America Faces No Greater Threat Than Joe Biden and the Democrat Party. Their Assault to Our Borders Is As Great As Their Assault to Free Speech and Free Elections
Monday, October 25, 2021
DAVID BECKHAM KISSES MUSLIM ASS - 'David Beckham must speak out about Qatar': Amnesty International increases pressure on footballer after fans slammed his 'greed' over '£150m' deal to be face of country's World Cup despite their woeful human rights record
HOW MUCH GRIEF IN THE WORLD IS PERPETRATED BY MUSLIMS AND MUSLIM DICTATORS?
'David Beckham must speak out about Qatar': Amnesty International increases pressure on footballer after fans slammed his 'greed' over '£150m' deal to be face of country's World Cup despite their woeful human rights record
David Beckham was seen working on a promotional film for the Qatar World Cup
The rich Middle Eastern nation has a record of appalling human rights abuses
Beckham didn't comment on Qatar's unjust treatment of gay men and women
It is thought Beckham is being paid in excess of £10 million to create the promo
David Beckham is facing huge backlash after it was reported he will become the face of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar despite concerns surrounding human rights abuses in the country.
In a deal reportedly worth up to £150million, the former England captain will act as an ambassador for the country and promote tourism as part of the deal.
But Beckham is under fire for accepting the role as fans and campaigners have been quick to point out the human rights controversies surrounding the host nation of the tournament next year.
Amnesty International UK has now increased the pressure on the footballer by urging him 'to learn about the deeply concerning human rights situation in Qatar and be prepared to speak out about it'.
It comes as critics accused Beckham of 'selling his soul' and described his actions as 'pure greed' after details of the deal emerged.
David Beckham at the Souq Waqif Art Centre in Qatar. Over two days he also visited the city's metro system and dined at upmarket restaurants Nobu and Banyan Tree
The Mail on Sunday has highlighted over recent weeks how the country is rife with racism, misogyny and the persecution of gay men and women.
And it is against the backdrop of these controversies, fans have accused Beckham, who is reportedly worth in the region of £360million, of putting money and wealth above anything else.
Now the 46-year-old is facing criticism from campaigners for using his influence to endorse a country where woman and gay people suffer such horrendous abuse.
Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK's CEO, said: 'It's not surprising that David Beckham wants to be involved in such a major football event, but we would urge him to learn about the deeply concerning human rights situation in Qatar and be prepared to speak out about it.
'Qatar's human rights record is troubling - from the country's longstanding mistreatment of migrant workers, to its curbs on free speech and the criminalisation of same-sex relations.
'Qatar's mistreatment of migrant workers - the people whose hard work is making the World Cup possible - is especially disturbing.
'Despite some welcome reforms, migrant workers are still being left unpaid, and the authorities have failed to investigate thousands of deaths in the past decade despite evidence of links between premature deaths and unsafe, searingly-hot working conditions.
'More needs to be done for this World Cup to leave a positive legacy and transform the human rights situation in Qatar.
'FIFA has an important role to play in helping to drive change in Qatar - especially in raising labour abuses associated with World Cup preparations. David Beckham should use his unique worldwide profile to keep the world's focus on the human rights issues surrounding the matches, and not just the play on the pitch.'
Veteran human-rights activist Peter Tatchell said: 'Qatar is not a great culture, like David said it is, if you are a woman, a migrant worker or gay.
'It is really disappointing that he is promoting Qatar in return for a lot of money, given its dismal human-rights record.
'He has made a huge mistake. I hope he will think again. This doesn't square with his professed support for women's and LGBT+ rights.'
Pictured: Campaigners, politicians and fans have criticised Beckham's decision to sign deal
Helen Barnard, research and policy director at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: 'Such weak justifications from Beckham and all the clubs and stars taking money from these brutal, horrific regimes.
'Just say 'We really, really wanted the money'. Don't hide behind 'They were so nice to me. Maybe all the people they kill & oppress just misunderstood'.'
Rothna Begum, senior women's rights researcher at campaign group Human Rights Watch, said: 'Celebrities who are being paid to promote the Qatari state who consider themselves to be pro-women and pro-women's rights should be using the opportunity and access to those in positions of power to enquire about things that are happening.'
