Will Sharia Ruin Qatar's 2022 World Cup?

Recently World Cup sponsors voiced concern that Qatar bribed its way into hosting the 2022 tournament. Indeed there is little doubt at this point that the tiny nation, neither equipped nor naturally suited to host such an event, was chosen through illegitimate means.

But the consequences of Qatar’s selection are far graver than bribery.

Qatar has “employed” what amounts to slave labor to build the massive infrastructure needed to host the event. Workers have been deprived of their visas and wages in order to create dependency and prevent escape. Some have resorted to begging for food between shifts. Hundreds have died due to poor work conditions and unsanitary living arrangements. If the rate of death continues through 2022, 4,000 laborers will perish in order to pave the way for the games.

This is only the most recent iteration of a tragic pattern unfolding in nations with sharia law. As N.Y.U. and the Guggenheim Museum discovered after building in Abu Dhabi, sharia-ism translates to the ruthless control of migrant workers, women, gays, and any other minority group. Due to Sharia, Qatar is among the least free nations in the world.

I call on Adidas, Coca Cola, Sony, Hyundai/Kia, and BP to stand for human rights and pull sponsorship from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. There is no way to overemphasize the importance of such a decision. Lives are at stake.

Ms. Brighton, a women’s rights activist, is a former Wall Street trader and author of the new book Sharia-ism is Here: The Battle to Control Women and Everyone Else.