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Arabs need unity, not conflict
Abdullah Al Shayji Comment
WE SHOULD learn to enjoy sporting victories and accept defeat with
good grace for the greater good. As many people know, Bloodsport is
a 1988 martial arts film. But this title could just as easily
describe the football rivalry between Arab countries, which
frequently leads to rifts, friction and even beatings.
Two heated football matches took place last week between Egypt and
Algeria to decide which would be the only Arab country to qualify
for the Fifa World Cup finals in South Africa.
The Egyptians had eliminated Algeria in a World Cup qualifier in
1989, securing Egypt’s second trip to the World Cup. Algeria has not
made it to the World Cup since 1986, while Egypt’s last
participation was in 1990. The media, and especially websites and
bloggers, have stoked tensions and fed the hatred in both countries.
The clashes between Egypt and Algeria have set off an unprecedented
Arab rivalry. Egypt won in an emotionally packed atmosphere in
Cairo, where Egyptian fans pelted a bus carrying the Algerian team,
injuring three Algerian players. But the two countries finished
Group C with an equal number of points, the same goal difference in
group matches, same number of goals scored in group matches, same
number of points in all Algeria-Egypt matches and same goal
difference in all Algeria-Egypt matches. This meant that a playoff
was held at fever-pitch in Khartoum, which Algeria won 1-0. This set
off recriminations which spiralled into a diplomatic spat between
the two large North African nations.
As football-related violence and diplomatic wrangling between Egypt
and Algeria continued, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt warned
before a supportive and cheering parliamentary session, “We will not
tolerate those who harm the dignity of Egyptians. Egyptians’ dignity
is Egypt’s dignity.”
The Egyptians recalled their ambassador from Algeria, protesting the
Algerian fans’ assaults on Egyptian supporters in Khartoum. Not to
be outdone, the Algerians called the Egyptian ambassador to protest.
Egyptian crowds demonstrated in front of the Algerian embassy and
burned the Algerian flag.
This newfound animosity is ironic because the Algerian revolution in
the 1950s against the occupying French was supported by the
charismatic Egyptian leader Jamal Abdul Nasser. Similarly, the
Algerians rose to the occasion and supported the Egyptians in their
conflicts with Israel in the 1960s and 1970s, But today they are
being lampooned by Egyptians for supposedly preferring to speak
French, rather than Arabic. This is unacceptable behaviour from both
sides.
Even politicians are getting involved and the sons of Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak were seen in the stadium cheering the
Egyptian team. One of them even had harsh words for the angry
Algerian fans who assaulted Egyptians in Khartoum. Arab League
Secretary-General Amr Mousa, an Egyptian, has intervened in an
attempt to calm things down. All of this heightened political drama
is unprecedented in Arab affairs and it does not bode well for unity
and solidarity, which has already been marred by political rivalry,
bickering and distrust. It is unthinkable that sport is causing such
tension.
In the past, other nations used sport as a diplomatic tool to
reconcile their differences — for example, ‘ping-pong diplomacy’
between the US and China and wrestling and football diplomacy
between the US and Iran. But in the Arab world, we are instead using
sport to divide and fragment people.
Although Arabs are long on rhetoric about unity, solidarity and
brotherhood, beneath the veneer of seemingly strong ties there is a
fragile bond among our countries and people, which snaps when it is
really tested. Indeed, relations between many Arab countries are
acrimonious. Saddam Hussain pillaged and occupied Kuwait overnight,
Syria dominated Lebanon for three decades, Morocco and Algeria
bicker over the Western Sahara.— Gulf News |
