23 June 2010
The Peninsula News
Most Arab countries are classified as failed states at political, economic, social and development levels, with the no exception of athletics. It is puzzling that athletics are not used as artillery, especially football. Football is the world’s most popular sport, and most commonly exploited by dictators to distract common people, as indicated by the British writer Simon Cooper in his book “The Ball Against the Enemy”. He also addresses the role of football during revolutions and wars all over the world. The book mentions that football has become a universal language encompassing millions of people across the globe. As described by the famous Brazilian star Pele, “it is a wonderful game that leads to triggering wars and stopping them. The game was the cause of revolutions and also a major reason behind keeping dictators in power.” Through the power of football, Berlusconi can be transformed from being the owner of the Milan team to Party Chairman, and then to Prime Minister. Perhaps the accession of South Africa to the African cup will bring the same joy to Nelson Mandela as he experienced upon completing his prison term. The famous game of football has even succeeded in what the United Nations could not, as it was able to stop the civil war in Rwanda for one month as everyone was distracted by the World Cup matches. As Cooper states, football today is not as important anywhere else in the world than it is in the Middle East and North Africa due to a lack of other recreational activities in the region.
Today, all eyes are on South Africa. Not only to follow the 19th World Cup Football 2010 but to see the fruits of success reaped by South Africa’s belief in democracy after a long struggle. All forms of weaponry known to history were used to fight apartheid practiced by a group defined as the “white class”, which is an inaccurate term since racism knows no colors. South Africans continued to struggle for 300 years before blacks were able to accede to the African National Congress, impose change, and achieve justice. Freedom led the African community to reap stability, security, and peace. Now, the international community is celebrating Mandela’s 92nd birthday. After spending 27 years of his life in a prison cell, Mandela was set free and managed to bring the people of South Africa – Africans, Europeans, and Indians – together under the name of one country and one flag. The South African flag waves high in the sky proudly during the opening of the World Cup in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and cities once similar to prisons and detention centers where human dignity was lost for decades. The irony is that Mandela was unable to attend the great opening ceremony of the World Cup because of the tragic death of one of his great grandchildren.
South African history is similar to many other historical tales, only differing in details of space and time. Geographical, temporal, and spatial conditions formed different groups of people, with diverse origins, colors, and religions. They descended from African, European, and Indian ancestors of different races and colors. The whites, mainly of Dutch, French and German ancestry were in control of the country and people. More dangerous than power politics and military was the concept of politicized religion, which stemmed from a belief that God created blacks inferior to whites. This concept created a contaminated environment where racism extended to the social, economic, political, religious, and intellectual realities of the country. The Economist indicats that the legal registry of the South African population in 1950 split people into four groups: whites, Asians, Indians, people of color, and indigenous people (blacks). This law is ironic as it basically depends on physical features to characterize people. In some cases, this law called for using so-called “test pencils” that were pressed onto people’s hair to identify their hair quality. If the pen fell through the hair, the person was identified as a “white”. If the pen stuck in the hair, then the person was identified as colored, and had to go to specific schools, beaches, and subjected to other inhumane practices.
The long struggle to end the apartheid continued until everyone learned the bitter lessons of history. Finally, the 1996 Constitution was adopted. That Constitution is a model and prime example of a country’s successful transition from repressive racial discrimination to the formation of a democratic society. The Constitution was preceded by President Frederik de Klerk launch of comprehensive dialogue with different political movements, the release of prisoners headed by Mandela, lifting the ban on prohibited political movements, allowing black resistance parties to exercise political activity without restriction, formation of the South African Parliament, and abolition of apartheid laws.
South Africa’s history is the closest and best experience possible that may benefit Arab countries from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf in transitioning peacefully into democracy, rotating power, and settling internal crises. Arab States should look to South Africa’s experience to create coexistence among political and religious groups. Other significant lessons include ethnic tolerance and forgiveness. These lessons should be learned by Iraq’s fragmented and disjointed political, religious, and sectarian groups. The Levant and North African countries may benefit from democracy, social justice, and human rights. The GCC should learn from the establishment of parliaments, promotion of citizenship, and peaceful coexistence between Islamists, liberals, Sunnis, and Shiites. One of the most successful outcomes of this experience in South Africa is the elimination of poverty, corruption, and violence, which transformed the country from being stigmatized as a failed state to being selected to host the most important event on the globe. Although crime rates and development problems are chronic crises that cannot be easily eradicated in Africa , South Africa was able to contain and succeed in dealing with them.
Good luck to all teams participating in the World Cup soccer tournament. It is an opportunity for the Arab world to forget its worries and enjoy moments of happiness. Despite that my personal favorite team is Brazil, I wish with all my heart that South Africa wins the Cup.
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