The unifying power of sport
One of the things I just *love* about the game of football is it's power to bring together and unite people from across religious/ethnic/cultural lines.
A beautiful and poignant example is war-torn Iraq's historic victory over Saudi Arabia in yesterday's final of the Asia Cup, which led to wild scenes of jubilation across ethnic lines in Iraq and the world. The team which has players of Sunni, Shia and Kurd ethnicity has become a powerful metaphor for national unity in a country that in the post-Saddam era has descended into a civil war that shows no signs of ceasing. Like Iraqis quoted in the article say, the sectarian strife is likely to continue, but the national team's heroics provided a brief and rare ray of hope in a dark and cloudy period.
A beautiful and poignant example is war-torn Iraq's historic victory over Saudi Arabia in yesterday's final of the Asia Cup, which led to wild scenes of jubilation across ethnic lines in Iraq and the world. The team which has players of Sunni, Shia and Kurd ethnicity has become a powerful metaphor for national unity in a country that in the post-Saddam era has descended into a civil war that shows no signs of ceasing. Like Iraqis quoted in the article say, the sectarian strife is likely to continue, but the national team's heroics provided a brief and rare ray of hope in a dark and cloudy period.