Calling on FIFA to Expel Nigeria from World Cup Soccer in Brazil 2014

Joseph S. BLATTER , President FIFA
Address: FIFA-Strasse 20, P.O. Box City:
Zurich ZIP Code: 8044 Country: SWITZERLAND
Phone: +41 (0)43 222 7777 Fax: +41 (0)43 222 7878
E-mail address:
[email protected]
cc. CAF, Confederation of African Football President, Issa Hayatou – [email protected]

February 15, 2014.

RE: Expulsion of Nigeria from FIFA World Cup Soccer 2014.

Dear Mr Blatter,

The Nigerian Soccer Team is guilty of discrimination and persecution and should be banned and expelled fro FIFA World Cup Soccer 2014.

The Nigerian Parliament passed sweeping anti-gay legislation, which was signed this year by President Goodluck Jonathan. The law was condemned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, who told the BBC:

“I am very concerned that the rights of LGBT people that’s.. ah.. the sexual orientation right.. are being violated that they are subject to discrimination and I condemn this law of Nigeria because it violates the equality clause both in Nigerian law as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which speaks of equality for all.”

The FIFA rules note:

“Discrimination of any kind against a Country, private person or group of people on account of race, skin colour, ethnic, national or social origin, gender, language, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, wealth, birth or any other status, sexual orientation or any other reason is strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion.”http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/socialresponsibility/antiracism/

The Jail the Gays Bill, touted as the ‘Prohibition on Same-sex marriage Bill,’ in reality has more to do with criminalizing homosexuality, rather than stopping same gender marriages, in a country where homosexual acts were already criminal, and now sets prison terms of up to 14 years, based on a person’s sexual orientation. It effectively exlcudes all gays from participating in all forms of society, to include  social, employment, and sports events.

What has turned out to be a further serious repercussion of the bill is the license it seems to have granted to vigilante mobs, resulting in exacerbated persecution of gays, as crowds of Nigerians have been involved in lynchings, assaults, stoning and other violent acts against gays.

Not only is it unsafe for a gay person to be out and open about their sexuality, but unlike heterosexual people, their sexuality is criminalized,  and in this regard Nigerians are guilty of discrimination based on sexual orientation. It is clear that if a team member is found to be a gay person, he would be criminalized, and excluded from participating with the World Cup Team and hence the Nigerians are clearly in flagrant breach of the FIFA rules.

Accordingly Nigeria and the World Cup Soccer team explicitly discriminates against and excludes gay people. Such discrimination is overt and clear due to the explicit laws of the Country.

We are therefore asking that the Nigerian Soccer team be expelled from the 2014 World Cup, in accordance with the rules of FIFA.

Read article at http://oblogdeeoblogda.me/2014/02/16/calling-on-fifa-to-expel-nigeria-from-world-cup-soccer-in-brazil-2014/

Signed:

Melanie Nathan
Executive Director
Private Courts
[email protected]

cc. CAF, Confederation of African Football President, Issa Hayatou – [email protected]

NOTE: Four of the Five African Countries Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria are Homophobic  with criminalizing laws against sexual orientation –

PLEASE TWEET this article to @SeppBlatter,  @FIFAcom  @FIFAWorldCup #worldcup #Brazil2014, #FIFAWorldCup,

=====================================================================

NIGERIAN LGBTIs IN DIASPORA  IN LONDON WILL PROTEST AGAINST ANTI-SAME SEX LAWS | Love Not Hate! By Melanie Nathan, February 15, 2015. Nigerian LGBTIs in Diaspora Against Anti Same Sex Laws will hold a rally on Thursday, 20th February, 2014 outside Nigerian High Commission, London, to protest the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act signed into […]

URGENTLY Calling on HRC, NCLR, Get EQUAL and Other U.S.A. Organizations to Start Preparing Now to Form a Coalition to Rally for Nigeria By Melanie Nathan, February 13, 2014. Nigeria’s LGBT community, through The Solitary Alliance, is calling on the world to help protest against the anti-gay law that has caused major persecution and mob […]

