September 29, 2008
The Beautiful Game In An Ugly War
Thank you to CNN Baghdad producer Jomana Karadsheh for sending me these pictures of the Iraqi national football team.
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There is one thing that unites all the countries of the world--football. However, one way to break down stereotypes and to bring peace to the Middle East is for the Arab countries to play against Israel in the Asian Cup and the World Cup qualifying matches. It is a disgrace that Israel has to play in the European football zone because the Arab countries refuse to play against her in the Asian zone. Israel does have the highest FIFA/Coca-Cola ranking (19th place) of any country located on the Asian continent. The next closest Asian team is Japan (35th place). It is unfair that a lower ranked country such as Iran or Saudi Arabia can make the World Cup qualifications year after year, yet Israel must play against the likes of France and Britain to secure a spot. The real reason for Arab countries refusing to play against Israel is not political, but strategic. Before Israel was kicked out of the Asian zone by the Arab countries, Israel was the Asian Cup champion and qualified for the 1970 World Cup. A real peace will only come when Israelis and Arabs can face each other in friendly games on the football field, instead of on the battlefield.
Hi Hala,
maybe it is just the stadia that can save these kids from the bloody streets.Public places,religious spaces and even schools will be possible targets to be attacked.Too many murders,too many funerals and too many tears to see a kid murdered in a bombing attack!!can these kids keep there heads up?!! Thanks so much Hala. |
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The players are training in Baghdad for the first time in four years. I remember being in Baghdad when they wowed the world with their amazing performance at the Asian Cup, uniting the country in a national pride no political initiative seems to achieve.
Jomana writes that the fans who come to the stadium everyday are local children from the nearby Sadr city slum area. They see these players as their heroes.
But the horrors of Iraq's bloody war are always present: right outside the training area, the carcasses of cars destroyed in explosions over the years pepper the perimeter outside stadium. 
