Craig David is blasted for performing in Qatar as gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell says star ‘put money and greed before principles’
- Rapper received the outstanding contribution award at the 25th MOBO awards
- He described standing up for ‘people who aren’t seen, who don’t have a voice’
- However, it later emerged that David, 41, performed in Doha on November 25
Craig David has been blasted for performing at the World Cup in Qatar by a leading gay rights campaigner.
The singer and rapper received the outstanding contribution award at the 25th MOBO awards in London on Wednesday.
The event, which recognises and celebrates black music and culture, was hosted by Chunkz and Yung Filly at the OVO Arena Wembley.
The 41-year-old, who rose to fame in 1999, described standing up for ‘people who aren’t seen, who don’t have a voice’ in an ITV interview.
However, it later emerged that he performed in Doha on November 25 despite Qatar’s stance on LGBTQ+ people.
Craig David has been blasted for performing at the World Cup in Qatar by a leading gay rights campaigner
Peter Tatchell, 70, best known for his work with LGBT social movements, claimed the star ‘put money and greed before principles’.
‘I love Craig David’s music but he has allowed himself to be used by the Qatar dictatorship to boost its international image,’ the veteran activist told The Mirror.
‘He’s failed to speak for the voiceless in Qatar: oppressed women, LGBTs and migrant workers.
‘This is a sexist, homophobic, racist regime. He’s put money and greed before principles. Many fans will be gutted.’
It comes after Robbie Williams defended his decision to perform claiming it would be ‘hypocritical’ not to go.
Dua Lipa, Rod Stewart and Shakira all confirmed they would boycott the competition’s opening ceremony.
Robbie Williams, 48, said if he made decisions about performing based on human rights abuses, ‘I wouldn’t even be able to perform in my own kitchen’
Williams performed at the opening ceremony of the Russia 2018 World Cup despite the annexation of Crimea and various human rights abuses by Vladimir Putin’s regime
The former Take That member argued that it would be wrong not to perform because of human rights concerns, because he has already performed in countries with objectionable regimes.
He added that if he refused to play in places where human rights were abused, ‘I wouldn’t even be able to perform in my own kitchen’.
Williams, who has reportedly ‘toyed’ with the baseless Q-Anon conspiracy theory in the past, is set to perform on December 8.
The singer performed at the opening ceremony in the World Cup in Russia in 2018 despite Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
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