World Cup Host Qatar Seeks To Change Mindset On Islam

Proudly Muslim Qatar has taken advantage of the World Cup to reach out to the hundreds of thousands of visiting fans to change minds about Islam or even make conversions.

The Gulf emirate is the first Muslim nation to stage a football World Cup and its gas riches have endowed it with an array of grand mosques to pique the curiosity of visitors.

Canadian couple Dorinel and Clara Popa listened to the call to prayer at an Ottoman-style mosque in Doha’s Katara cultural district.

It is known as Doha’s Blue Mosque because of the sumptuous mosaics of blue and purple tiles on the walls. A guide took the couple on a tour of the elaborate interior dominated by a giant chandelier.

Dorinel Popa, a 54-year-old accountant, said the couple were taking a first look at Islam.

“We have prejudice against the culture and the people,” because of a lack of exposure to others, he said.

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