Meanwhile, fans have expressed their disappointment in the former England superstar.
One Twitter user wrote: 'Surely being the face of the Qatar World Cup and an ambassador for UNICEF is a conflict of interest?
'I guess your principles go out of the window when massive amounts of money are involved.'
Another added: 'Disappointed that I am in David Beckham, can anyone really be surprised that he's taken the money given the fact that hardly anyone associated with football have shown a backbone over the issue of #Qatar and the world cup.'
While a third added: 'David Beckham grabbing £15m-a-year from Qatar to become their face of 2022 World Cup is the most disgusting football thing since that other one that. UNICEF ambassador?'
Another added: 'Always thought that David Beckham comes across as a really decent guy but he's sold his soul here.'
Devastating reports have revealed how women are forced to seek male approval to marry, study or travel, and that rape victims can end up facing seven years in prison for having sex outside marriage.
Last week the Mail on Sunday told how fears are growing for the safety of 23-year-old Qatari women's rights activist Noof al-Maadeed, who had fled from her homeland to the UK in 2019 but has vanished since returning earlier this month after receiving assurances from the authorities that she would be safe.
Another dispatch exposed the plight of men who are thrown in jail just for looking as if they might be gay.
In Qatar, homosexuality is punishable by three years in jail. We also revealed how migrant workers are being treated as second-class citizens and that hundreds have died while building roads and stadiums in preparation for the tournament.
Beckham once claimed that feminism is in his DNA, and last year posed for pictures wearing a Gay Pride T-shirt, but after a previous promotional visit to Qatar in 2019 he applauded its 'great hotels and great culture'.
The former England captain has come under fire for promoting an event in a country with such a poor record of human rights. Reports revealed that women are forced to seek male approval to marry, study or travel
Beckham's team would not confirm on the record the existence of his lucrative promotional deal.
But a source close to the ex-footballer said he was in Doha on a fact-finding trip.
A spokesman said: 'David has been visiting Qatar regularly for over a decade and … has seen the passion for football in the country and the long-term commitment that's been made to hosting the World Cup and delivering a lasting legacy for the region.
'He's always talked about the power of football as a force for good on many levels.'
But Beckham refused to answer questions on the persecution of gay people and the mistreatment of women and migrant workers.
His reaction mirrors that of other high-profile stars from the world of football who are usually keen to speak out against discrimination and prejudice.
England manager Gareth Southgate, team captain Harry Kane, Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker and former England star turned television pundit Gary Neville are among those who have remained silent on Qatar.
Beckham on a 2019 visit to the Education City Stadium in Qatar. Last night he faced criticism from campaigners for using his influence to endorse a country where woman and gay people suffer such horrendous abuse
On October 4, a private jet whisked Beckham to Qatar's capital city, Doha.
The fabulously wealthy footballer's 69 million Instagram followers are usually kept well informed about his glamorous lifestyle, but he was unusually coy on this occasion, choosing not to post any pictures of his trip.
However, excited locals who saw him touring the city accompanied by photographers, and a film crew posted their own shots on Qatari social-media sites.
Over two days Beckham visited the city's metro system and the Souq Waqif Art Centre, and dined at upmarket restaurants Nobu and Banyan Tree.
The MoS revealed in February how Beckham, 46, who is worth an estimated £360 million, had signed the deal to be an ambassador for Qatar, with a major role in promoting the World Cup.
Beckham formed a close friendship with the Qatari president of French football club Paris Saint-Germain, Nasser Al-Khelaifi (pictured right) in 2013
He has never confirmed or denied the arrangement.
It is understood the deal came about after Beckham formed a close friendship with the Qatari president of French football club Paris Saint-Germain, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, when the former Manchester United star joined the club in 2013.
The pair were photographed laughing together at an international match in Qatar in December 2019 and Beckham has become a frequent visitor to the country – he is due back in Qatar next month to watch the Formula 1 Grand Prix hosted by the desert state.
Al-Khelaifi also runs the Qatari sports television channel beIN. The network faced criticism for hiring Andy Gray and Richard Keys to anchor its football coverage when they were sacked from Sky after making offensive remarks about female official Sian Massey and other women.