Reports of Attacks by Mobs Against Gays Posted by Melanie Nathan, February 13, 2014. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) has received reports that approximately 10 men, perceived to be gay, were beaten by a mob of some 40 persons in the community of Geshiri near Abuja last night or early this […]

By Melanie Nathan, January 22, 2014. AP in BAUCHI, Nigeria, is reporting on the increasing anti-gay violence against Nigerians perceived as being gay. Apparently, thousands of protesters showed up at a Shariah court in a north Nigerian city Wednesday, throwing stones at the Court while yelling for the convictions and executions of 11 men arrested […]

Canada acts, the UK folds, what will the US do? By Cathy Kristofferson, January 19, 2014 Reports out of Nigeria claim that Canada has cancelled a planned state visit by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan that had been in the works for February. Jonathan was due to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper but reports say […]

By Cathy Kristofferson, January 16, 2014 The BBC is reporting that the first of the men recently arrested on charges of homosexuality in Nigeria has been sentenced and now received 20 lashes by the Islamic Court in the Bauchi state of Nigeria.  Apparently, the man was spared death by stoning because the offense occurred 7 […]

The organization The Gay Flag of South Africa  (GFSA) has called on The Elders to speak out against Nigeria’s appalling new anti-gay law, which was surreptitiously signed into law by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan last week. The Elders is an independent group of global leaders, founded in 2007 by Nelson Mandela, who work together for […]

Is the World Waking Up to Unthinkable Gay Persecution By Melanie Nathan, January 14, 2014. Yesterday the news leaked that the Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, had signed into law the new anti-gay law, which we have dubbed “Jail All the Gays”. But Gays have been suffering for a long time in Nigeria, with very little […]

#NIGERIAJAILSGAYS By Melanie Nathan, January 13, 2014. Today we heard in breaking news that Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has surreptitiously signed the so-called Same Sex Prohibition Bill into law. Reports are that Jonathan actually signed the Bill, better known as the “Jail-All-The-Gays” Bill, quietly last week. News of it’s signing has only now been leaked. The […]

A person who … indirectly makes public show of same sex amorous relationship … is liable on conviction to a term of 10 years imprisonment… By Cathy Kristofferson, January 13, 2014 Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has surreptitiously signed the so-called Same Sex Prohibition Bill into law. Reports are that Jonathan actually signed the Bill, better known as […]

By Cathy Kristofferson, June 28, 2013 Today, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, condemned the so-called same-sex marriage prohibition bill just passed by the Nigerian Parliament last month.  The bill, which in reality has more to do with criminalizing homosexuality rather than stopping same gender marriages in a country where homosexual acts are […]

By Melanie Nathan, May 30, 2013. Today in Nigeria, lawmakers passed a bill Thursday banning gay marriage and outlawing anyone from forming organizations supporting gay rights, setting prison terms of up to 14 years for offenders. Nigeria’s House of Representatives approved the bill in a voice vote. In the meantime there may be  differences between […]

By Melanie Nathan, March 05, 2013 According to reports the chair of the Nigeria Women Football League, member of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) executive committee, Dilichukwu Onyedinma, has announced that “lesbianism is now officially banned from Nigerian football (soccer).” Onyedinma was quoted by Nigerian media as saying players who were found to be in […]

” Madiba, your time in prison was without any lesson to us, to the rest of Africa,  we the Nigerians are giving you the finger!” By Melanie Nathan, November 16, 2012. Nigeria is about to pass legislation that will provide for the arrest, conviction and jailing of all its gay and lesbian people. What lessons […]

“When governments legitimate persecution – they provide the license for genocide! “ –  Melanie Nathan, International Human Rights Advocate… Nigerian Senate Votes for an Anti-Gay Law by Peter Tatchell  Sweeping criminalization contravenes Article 42 of the Nigerian constitution Same-sex marriage and civil unions to be banned 14 years jail for participants, 10 years jail for […]

We have conveyed to President Museveni, enacting this legislation will complicate our valued relationship with Uganda By Melanie Nathan, February 16, 2014. President Barack Obama informs the world that he has indicated to President Yoweri Museveni that this anti- homosexuality Bill will complicate US relations with Uganda.  And damn right it will. Because as an […]