HATE
Earlier
today Captain Kirk sent me the following video
To say
it is both disturbing and upsetting is an understatement.
We see
the beautiful game as something of a mirror to society and try to look on the
community of supporters as a positive force. A set of human beings with some
values borne out of an understanding of what this great sport of ours can give
us. However, it takes a certain amount of myopia from the Football Authorities
to proclaim that all is well. The issues that were amplified over the weekend
at Old Trafford cannot be trivialised when we see the full extent of hatred; in
any form. The violence is shocking as we see people attacked on a basis that is
a result of flawed thinking, and the powers that be proclaim all is well; all
is not well.
So when
I look at those images, I have to ask myself this…
The core of my being was shocked and my heart fractured by the stupidity of these people. Whilst all the clips are as disturbing are each other and I deplore them all equally, the clips of the Greek player crying and Roberto Carlos' expressions brought a tear to the eye.
ReplyDeleteI would also add that where is FIFA and UEFA in all of this? Indeed, FIFA response is to reward Russia by giving them the World Cup.
I really despair.
Captain Kirk
All this racist hate (see email below) is a long way from a sport that used to pride itself on bring fraternal greetings to workers by way of a football match, true or not, that so many red shirts are worn is because of the fraternity of the original Nottingham Forest workers team that defeated 'Champions Notts County' and presented the opposition with a set of their red shirts.
ReplyDeleteHowever racism and discrimination is an old political tool, used by the prevailing powers to win favour with the people when all else has failed. Anti Racist campaigns by ordinary folk have seen this off in USA (end of the segregation laws) and South Africa (end of Apartheid). New Anti Racist laws are now so widely accepted around the world that the 'powers' and 'super powers' are far less able to generate the Race Hatred of yesteryear.
The powers who wish to dominate other communities - for whatever reason - are developing a new the new 'dividing line' i.e. the extreme end of religions, that have a proven ability to sustain hatred for centuries, but when equipped with specialist military training, extremely modern and deadly firepower, communication equipment, and unlimited funding it becomes the most potent threat to our civilised way of life. There is little doubt that the 'Football violence' witnessed in Egypt was a planned device to replace hatred of the regime with Football Violence, between clubs, enabling the regime to claim to be above such 'ugly violence' and claim to be doing everything possible to keep the peace. Of course this is an attempt to introduce the 'religious' factor into Egyptian football, as per Celtic / Rangers, that we see in other countries too, and is much more difficult to deal with - so long as people are kept ignorant in order to tie them to such ancient 'beliefs'.
part 1
Part 2
ReplyDeleteThere is growing evidence now of the alliance between the extreme right of 'Christianity' (USA) and 'Islam' (Salafi / Wahhabi Saudi Arabia) and Zionism (Israel) all of whom hold extreme racist views. Israel currently has a more reactionary Apartheid system in place than either the USA Segregation or South African Apartheid. The religious extreme right do not practice democracy, but favour appointment from on high. (Catholicism provided the base in Dresden for the rise of Nazism)
What is disturbing here is that whilst Israel's Racist Apartheid is causing concern amongst every right thinking person across the world that there is presently a silent intervention of UEFA to garner 'respect' amongst the football fraternity for Apartheid Israel, despite not even being a European Country. UEFA have awarded Israel the privilege of the 2013 under 21 UEFA finals, despite bids from countries with not only much better facilities for such finals, but an outstanding record of fighting racism on every front. England & Wales have tackled the racism problem not only with 'talk' but with money and people to fight the problem with its 'Kick it out' programme and must be congratulated for that, and work hard to implement it regardless of cost, albeit within limits as in the JT case. UEFA too has a grand policy FARE but instead of even trying to enforce its own policy, it does not even pass lip service to it. Turning such a blind eye to racism in the big picture as in the case Israeli Apartheid Racism is effectively 'giving the nod and the wink' to any group who wish to act in a racist way - as long as it follows a particular agenda, in this case Apartheid Racism in Israel.
Part 3
ReplyDeleteFighting racism is the duty of us all, particularly the more fortunate educated people amongst us, lest we become the victims of its barbarity in one form or other. We all agree that it must keep out of football, but we must not let the people at the top of our sport making an extremely good living out of it, do not pay lip service to our Anti Racist Policies, and stop them from not merely turning a blind eye to racism in our very midst, but we must take action to stop UEFA the highest body in Football in the world outside of FIFA from actually REWARDING a country not only outside of Europe but the single country with the most racist policy and practice of all countries in the world at this time.
Our failure to see this hypocrisy or to see it and ignore it is arguably aiding and abetting Racism, and ignorant people everywhere who take racism and racist violence into healthy local sporting rivalry will be comforted by the "blind eye" that is really the "nod and the wink" that is required to allow them to pursue their racist attacks - in the full knowledge that there is tacit approval for their racism.
We in Red Card Israeli Apartheid, as well as Kick it out, Uefa's Fare and others are fighting hard to reach football fans and appeal to all football fans everywhere to NOT turn a blind eye to racism in any and all its manifestations, and join in our fight.
We the ordinary football fans in London Red Card Israeli Apartheid can make a massive impact by getting the Under 21 UEFA finals scheduled for 2013 in Israel to be played in England, or Wales (both applied for the tournament but were both turned down in favour of a country which is not only not European, but has poorer facilities, and in breach of UEFA's own policy on Racism, and whose Apartheid Racism including killings and destruction of homes (NAKBA) is currently the worst in the entire world.
Please help us fight racism at its highest level by getting the UEFA U 21 Finals transferred from Racist Apartheid Israel to England or Wales who should have been awarded the games in the first place, if political interference was not given priority by those people we pay to implement its own Anti Racist policy.
Please circulate as your comments would be most welcome.
For ever Goonerish
John T