Nations from the Garden of Prosperity Do not Like Losing to countries of the Jungle

Nations from the Garden of Prosperity Do not Like Losing to countries of the Jungle

    Monday, November 28, 2022   No comments

Continuing the trend of politicizing the first FIFA World Cup ever hosted by an Arab country, which unveiled the prejudice and bigotry of many Western nation-states’ leaders and their media platforms, riots broke Brussels following Belgium’s World Cup loss to Morocco.

This event shows that peoples of the Global North grew accustomed to the sense of entitlement—a deserved abundance of wealth, health, and triumphs. As such, they do not react well to losing and cannot handle not being able to gratify their “wants”. They often refer to protests and riots that may take in countries of the Global South as being symptoms of cultural deficiencies or even biological underdevelopment in "those peoples". Yet, with the first test of loss or unmet want—not need—they find themselves exhibiting even more violent tendencies that they claimed to be part of the DNA of "other cultures"--not theirs.

This event follows other incidents that showed the West’s desire to dictate the conversation on issues that help them sidestep their record poor human rights record and focus on issues that are specific to their societies.

Just days before kickoff, FIFA’s president had to make a long speech defending Qatar’s human rights record and reminding his European friends of their double standard. By the second day of the tournament, he sat next to a German minister who wore the advocacy armband, OneLove, under her jacket and unveiled it once in the stadium, to protest Qatar’s ban on political activities inside the stadiums.

Two days before the match between Iran and the United States, the official US soccer authority scrubbed the word “Allah” from the Iranian flag, claiming that it was an act of solidarity with Iranian protesters. 

This comes after Josep Borell, EU Foreign Affairs And Security Policy Chief gave a speech in which he declaraed that "Europe Is A Garden... The Rest Of The World Is A Jungle". 

U.S. soccer scrubs the word for "God" from Iran flag

U.S. soccer scrubs the word for "God" from Iran flag

    Sunday, November 27, 2022   No comments

In a move that is interpreted to mean that the US has a problem with the Islamic governing system more than with just the leaders of Iran, US soccer officials removed the word "God" from the Iranian flag ahead of FIFA's US-Iran match on Tuesday.

The action was reported by Politico, quoted below:

The U.S. soccer federation briefly displayed Iran’s national flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic, saying the move supports protesters in Iran ahead of the two nations’ World Cup match Tuesday.

Iran’s government reacted by accusing America of removing the name of God from their national flag.

The decision by the U.S. Soccer Federation adds yet-another political firestorm to the Middle East’s first World Cup, one which organizers had hoped would be spared of off-the-field controversies.

It also comes as the U.S. faces Iran in a decisive World Cup match, which was already freighted by the decades of enmity between the two countries and the nationwide protests now challenging Tehran’s theocratic government.

The U.S. Soccer Federation said in a statement Sunday morning that it decided to forego the official flag on social media accounts to show “support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights.”

The Twitter account of the U.S. men’s team displayed a banner with the squad’s matches in the group stage, with the Iranian flag only bearing its green, white and red colors. The same could be seen in a post on its Facebook and Instagram accounts laying out the point totals so far in its group.

Soccer, Religion, Culture, and Politics: Qatar may live to Regret hosting the Global Event

Soccer, Religion, Culture, and Politics: Qatar may live to Regret hosting the Global Event

    Tuesday, October 25, 2022   No comments

The Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, expressed his regret that his country is being subjected to an "unprecedented campaign" due to its hosting of the 2022 World Cup, whose matches will start in the emirate in less than a month.

In a speech he delivered at the opening of the Shura Council, Tamim said: "Since we won the honor of hosting the World Cup, Qatar has been subjected to an unprecedented campaign that no host country has faced."

He added, "We initially dealt with the matter in good faith, and even considered that some criticism is positive and useful that helps us develop aspects of ours that need to be developed."

Sheikh Tamim also expressed his regret, because “it soon became clear to us that the campaign continues and expands and includes slander and double standards, until it reached such a ferocity that many wondered, unfortunately, about the real reasons and motives behind this campaign.”

And while the Emir of Qatar considered that “criticism is useful only if it is based on correct information and an understanding of the contexts,” he stressed that “hosting the World Cup combines several elements and challenges, including civilizational and cultural openness.”

Sheikh Tamim stressed that his country’s hosting of the World Cup in football is “an occasion in which we show who we are, not only in terms of the strength of our economy and our institutions, but also in terms of our civilizational identity,” considering that “this is a great test for a country the size of Qatar, which impresses the whole world with its You have done it and you have done it.”

Emphasizing that "Qatar is currently more like a workshop in preparation and preparation for the occasion," Tamim recalled that it is the first time that an Arab country will host such an occasion, saying: "We have accepted this challenge (...) in recognition of the importance of hosting a major event such as the World Cup. in the Arab world".

He added, "This is a tournament for everyone, and its success is everyone's success."

With the approaching date of the most expensive World Cup ever, Qatar finds itself facing a growing torrent of criticism and attacks, due to various issues, ranging from the emirate's hot climate and conservative society, to its record in the field of human rights and freedoms.

The Qatari authorities have made unremitting efforts to refute the accusations leveled against them, noting in particular that they have carried out in recent years reforms to their laws, while the President of the "International Football Association" (FIFA), Gianni Infantino, confirmed that this version of the World Cup would be "the best ever".