So the world cup has come to a close and my team Germany has given me something to feel good about. While Spain are the (first-time) champions and I applaud them, there is much to be said about the 32 team-64 game showdown. However, I will only speak of what was and is dear to my heart. A few things I learnt, yes, I learnt some more about the game, I learnt the universal word- the "F" word, I learnt about popular names in football, clubs and leagues...and last but by no means the least and my main reason for writing, the ever present existence of racism and what I discovered about something known as Neo-Nazism.
So, in 2002, i picked a team to support at the world cup and Germany would be so lucky! In 2006, it was still Germany and it was also hosted by said country. Excitement was high, and football at its best, not to mention the Caribbean (and I say Caribbean and not CONCACAF) was represented by the second English speaking Caribbean country to enter the World Cup (Jamaica was first) since its inception. Then, it never haunted me about the members of the German team and while Germany was on show to the world its usually just the good stuff.
Everybody knows about Adolf Hitler and what he stood for. I have been beaten down for supporting Germany and even been deemed a Nazi. If you don't know about Nazism and Hitler and the Holocaust I suggest you read no further and get to googling...NOW!
This World Cup coincidently was hosted by South Africa a country riddled by apartheid and that still struggles with racism, hence FIFA taking a stand against it with special readings denouncing racism by the teams captains at the quarter-final and semi final stages.
Germany like most European countries or even us here in the Caribbean is a multicultural society, but what shocked me was finding out that Nazism still exists and is in effect. The German Football Team for World Cup 2010, had more than 10 players who are not considered German. Some were born in other countries and migrated to Germany, while others, were born in Germany but by parents who were born elsewhere and are not of German heritage.
This sprung about a big problem for Neo-Nazis, the team, believe it or not is highly unfavoured by some Germans due to the multiculturalism of the team/players. Some of the top players Podolski, Klose, Oezil, Cacau, Gomez, Boateng, Aogo and Tasci to name a few are not Germans by above mentioned standards..however, watching the team play, one would not realize this, as the cohesiveness is flawless and camaraderie is an ever-present element in defeat or victory.
Germany, like South Africa has these genetic issues for hundreds of years and today in the year two thousand and ten much has not changed despite what we would like to believe. Once, I believed sporting events some what blurred these divisional lines, as it does in Jamaica with our political tribalism and crime. It does not work that way, a harsh truth I had to wait 8 years to learn from the team I will continue to support for the next World Cup and the ones after that. (big grin)
Some people cannot move on from their past and while it is important to know where you're from in order to know where you're going (inevitable cliche`), it by no means suggests that you hold on to old grudges...yes some of you may disagree but here's my perfect example. Look at what has been achieved by a young multicultural football team from Germany. Its about how we work together and play together, its how we respect each other, its how we care and love each other, not where we were born or where our fore-parents were born.
Holding true to ones culture is a little more than the sociological definition of the word and while my culture may be restricted to where i live, it doesn't mean there isn't room for acceptance of others and their culture, after all Jamaica is what it is because of "forced-draft Westernization", something we have grown into (some more than others). Who is to say what we choose to call "our" culture or "my" culture? What if a Jamaican-German (mom was German born and bred dad was Jamaican) chooses to embrace his German-ness over his Jamaican-ness who are we to condemn them? Are they wrong? and if so, what makes it wrong?
Jerome Boateng and Kevin Prince Boateng, were born in Berlin to a Ghanian father and a German mother . Both represented Germany at the under 21 level, however, at this World Cup, Jerome represented Germany while his brother Kevin represented Ghana. Jerome sports a tattoo of the map of Africa with "GHANA" written in the middle but has a white German girlfriend like his brother Kevin who has a white German wife. Many would say they are sell outs...to me, love is universal, just like the "F" word.
Race is a socially constructed and contextual representation that may be emphasized for one reason or another at different points in time...think about this statement. People with genetic fascination and superiority complexes only see black or white...but in reality we know there are shades of gray.
Germanic racism may come in different forms and may only be highlighted at different points, but as mentioned earlier, the most important lesson to be taken away from this is that holding on to old grudges means your stuck in your past and doomed to a life of non-progressiveness. Years go forward like time hence we cannot go back and undo what was done, so in all sensibility, why not move forward? why be left behind? why refuse to celebrate progress because the goal scorer of a crucial game is of Turkish descent (Mesut Oezil, also Serdar Tasci is Turkish)?
Believe what you will but for me Bob Marley said and I couldn't say it better...ONE LOVE, ONE HEART, LETS GET TOGETHER AND FEEL ALRIGHT! and NOT JUST for the beautiful game.
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