Morgan Freeman kicks off the 2022 FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony in Qatar Transcript

I heard something beautiful, not just music, but also this call to celebration. This is all so new. All that I have known before was a land that seemed to be in turmoil, with families have been forgotten and I stopped hearing your voice.

Come on over.

I’m not sure. Am I welcome?

We sent out the call because everyone is welcome. This is an invitation to the whole world.

I remember, even after hearing the call, instead of seeing another way, we dismissed it and demanded our own way. And now, the world feels even more distant and divided. How can so many countries, languages, and cultures come together, if only one way is accepted?

[foreign language 00:01:03]. We were raised to believe that we were scattered on this earth as nations and tribes, so we could learn from each other and find beauty in our differences.

I can see it. What unites us here in this moment is so much greater than what divides us. How can we make it last longer than just today?

With tolerance and respect, we can live together under one big home. In Arabic, Bayt al sha’ar, is the Bedouin tent. Wherever it is built, that is home. And when we call you here, we welcome you into our home.

So we gather here as one big tribe and earth is the tent we all live in.

Yes. And together, we can send out the call for all the world to join us.

So right now we’re hearing Qatari vocalist, [inaudible 00:03:00], and with her powerful voice, she is welcoming everyone. She’s telling everyone that no matter where you’re from, please come home. And this tent that you’re seeing, the stadium tent, is Bayt al-sha’ar. This is a place that is known to Qatari nomads. And at the end of the day, hello and welcome is the key word. We just want to make sure that everyone, no matter where they’re from, no matter what tribe they’re from, is welcome.

In celebration, in hearing from our heroes through all the differences in language, there is a common thread of hope, jubilation and respect. We may or may not understand the words, but in the deepest part of us, we must understand and appreciate the emotions that connect us all.