Hassan al-Thawadi's comments came as the UK sports minister Stuart Andrew said he would wear the rainbow-coloured armband at the England v Wales match today.
The Conservative frontbencher, who is gay, said it was "really unfair" that Fifa had threatened sporting sanctions at the 11th hour against seven European teams who had planned to wear the anti-discrimination symbol in Qatar, forcing them to protest in other ways.
"I want to show support and I was delighted to see that the German minister who attended a recent match has worn it, I think it is important that I do so," he said.
However, Thawadi -the secretary general of the supreme World Cup committee for delivery and legacy - said he had an "issue" with the armband because he saw it as a protest against Islamic values and an Islamic country hosting such a major event.
This story is from the November 29, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the November 29, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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