Rod Stewart said in an interview that he was offered $1 million to perform at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar — but turned down the gig because of the controversy surrounding human rights in the country.
Speaking with the British newspaper, The Times, the 77-year-old rock legend explained that the offer was made 15 months ago but he could not justify performing at the event.
"I turned it down. It's not right to go. And the Iranians should be out too for supplying arms [to Russia]." he said.
Stewart is not the first musician to make a point of avoiding Qatar, a small nation in the Middle East on the Arabian Peninsula that has come under scrutiny for its treatment of migrant workers and criminalization of same-sex relationships.
Dua Lipa has denied reports she will perform at the World Cup opening ceremony, saying that she would only play in Qatar if the country improves its record on human rights.
"There is currently a lot of speculation that I will be performing at the opening ceremony of the world cup in Qatar. I will not be performing and nor have I ever been involved in any negotiation to perform," she wrote in an Instagram Story Sunday.
"I will be cheering England on from afar, and I look forward to visiting Qatar when it has fulfilled all the human rights pledges it made when it won the right to host the World Cup," she added.
Last month, the Australian men's soccer team released a video speaking out against Qatar for its treatment of migrant workers and LGBTQ people. Qatari organizers of the 2022 World Cup responded to their criticism by admitting that "no country is perfect," according to the Guardian.
"This World Cup has contributed to a legacy of progress, better practice, and improving lives — and it's a legacy that will live long after the final ball is kicked," a spokesperson for the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy — the tournament's organizers — said in a statement, adding that any change in workplace culture might not be seen immediately.
"New laws and reforms often take time to bed in, and robust implementation of labor laws is a global challenge, including in Australia," the statement continued. "No country is perfect, and every country — hosts of major events or not — has its challenges."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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