Assi Maman, Qatar |
The opening event in Qatar (Reuters)
A surprise at the opening ceremony of the World Cup. For the first time ever, Qatar announced tonight (Saturday) that it will open the World Cup games with a religious ceremony with verses from the Koran. This also happened in rehearsals for the event held at Al-Bait Stadium, where the opening match between Qatar and Ecuador will take place.
For the first time, the opening ceremony will read from the Koran, a religious act that has never been done before the World Cup games, but is typical for the country. This is expected to happen during the Aisha prayer, that is, during the night prayer in Qatar, when the message is: “The children should memorize the Koran even while they are excited about the event.”
This evening the events were also opened to the general public, when the official FIFA festival began in Bida Park with music performances and fireworks. There were also religious symbols there, when the Qataris stopped the music for several minutes to allow the celebrants to pray.
The Qataris said in a FIFA announcement: “The ceremony will show humanity, respect and inclusion. Football will allow us to gather as one tribe because the earth is the tent in which we all live. The event will combine Qatari tradition with symbols of world culture and tributes to the 32 national teams.”
