England fans forced to strip naked for wearing £3k Crusaders costumes to World Cup
After showing up to a game dressed as Crusaders, England fans claimed that World Cup security guards ordered them to strip naked.
Two expats said that because of their “offensive” fancy dress, they were turned away five times. Following a challenge from a security who tugged at their clothing and questioned, “Are you here to slaughter Muslims?,” they were unable to watch the first half of the Three Lions’ debut game against Iran.
The two, who requested anonymity out of concern for retaliation from Qatar’s strict Islamic government, had assisted in constructing World Cup sites during the previous ten years.
They grudgingly consented to having their armor, which included chainmail, helmets, and plastic swords, taken. They were escorted to a side room and told to strip when they attempted to enter to watch the second half while wearing t-shirts and shorts.
One of them, a 57-year-old engineer, claimed that their outfits were intended as gags, similar to those seen in the popular comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail. He stated, “They were hand manufactured in India.
“Each one cost £3,000. In keeping with the custom we’ve seen at almost every World Cup before, we decided it would be funny to dress up for the game. However, the security checkpoint employees initially refused to let us in due to our helmets, then claimed the shields and rubber swords were a problem, and finally claimed the tunics were indecent.
We ended up visiting different checkpoints five or six times, always obediently following their instructions. We missed the first half of the game as a result of this two-and-a-half-hour delay, so we decided to throw away all of our equipment since our tickets cost more than £180.
But as we attempted to enter, three staff members led us into a small side room and ordered us to get naked. They spent a lot of time looking at my tattoos and making fun of me because I have quite a few.
“Intimate searches weren’t conducted on us. They only intended to make fun of us and chastise us. When I dropped to my underwear, I questioned what was happening because I couldn’t believe it.
His 56-year-old construction partner, who helped complete some of the eight stadiums constructed as part of Qatar’s $185 billion World Cup spending binge, said: “I was appalled by the guards’ behavior because I am surrounded by many Muslim friends and coworkers.
“We arrived in costume, as many England supporters have in the past, but these people did not at all find it funny. They were truly abhorrent. Have you come here to kill Muslims? one of them once asked me as he tugged at my chainmail.
source:nsemwokrom.com