The incident of a Ghanaian player who raised the Israeli flag and the subsequent furious Arab reaction, tells us about the long road ahead in solving the Middle East conflict.
For the record, I support the Ghanaian team. I was born in Ghana, and I now live and work there. I even travel using a Ghanaian passport. I love the Ghanaian people and I think they are one of the friendliest and most tolerant in the world (and I’m well traveled). It is not strange to find a family in Ghana where brothers and sisters profess different religions. A Muslim, A Jew and a Christian can easily be biological siblings who love and respect each other. In Ghana, religion is a choice, and people do not judge you accordingly (although they do slightly less well with race, where on the streets, I’m still referred to, with a smile, as Obroni “White Man”)
We had a great game against the well-reputed Czech players. We were at our peak performance. My emotions while watching the game were strong and fairly homogeneous: My team is winning!
Until, that is, a Ghanaian player, John Paintsil, after scoring a goal, pulled out an Israeli flag from his socks and waved it ecstatically to millions of viewers around the world.
I had a moment of cognitive dissonance. I couldn’t know what to make of this. My favorite team is waving my not-so-favorite flag.
After the game ended, I set out to find some answers online. Needless to say, Alarabiya had already featured the news as the first item on its main page (yes, main page, not sports section): “Ghanaian players celebrate victory by raising the Israeli flag,” the headline screamed.
A glimpse at the comments section, and I knew Ghana’s reputation is now in tatters. Everyone ignored that odd voice of reason who pointed out that another Ghanaian player had kneeled and prayed in an Islamic fashion to God.
Funny how much volatility the Israeli Palestinian conflict can still attract. Raising the flag “is an act of aggression against the entire Arab and Moslem world” according to one commentator. “This proves that the Ghanaians are a silly people,” shrugs another. Not to forget the indispensable conspiratorial brilliance: “This is a calculated move by Western countries to bribe poor African countries to spite Muslims”.
Never mind that the Ghanaian Team spokesperson issued this apology afterwards:
Defender John Paintsil was very popular in Israel where he plays for Hapoel Tel Aviv and had wanted to acknowledge the Israeli fans who had traveled to Germany to support him. He is obviously unaware of the implications of what he did. He’s unaware of international politics. We apologize to anybody who was offended and we promise that it will never happen again. He did not act out of malice for the Arab people or in support of Israel. He was naive… we don’t need to punish him.
This still didn’t cut it with Alarabiya readers:
“Everyone knows the Israeli Palestinian conflict, [The Ghanaian player] did it on purpose and he must be punished”. “If the Ghanaian player raised the Palestinian flag instead, the whole world would have been angry”.
But my favorite comment is this one: “We have our own ways of punishing the Ghanaians, Just ask Denmark”. Well, I have news for that reader: Ghana’s main exports are raw Cocoa (stop eating chocolate?) and gold (come on, you’re an Arab, can you boycott that?)
The biggest question is this: For how long can some Arabs play the Ostrich? What if the Israeli team had made it to the world cup finals? Would the Saudis have refused playing them like they decided to refuse receiving the best player award (just in case), simply because it’s sponsored by a Beer company?
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The beirut spring is a blog that is interested in Lebanese society and its politics. It started in February 2005 after the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri
June 20th, 2006 at 10:44 am
This story contains examples of everything, large and small, that is wrong with today’s Arab culture (and yes, in a way you are your culture and vice versa):
-Single idea in their heads, if you can call it that (the al-fil wal qadya el falastinia joke has turned into reality)
-Interfering into other people’s business when they can’t take care of their own
-Focusing on the tree instead of the forest
-Insulting a whole nation because of one person (who is free to display any flag he wants over in GERMANY, at a frigging GAME for crying out loud)
-Shooting themselves in the foot and the head daily by showing they have no class, no standards and no understanting of anything, and then wondering why they are “misunderstood”
Shall I go on?
_
June 20th, 2006 at 4:40 pm
AS JW said, Arabs have “idees fixes!”.
June 20th, 2006 at 6:50 pm
Even if your worst thoughts about Israel are correct, it’s just ridiculous that over 1b Muslims obsess about the deprivations of a few million Palestinians when established history tells you that these same Palestinians have been ill-treated by fellow Arabs.
John Paintsil obviously has no problems living in Israel - maybe he knows something from which you could learn.
