and now it is bad?
how can our fishermen make any money with dutch spanish and huge russian factory ships taking all our fish? we got severly screwed by the Eu.
@gregory: And the solution to that is modern slavery?
I wondered how long it would take for someone to make it their fault.
@Tony Canning: the solution is that our politicians stop giving all our fish for free to foreign countries. We’re losing huge money because our politicians don’t stand up for us. At least Norway told the Eu to take a hike and they’re making huge money as a result.
@gregory: Making excuses is worse than just being an apologist.
@Tony Canning: Address the point. This stealing of our fish is costing this country huge money since we joined the Eu. Our politicians are not representing our National Interest.
@gregory: at least acknowledge that hiring illegals and working them like that is wrong .. I agree with your other points though.
@Suzie Sunshine: how much are the russian and spanish factory ship workers getting paid?
@gregory: I am addressing the point. You’re advocating for slavery and using the big bad EU as an excuse.
@Tony Canning: the big bad eu just facilitated the transfer of irish jobs to romania avg salary €500/mth. post below. the Eu doesnt’t give a damn about Ireland.
@Suzie Sunshine: suzie, true but we cant compete w slave wages on russian spanish factory ship. lets get our fisheries back – it should be a billion dollar industry here and pay fair wages to all. The Norwegian system is an excellent example!
@gregory: pathetically conflating a low wage economy with slavery now….
Irish fishing industry worth 850million a year. Irish fishing industry worth 9billion a year to Eu This is the real problem.
@Sinbad the sailor: 100% and why the hell Irish people don’t protest about this issue is beyond me. Our politicians are useless. Look how many jobs we could have created a major industry like the Norwegians. It is time our politicians were held to account instead of the people lying down like sheep.
@Sinbad the sailor: I heard someone describe fish in Irish waters as European fish as due to migration they may only be passing through Irish waters. Don’t know if that is a fair comment?
@Finn Bowe: if this is true leave them wait till said fish have migrated through Irish waters.
Modern day slave galleys
@Tony Hardwicke: speaking of slave wages….over 200 workers lost their jobs in longford recently at a key supplier of components to the oil and gas industry-Cameron who was based in ireland for nearly 40 years . the workshop workers in ireland were getting around €3k/month. The manufacturing operation was moved to another Eu country where the workers get paid about €3/hour or €500/month all aided and abetted by the Eu with Infrastructural Grants to offset the over €100mln cost of building a state of the art factory. So dont talk to me about the Eu or a level playing regarding wages. the Eu represents big business not equality.
@gregory: it was moved to Romania.
I am a fishermen and last year we were broken down we had two lads on contract and 5 Irish lads so for 3 months the contract lads got there money every week but we get nothing can’t even get the dole we are self employed but yet we can get sacked I started a new job and we are having problems with boat so I have not made a wage in 6 weeks I was on a boat when Mr Fleming came aboard check on out crew so he went to the foreign lads first and ask were they be treated OK and everything was and then I asked Mr Fleming how come you didn’t ask the Irish crew men which was five men and his answer was there Irish and they are OK it’s a total joke we work big hours and some times we don’t even make a wage cause of weather or other problems who is there to look after us
You get paid by what you catch. If it’s a poor week fishing wages will be poor , if it’s a good week fishing wages will be good simple science, if the don’t like it no one is stopping them from quitting their not chained to the boats like slaves, it’s a tough industry as it is without all this bolloxology .
@Sinbad the sailor: ‘simple science’, Russian for, ‘I’m trolling from St. Petersburg’.
@Sinbad the sailor: True that. I know of three Filipino fishermen doing prawns in The Porcupine all year round. Rarely come off the boat. £1200/month paid into the bank for herself and the family, and all are delighted.
@Grotmaster: no doubt they’d be even more delighted if their wages reflected the hours they work.
If we’re going to even try to pretend that we live up to the most basic standard of decency, we have to give these fishermen a decent working wage. It’s not all about dangling a line over the bow of a boat, or dropping a net in the water, it’s a very dangerous job at times, and I’m speaking from personal experience from when I was younger.
We have all of these big brave comments from people hiding behind keyboards, giving out about immigrants, and the same people probably cream their pants trying to get a slice of toast out of the toaster with a fork. It’s pathetic.
@Grainne Abdulaziz: there illegal they should be stopped by the authorities long before the even get on a boat.
@Sinbad the sailor: There was never a time when illegal fisherman haven’t been on fishing vessels. I don’t think the general public give a damn how the fish on their plate is caught. I also notice a lot of syntax errors in your comments which strongly indicate you are not, yourself, an Irish-born fisherman. This doesn’t bother me personally, but can I ask are you operating on a valid licence and registered vessel in Irish waters?
@Grainne Abdulaziz: Grainne: our rescue services were out twice to rescue russian workers on factory ships recently – address that why we are giving our fish away. If you’re so worried about honours English i suggest you avoid this site and logic dictates foreign fishing interests are not going to support any of the arguments he posted which are to stand up for our National Interest which I would suggest is more important than your policing of the English language idem you are missing the point entirely. Look at the big picture.
@Grainne Abdulaziz: I’m Irish born, a fisherman of 20 years . Own my own boat employ only Irish crew. The industry has been good financially to us . In my 20 years I’ve only worked with Irish crew. Yes there is greedy fishermen who did or do employ illegal workers. But let not that tarnish the vast majority of good genuine Irish fishermen who work in this hard industry with the little quota we’re giving .
@Sinbad the sailor: You’re about as Irish as a pineapple, yourself and gregory are trolski trolski from Petrograd, dobra!
@Grainne Abdulaziz: well with a surname like yours I think the odds of me been more Irish than you are in my favour, plus we’re involved in the industry so if all you can question how Irish we are you know very little on the issues in the fishing industry
Load of old carp.
Fishing is always tough no matter where you are from.
Undocumented, illegal, or with work permit anyone not being paid for their labour is a slave. Slavery was abolished many years ago. Let’s not reintroduce it by sleight of hand.
@John Campbell: How much are the workers on those russian and spanish factory ships being paid ?
Construction ask restaurant trade is no different but it was OK for I phone Joan to do it through Jobs bridge.
Remember it was 39 hrs per week for €50.
have your say