A certain irony registered on the calendars of Persian Gulf residents on Dec. 18: That Wednesday was both Qatar’s National Day and International Migrants Day — a notable coincidence considering the fact that 90 percent of Qatar’s population is made up of migrant workers.

As the host of the first FIFA World Cup to be held in the Middle East, Qatar will be bringing the tournament to a soccer-obsessed region. Indeed, Qatar’s leaders have promoted their bid to host the World Cup as a chance to bridge cultural divides, a friendly meeting of civilizations on the soccer pitch. In the words of Hassan al-Thawadi, chief executive of Qatar’s bid, “Qatar 2022 can be a watershed moment.”…  Seguir leyendo »