Doha: The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) on Friday banned England fans from wearing crusader costumes in the England-USA match, scheduled for the evening in the World Cup Qatar 2022 matches.
On Thursday, two fans were prevented from entering the home stadium because of the disguise of warriors, and the fans carried plastic swords and shields with the Cross of St. George.
In the video clip circulating on social media, the two fans surprised football fanatics at the metro station with several taking videos and photos of them on their way to the stadium.
The British newspaper The Times quoted (FIFA) as saying, “Crusader fashion in the Arab context can be offensive to Muslims.”
The British news agency (PA Media) quoted a spokeswoman for the group as saying, “We advise fans attending the World Cup matches that some clothing, such as costumes representing knights or crusaders, may not be welcome in Qatar and other Islamic countries.”
“The travel advice issued by the British Foreign Office prior to the tournament indicated that fans should familiarize themselves with local customs, and we encourage fans to follow this approach,” she added.
For years, England supporters have attended stadiums with this type of costume, including shields and swords.
For many Arabs, the word crusade conjures up a painful history of violent conquest by Christians who sought to capture Jerusalem and neighbouring areas under Muslim rule in the eleventh and thirteenth centuries.
