Football: The New Form of Nationalism

I have given up my football fanaticism a long time ago. There was a phase in my life in which all that preoccupied my mind was football. I played it, dreamt about it, and followed it wholeheartedly. As I grew, I gradually let this obsession go, just like a child who gives up playing with toys. Lately, I have begun how to realize how a silly hobby such as soccer could have a much deeper meaning for others. Moreover, I am shocked by how ugly a simple sport can become.

I remember being disconcerted after we lost to Algeria in the African Cup of Nations in 2004. I brushed off my disappointment after a day or two. There will be another day when we will win against them, I thought to myself. Of course, supporting the national team is a form of nationalism, but it should never breed hatred. This is what has caught my attention in the past couple of days.

Football has become the new form of nationalist expression worldwide. Tim, a dutch friend of mine, once mentioned that football in Europe has become a substitute the wars that festered all over Europe for much of history until the end of World War II. The Europeans realized that instead of fighting wars on the batter field, they would fight them on the football fields. Yet, this modern type of fighting is marked by sportsmanship, passion, and peace.

Apparently, the Arabs have taken this notion of fighting on the football field a bit to literally. Despite the cultural, religious, and linguistic ties that relate Egyptians to Algerians, the two nations have turned a friendly sport into a bitter conflict. What scares me is how this rivalry has turned into an all-out conflict between the two peoples. Egyptians stone the Algerian team's bus in Cairo, and the Algerians have ransacked Egyptian business in Algeria. This conflict seems contagious with he media and general populations of the respective nations joining in on the ugly frenzy. Whatever happened to our pan-Arabist dreams? How could an Egyptian hate an Algerian (and vice versa) over a football game? In my eyes, this is absolute ignorance.

There is no denying that sports are the new form of rallying people around a national cause. Take the Olympics for example. Competing for that gold medal is like an arms race in and of itself. Just last year, China proved its rising super power status through its unprecedented achievement gathering the most gold medals... Wasn't this how the U.S. and the Soviet Union fought out the Cold War? Peacefully... in the sports arenas of the Olympics...

Instead of using football and sports as a rallying point, we Arabs have used it as a tool to divide us as is the case with Egypt and Algeria. In any case, the two teams play this Wednesday. I pledge my allegiance to Egypt, but I wish Algeria the best of luck and may the best team win. In my opinion, that is what nationalism is all about...the collectivist welfare of the nation. What the Egypt and Algeria need to realize that they are one nation and that the outcome of Wednesday's game will be a win for the Arab nation in either case!