August 03, 2018
Fairness, Not Favors
When Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, won the Light Heavyweight Boxing gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, he came home proudly wearing the gold medal around his neck. He went to a restaurant where he was refused service. In disgust, he reportedly threw his medal into a river.
20 years ago, Zidane spearheaded France to its soccer zenith. Delirious French fans thronged the Arc de Triomphe, onto which Zidane’s image was transposed, shouting “Zidane for President!” During the World Cup Final in Moscow, Paul Pogba – a devout Umra-performing Muslim – delivered the coup de gràce, followed by teenager Mbappé. All three have Muslim roots. Zidane’s parents are from Algeria; Pogba’s parents are from Guinea; and Mbappé’s mother, Faiza, is of Algerian origin. They brought laurels to France, where Africans and Muslims are continuously belittled. The neo-fascist National Rally has gained salience in France by sowing discord and division.
When France capitulated before the German juggernaut in World War II, one of the few heroes who fought against the Wehrmacht was none other than Ahmed Ben Bella, a talented soccer player, who received the highest gallantry award from Charles de Gaulle. Ben Bella, an icon of the Algerian independence struggle, carried a Pakistani passport. He was captured and incarcerated by France. Later, Algeria, to its enduring shame, put him in the slammer for 15 years.
The post-WWI Treaty of Versailles, which rubbed German noses in the ground, was gloatingly flaunted by France, triggering German revanchism, which contributed to Hitler’s rise and the Nazi Party. Humiliation doesn’t work.
Given the pre-existing inflamed environment, was the Charlie Hebdo carnage that surprisingly unpredictable? That point was made abundantly clear by Pope Francis who said, “You cannot make fun of the faith of others” and if someone “says a curse word against my mother, he can expect a punch in the nose.”
Like it or not, Muslims are not likely to be quitting Europe any time soon. The better option is to deal with it. It is not a question of doling out favors. The core issue here is fairness.
No African nation has ever won the World Cup. When France – with its heavy African component – won on July 15, it was said that this is the first African team to win the World Cup.
Alongside the balmy Mediterranean coastline is the tranquil Promenade in Nice, France where the horrific lorry rampage took so many innocent lives in July 2016. Notable is its proximity to Tunisia.
Taking the train from Monaco to Nice, along the French Riviera near the French-Italian border, I saw a female French conductor discover 5 young African males closeted in a train lavatory. What struck me was her humane demeanor in showing compassion and not calling in the authorities. She gently told them to get off at the next stop. That was it. A young French woman showed far greater sagacity and common human decency than many politicians, who are prone to weaponize bigotry for their nefarious political gains.
When a team works as one unit, it can move mountains. It’s a lesson applicable elsewhere.
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