Beckham has been interviewed on the Qatari channel where he spoke of his wish that he could play in Qatar's World Cup, a 'great culture' and the positive outcomes that holding the tournament there will achieve.
Speaking in 2019 about the World Cup in Qatar, Beckham spoke of his jealously at not getting the chance to be there as a player.
He said: 'I think as a player and a fan you want to visit a World Cup competition with great facilities, safe facilities, great hotels and great culture – and that's what Qatar is all about.
'I wish I was still playing because to play in stadiums like this, it's a dream. Players are going to be spoilt.
Private eye who helped sheikh menace his wife was former Met officer: Ex-cop was hired to threaten bodyguard as part of campaign of intimidation on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Stuart Page, whose identity was secret, helped wage a campaign of intimidation
Sheikh’s youngest wife fled to London in fear of her life with children in 2019
Princess and ex-husband locked in costliest child custody battle in UK history
A British private eye hired by Dubai’s ruler to threaten his runaway wife’s security chief can today be unmasked as a former Scotland Yard anti-terror officer.
Stuart Page, whose identity was previously a secret, helped wage a campaign of intimidation on behalf of billionaire Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a friend of the Queen, the High Court found.
He threatened to damage the reputation of a senior bodyguard hired by the sheikh’s youngest wife Princess Haya after she fled to London in fear of her life with their children in 2019 unless he stopped working for her, a judge ruled.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai arrives with his wife Princess Haya bint Al Hussein during the World Government Summit 2017 at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The princess and her autocratic ex-husband have been locked in the costliest child custody battle in UK legal history at the High Court.
It has been raging for more than two years and the High Court has made damning findings including that the sheikh previously orchestrated the armed kidnap of his runaway daughter Princess Shamsa from Cambridgeshire.
In the excoriating findings earlier this month, the High Court ruled Sheikh Mohammed had run an illegal phone hacking racket on UK soil to tap the phones of Princess Haya and her British solicitors and bodyguards.
Now it can be revealed he also hired the services of 70-year-old Mr Page, a former Metropolitan Police officer turned private security consultant who has a long track record of being embroiled in cases involving hacking.
Stuart Page (pictured), whose identity was previously a secret, helped wage a campaign of intimidation on behalf of billionaire Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, a friend of the Queen, the High Court found
In June 2019, soon after Oxford-educated Princess Haya – the sheikh’s sixth wife – escaped Dubai to the UK in a private jet with the couple’s young children, Mr Page went to meet her security chief, himself a former senior policeman, in London and delivered a ‘clear threat’ to discredit him personally and professionally, a judge found.
In a ruling last year, the High Court said that the 45-year-old princess’s unnamed security chief, who had ‘a distinguished career as a police officer at a high level’ and was ‘used to very challenging conversations’ had been left ‘seriously troubled and concerned’ by the encounter.
The court’s finding was made without evidence from Mr Page who denies any wrongdoing.
Previously, the High Court has referred to him as ‘SP’ – but now a court order has unmasked him as Stuart Page.
The meeting happened two days after racehorse owner Sheikh Mohammed was pictured with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Royal Ascot, and two days before he published poems which his wife interpreted as death threats.
Mr Page was an anti-terror officer with the Metropolitan Police in the 1970s and an Army reservist before reinventing himself as a troubleshooter for Middle Eastern regimes.
The Bentley-driving private investigator – who charges up to £220,000 ($300,000) a month and has a £5million London townhouse – and his security firms Page Group Ltd and Page Protective Services have worked for the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates.
And until recently, he provided security for British embassies including the UK mission in Tel Aviv, Israel, through Page Protective Services.
Last year in a separate case at the High Court, he was accused of hacking confidential emails on behalf of another UAE ruler.
He threatened to damage the reputation of a senior bodyguard hired by the sheikh’s youngest wife Princess Haya after she fled to London in fear of her life with their children in 2019 unless he stopped working for her, a judge ruled
He ‘strongly denies’ doing so, his lawyer said. The judge did not find that Mr Page had obtained hacked documents in that case but said Mr Page ‘operates in a world of covert surveillance… and would be a reasonable inference to draw from these incidents that Mr Page has access to agents with the capacity to hack emails’.