June 20th, 2006 at 8:31 pm
““We have our own ways of punishing the Ghanaians, Just ask Denmark”.”
As a Dane, I agree…punishing a whole country for the doings of one (or more) individual(s).
ouch!
So, you gonna burn cocoa in the street ?
June 21st, 2006 at 4:41 am
Oh Lord, guard Monot street, here they come again!
June 21st, 2006 at 9:39 am
Mous- what is the reaction to this incident in Ghana. I just find it odd for anyone at the World Cup to wave a flag other than his country’s after a goal.
I can’t picture a Korean guy waving a Holland flag because he plays for Ajax.
June 21st, 2006 at 11:37 am
Jamal, Their reaction is the same of what the koreans would feel if a korean raised a dutch flag. In Ghana, the populace is very “uninitiated” in the intricacies of the Middle east conflict, so the israeli flag is the same as a dutch one: a foreign country’s.
The player apologized to the Ghanaian people too…
June 21st, 2006 at 6:30 pm
Mustapha,
Would you mind reporting on sentiment during the US/Ghana game? That’s going to be interesting.
We’re in the hardest group, buddy. I love the Czech Republic, but strongly like Italy, USA, and Ghana.
June 21st, 2006 at 10:15 pm
I was curious too about the reaction of the people in Ghana. Thanks for answering that(Jamal and Mustapha).
Despite everything, It would still be totally weird for Reda Antar to wave the German flag in a Lebanon match (eventhough I totally support Germany).
I honestly don’t know what to make of this incident. I can’t give an educated opinion. It bothers me and at the same time I don’t care. As soon as I saw it, I anticipated the “arab” reaction…
Maybe I am not supposed to have an opinion. Maybe I should just shout:”GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL”.
Ghana played wonderfully. They stormed the Czech.
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:46 am
I personally don’t see why people are upset. Who cares if he raised the Israeli flag? If he raised the Palestinian flag, he would have been a hero. If he burned the Israeli flag, he’d have been a hero. Who gives a shit what flag he raised. It’s one man. One miniscule man. And if that’s enough to enrage an entire civilization, then that says alot.
When will we (or in this case, I’ll say ‘they’) start concentrating on the root of the problem. It’s not the flag. It’s our impotence to solve our own problems.
On another note. Forza Italia. (I hope Ghana makes it too)
June 22nd, 2006 at 11:47 am
Mustapha, sorry for turning you inot Jamal for a day.
PR, it not “impotence to solve” their problems. It’s rather an unwillingness. crying “impotence” is like victimology; another way of passing the buck!
June 22nd, 2006 at 11:59 am
Mustapha , i was in a pub with adnan watching the game. I was screaming goaaal at the top of my lungs when the player raised the flag and the word suffocated. I felt really “mabkhou3″. But knowing Ghana and Ghanaians i got over it quickly. I’m waiting for today’s match.I hope they show the Ghana match and not Italy’s. Yalla goodluck for today. Go Ghanaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
June 22nd, 2006 at 12:21 pm
I spend a nice time reading here - thanx
June 22nd, 2006 at 5:42 pm
all i can say is that was not a penalty. That being said, I am happy Ghana went through instead of Czeck republic, given the US’s elimination
June 23rd, 2006 at 11:30 pm
Great Post…It will be exciting to watch Ghana playing Brazil. I was happy to see France make it to the second round as well which will feature a lot of exciting matches.
I just want to turn your attention to another subject related to Syrian/Lebanese relations and what they need to be…good post, no disrespect for anyone
When is the right time? Time to expose Syrian Regime lies!!!
Please make sure to comment on it, I promise I won’t report you to anyone haha
For a better Syria
Fares
June 24th, 2006 at 3:45 am
Thank-you for a bit of sanity on this minor event.
June 25th, 2006 at 4:57 pm
Israel seems to be an obsession. The player has the right to raise an flag he wants, since his country is not involved in any of the middle-eastern conflicts, and even if it was, it’s his choice. Let’s mind our own business, and not drag people into our decaying pool of the arab-cause.
June 29th, 2006 at 3:28 am
where is the arab brain:adding logic into the Arab/Israeli conflict and arab leaders
July 13th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
Some famous Israeli leader (I don’t remember who it was) said: “There will be peace in the Mid-East when the Arabs love their own children more than they hate ours”.
What more is there to say?
May 30th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Hi wazzzup my dogggg.
My name is tiyah. i am 15 years old and i hate school.