Qatari entrepreneur Al-Jefairi tries to justify sheikhs caught photographing Croatian fan: They were doing it because she broke the dress code

Some sheikhs were seen taking photographs of “Miss Croatia”, Ivana Knoll, in the World Cup stands because they disapproved of her outfit, a high-profile local from Qatar has claimed.

During Croatia’s match against Morocco, the model, dubbed the ‘World Cup’s sexiest fan’, appeared in a red and white bikini top and a pair of tight red leggings – attracting the attention of many people in the crowd.

A photograph published after the match showed several smiling sheikhs in the stadium taking pictures of the 30-year-old model, writes DailyMail.

Mohammed Hassan Al-Jefairi, a prominent Qatari entrepreneur who created a robot, claimed that the men took out their mobile phones to take pictures because they disapproved of her outfit.

Posting a status on Twitter last night, he wrote in response to the photo: “Just for your information, they take a picture not because they like her, but because they don’t like how she is dressed inappropriately in relation to our culture”.

“You can confirm this with any local Qatari resident; perhaps they photographed her to report her later”, he continued.

Women visiting Qatar for the World Cup have been advised to cover their shoulders and avoid short skirts, as they risk being fined heavily and even facing prison sentences for breaking the rules or causing offence.

Many users of the social network Twitter, however, were not convinced by Al-Jefairi’s defense of the men caught on camera photographing the beauty.

One wrote: “No offense, sir, but your justification is ridiculous. Their facial expressions, body language and the way they hold their phones all clearly show their intentions”.

“You should admit that Qatari men are not infallible, saying this as a Qatari”, wrote another.

Knoll had shared the image in question on her Instagram to celebrate reaching one million followers.

While most were generally complimentary about her post, some pointed out that the outfit was not suitable for Qatari fans and broke the country’s strict dress rules for the 2022 World Cup.

Commenting on the potential cultural clash, Knoll said: “At first I was thinking, if the World Cup is taking place there (in Qatar), surely they will let us do everything to make it comfortable for all the fans without any restrictions”.

“Then I heard about the rules and was shocked. The dress code prohibits showing shoulders, knees, stomachs and everything, and I said to myself: ‘Oh my God, I don’t even have clothes to cover all of that’”.

“I was very angry because if I am not Muslim and if we in Europe respect the hijab and niqab, I think they should also respect our way of life, our religion, and in the end, my wearing dresses and bikinis, because I am a Catholic from Croatia who is here because of the World Cup”.

Some of Knoll’s posts last week also tagged FIFA – which has repeatedly reiterated Qatar’s strict rules regarding clothing.

She added: “But when I arrived, I was surprised that they weren’t making any issue of the outfit; they let you wear whatever you want – except in government buildings, and in the end that’s a good thing”.

When asked whether she thought there was any risk of being arrested, Knoll said: “I am never afraid of something like that”.

This is not the first time Knoll has been criticized for her choice of outfits.

In 2018, during the World Cup in Russia, the model had also attracted media attention for her provocative appearances in the stands.

Croatia will play Japan on Monday, facing them in the round of 16. /Telegrafi/