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DOHA, Qatar — The World Cup has become a political lightning rod in Qatar. So it comes as no surprise that soccer fans' sartorial style has sparked controversy. Fans from around the world have refashioned traditional Gulf Arab headdresses and thobes at the first World Cup in the Middle East. Western women have tried out hijabs. England fans have donned crusader costumes. The politically-minded have made statements with rainbow accessories in a country that criminalizes homosexuality. Fan fashion has drawn a range of reactions from locals in the tiny Muslim emirate that has seen nothing remotely like the spectacle of the World Cup before. The outfits have elicited amusement and excitement in some cases. They have brought backlash in other instances.
