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Younis Mahmoud: "I Want America Out" - Why Iraq's Best-Loved Athlete Can't
Go Home
By Gary Leupp
Created Aug 2 2007 - 9:13am
He may be the most beloved man in Iraq right now. Younis Mahmoud, the Iraqi
soccer team captain who scored the winning goal in Iraq's final win over
Saudi Arabia in the Asian Cup, triggering mass jubilation in his tortured
country, is a symbol of Iraqi nationhood.
Mahmoud, a Sunni Muslim on a majority Shiite team, scored on a pass last
Sunday from Mulla Mohammed, the team's only Kurdish player, for a 1-0
victory. I can only imagine how moving that was to the secular Baathists,
the Sadrist nationalists, and others worried about civil war provoked by the
invasion, or partition as openly suggested by some U.S. politicians like Joe
Biden. All kinds of people are saying that Iraqis should learn from the
soccer team and unite to achieve national goals. Praise for the team vents
contempt for the corruption and lethargy of the compromised political class.
But does Mahmoud plan to head home and bask in his country's affection? No,
he'll return to his home in Qatar where he plays for a local team.
"I don't want the Iraqi people to be angry with me," he told AP, noting that
a bomb killed Iraqis celebrating the teams' win over South Korea last week.
The dead included a boy. "His mother said when her child was killed in front
of her, she didn't cry. She said, 'I present my son as a sacrifice for the
national team.' Then we had to win." Mahmoud is perhaps disturbed that
anyone would attack a group of soccer fans celebrating a victory. But he
also expresses fear towards those ruling Iraq.
One of the team captain's closest friends has been arrested during the
occupation, "and for one year neither me nor his family knew where he is."
Mahmoud has no confidence about his own security in Iraq, even as it unites
in pride over his athletic achievement. He's afraid he'll be killed if he
goes back, and makes it clear where he places the blame for the catastrophe.
"I want America to go out," he declares. "Today, tomorrow, or the day after
tomorrow, but out. I wish the American people didn't invade Iraq and
hopefully it will be over soon."
I doubt his reputation in Iraq will suffer from the report of those remarks.
Other Iraqi soccer-players' quotes from the past [1]
Olympic team midfielder Salih Sadir, responding in Athens in August 2004 to
Bush's claim that Iraq wouldn't be able to participate in the games had he
not "liberated" their country tells Sports Illustrated: "Iraq as a team does
not want Mr. Bush to use us for the presidential campaign. . . . He can find
another way to advertise himself. . . .We don't wish for the presence of the
Americans in our country. We want them to go away."
Star player Ahmed Manajid, Sunni from Fallujah, after declaring that if he
weren't playing soccer in Athens he would "for sure" be fighting alongside
his people: "I want to defend my home. If a stranger invades America and the
people resist, does that mean they are terrorists? Everyone [in Fallujah]
has been labeled a terrorist. These are all lies. Fallujah people are some
of the best people in Iraq. . . How will [Bush] meet his god having
slaughtered so many men and women? He has committed so many crimes."
Team coach Adnan Hamad stressed, "My problems are not with the American
people. . . They are with what America has done in Iraq: destroy everything.
.. . The American army has killed so many people in Iraq. What is freedom
when I go to the stadium and there are shootings on the road?"
_______
About author Gary Leupp is a Professor of History, and Adjunct Professor of
Comparative Religion, at Tufts University and author of numerous works on
Japanese history. He can be reached at: gleupp@granite.tufts.edu [2].
--
NOTICE: This post contains copyrighted material the use of which has not
always been authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material
available to advance understanding of
political, human rights, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues. I
believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material as
provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright
Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107
"A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their
spells dissolve, and the people recovering their true sight, restore their
government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are
suffering deeply in spirit,
and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public
debt. But if the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have
patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning
back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at
stake."
-Thomas Jefferson
Go Home
By Gary Leupp
Created Aug 2 2007 - 9:13am
He may be the most beloved man in Iraq right now. Younis Mahmoud, the Iraqi
soccer team captain who scored the winning goal in Iraq's final win over
Saudi Arabia in the Asian Cup, triggering mass jubilation in his tortured
country, is a symbol of Iraqi nationhood.
Mahmoud, a Sunni Muslim on a majority Shiite team, scored on a pass last
Sunday from Mulla Mohammed, the team's only Kurdish player, for a 1-0
victory. I can only imagine how moving that was to the secular Baathists,
the Sadrist nationalists, and others worried about civil war provoked by the
invasion, or partition as openly suggested by some U.S. politicians like Joe
Biden. All kinds of people are saying that Iraqis should learn from the
soccer team and unite to achieve national goals. Praise for the team vents
contempt for the corruption and lethargy of the compromised political class.
But does Mahmoud plan to head home and bask in his country's affection? No,
he'll return to his home in Qatar where he plays for a local team.
"I don't want the Iraqi people to be angry with me," he told AP, noting that
a bomb killed Iraqis celebrating the teams' win over South Korea last week.
The dead included a boy. "His mother said when her child was killed in front
of her, she didn't cry. She said, 'I present my son as a sacrifice for the
national team.' Then we had to win." Mahmoud is perhaps disturbed that
anyone would attack a group of soccer fans celebrating a victory. But he
also expresses fear towards those ruling Iraq.
One of the team captain's closest friends has been arrested during the
occupation, "and for one year neither me nor his family knew where he is."
Mahmoud has no confidence about his own security in Iraq, even as it unites
in pride over his athletic achievement. He's afraid he'll be killed if he
goes back, and makes it clear where he places the blame for the catastrophe.
"I want America to go out," he declares. "Today, tomorrow, or the day after
tomorrow, but out. I wish the American people didn't invade Iraq and
hopefully it will be over soon."
I doubt his reputation in Iraq will suffer from the report of those remarks.
Other Iraqi soccer-players' quotes from the past [1]
Olympic team midfielder Salih Sadir, responding in Athens in August 2004 to
Bush's claim that Iraq wouldn't be able to participate in the games had he
not "liberated" their country tells Sports Illustrated: "Iraq as a team does
not want Mr. Bush to use us for the presidential campaign. . . . He can find
another way to advertise himself. . . .We don't wish for the presence of the
Americans in our country. We want them to go away."
Star player Ahmed Manajid, Sunni from Fallujah, after declaring that if he
weren't playing soccer in Athens he would "for sure" be fighting alongside
his people: "I want to defend my home. If a stranger invades America and the
people resist, does that mean they are terrorists? Everyone [in Fallujah]
has been labeled a terrorist. These are all lies. Fallujah people are some
of the best people in Iraq. . . How will [Bush] meet his god having
slaughtered so many men and women? He has committed so many crimes."
Team coach Adnan Hamad stressed, "My problems are not with the American
people. . . They are with what America has done in Iraq: destroy everything.
.. . The American army has killed so many people in Iraq. What is freedom
when I go to the stadium and there are shootings on the road?"
_______
About author Gary Leupp is a Professor of History, and Adjunct Professor of
Comparative Religion, at Tufts University and author of numerous works on
Japanese history. He can be reached at: gleupp@granite.tufts.edu [2].
--
NOTICE: This post contains copyrighted material the use of which has not
always been authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material
available to advance understanding of
political, human rights, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues. I
believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material as
provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright
Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107
"A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their
spells dissolve, and the people recovering their true sight, restore their
government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are
suffering deeply in spirit,
and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public
debt. But if the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have
patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning
back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at
stake."
-Thomas Jefferson