Mr Page started his career as a policeman with the Sussex constabulary on his 19th birthday.
A career break took him to Saudi Arabia where he worked for Aramco, the national oil company, before returning to Britain to work in private security.
Oxford-educated Princess Haya (pictured) – the sheikh’s sixth wife – escaped Dubai to the UK in a private jet with the couple’s young children
In one of his more colourful roles, he spent two years as a close protection officer for the pop star Boy George who, much to his annoyance, used to call him his ‘pet pig’, according to an interview in The Times.
The Queen has been under pressure to ditch her friendship with Sheikh Mohammed, 72, who rules Dubai and is also the prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and owns several properties and racehorses in Britain.
Mr Page’s lawyer John Fordham said yesterday his client ‘does not accept the evidence’ of Princess Haya’s security chief was ‘correct’, adding: ‘Mr Page did not threaten anyone.’
He claimed his client did not have an opportunity to give evidence to rebut the allegations.
Mr Ford also said Mr Page strongly denied participating in the hacking of emails.
The ruler of Dubai is a UK ally and is seen shaking hands with Queen Elizabeth on Derby Day at Epsom Racecourse in 2011
Runaway wife and Baroness solicitor victims of Sheikh hacking scandal
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Private eye who helped Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum menace his wife was former Met officer
Ex-Saudi official claims crown prince said he could get "poison ring from Russia" to kill king
Rebecca Falconer
In this article:
A former senior Saudi intelligence official who worked with the U.S. on counterterrorism alleged to "60 Minutes" in an interview broadcast Sunday that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed in 2014 killing the kingdom's then-monarch.
Why it matters: The claim by the exiled Saad al-Jabri, whom Saudi authorities describe as "a discredited former government official," that the crown prince, known as "MBS," allegedly said he could obtain a "ring from Russia" to carry out the attack, is one of several serious but unproven allegations he made on the CBS show.
The allegations come as the human rights record of the Persian Gulf state is back in the spotlight after its sovereign wealth fund took over Newcastle United Football Club earlier this month.
Details: Al-Jabri accused MBS on "60 Minutes" of bragging at a 2014 meeting with Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, then head of intelligence as interior minister, that he could kill then-King Abdullah, to enable his father to take the throne in Saudi Arabia.
"He told him, 'I want to assassinate King Abdullah. I get a poison ring from Russia. It’s enough for me just to shake hand with him and he will be done,'" alleged Al-Jabri to CBS' Scott Pelley, adding that Saudi intelligence took the threat seriously.
Abdullah died in 2015 after being admitted to hospital with a lung infection and his half-brother, MBS' father, King Salman ascended the throne, per the BBC.
Of note: Al-Jabri didn't provide any evidence but said he watched a video recording of the meeting and that copies still exist.
He told CBS that he's recorded a "death video" that "reveals more secrets of the royal family" and some of the U.S., according to Pelley.
Al-Jabri provided a short, silent clip of the video, which he said "could be released" if he were killed. It includes a message to his imprisoned children, according to Pelley. He appealed to the Biden administration during the interview for help freeing his children.
For the record: Al-Jabri filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. against MBS, alleging the crown prince tried to kill him in the United States and Canada.
Saudi authorities are suing Al-Jabri in the U.S. and Canada, claiming that the state's former intelligence officialstole $500 million from the counterterrorism budget, an allegation he denies.
A judge in Canada has frozen pending the outcome of the case, citing "overwhelming evidence of fraud," according to CBS.
What they're saying: Former CIA acting director Michael Morell told "60 Minutes" that he felt an obligation to Al-Jabri, with whom he working closely from 2010 to 2013, and the CIA should too because that the Saudi dissident "saved American lives."
These included intelligence from Al-Jabri that thwarted a 2010 al-Qaeda plot to hide bombs inside two desktop printers that were headed to the U.S. in cargo in on two planes that were "perhaps intended to explode over American cities."
Morell noted that it's "been hard" for U.S. presidents to stand up to MBS, noting that neither the Trump nor Biden administrations had publicly sanctioned him after Khashoggi.
The Biden administration did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
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