On the sideline of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine : The double standards of the sports world

This is not “What about-ism” but about clear double standards when it comes to the sports world.

First of all, I must be clear. I am totally against the Russian invasion of Ukraine and I am totally against Russian propaganda or any other propaganda.

Yet, on the sideline of the awful invasion of Ukraine, there are certain issues that provoke me whether in the international media or the international reactions.

Among those international reactions, the decision of FIFA and UEFA to suspend Russian clubs and national teams from all competitions on  Monday over the Russian invasion.

For years, we were told in the Arab world that politics should get involved with sports.

That’s what we are being told whenever we bring up similar demands to suspend clubs of countries involved in military attacks and invasions in the Arab world.

For instance Israel and Palestine or the biggest elephant in the room.

Thanks to Egyptian Football fans, I knew that FIFA ignored the demands of Palestinian activists to suspend the activities of 6 Israeli clubs built on occupied Palestinian West Bank territories in a clear violation of international laws and UN Security Council resolutions. 

The Syrian activists urged the international sports federation to ban the official Syrian sports federation and official national teams that follow the Al-Assad regime and the answer they get every time is a lecture about how we should not mix politics with sports.

Malinovskyi and his "No War in Ukraine" T-shirt (AFP) 

The Egyptian football fans also wondered why FIFA did not give a yellow card to Italian Atalanta’s Ukrainian midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi last week for breaking FIFA’s own rule against displaying political slogans during play like what happened with Egyptian footballer Mohamed Abu Trika’s 2008 African Cup of Nations.

Malinovskyi removed his jersey to show a T-shirt written on it “No war in Ukraine” after scoring a goal.

Trika in his famous "Sympathize with Gaza" moment in 2008

In 2008, Abu Trika removed his jersey to show a T-shirt written on it “Sympathize with Gaza” after scoring a goal in Egypt-Sudan football match during the Gaza war or rather Israeli ground invasion to Gaza.

FYI, I totally support what Malionvskyi and Abu Trika did but someone was praised and the other was punished.

Already what Abu Trika and Malionvskyi did, legendary Socrates used to do it too.

Did FIFA change its mindset ?? No idea !!

Another thing I remember.

I remember Syrian human rights activists as well as Ukrainian activists who protest the invasion of Crimea had repeatedly requested FIFA and the World to withdraw from the 2018 World Cup in Russia but it was held anyway. It was said during then sports were a way to bring people of the world together away from hate and war.

Even the Wikipedia page on the 2018 World Cup in Russia ignored the pleas of the Syrian human rights activists against holding the tournament in the country that turned their life into hell.

فيديو من عام 2018م أثناء قيام طائرات روسيا بقصف المدنيين في سوريا بالقذائق الفوسفورية بينما كان #بوتين في #روسيا يقوم بإفتتاح بطولة كأس العالم! pic.twitter.com/sagCLTFTME

— عمر مدنيه (@Omar_Madaniah) March 1, 2022

FYI, I remember in April 2021 the US Department of Justice said that representatives working for Russia and Qatar bribed FIFA officials to host the World cup in 2018 and 2022. 

I am not surprised because any football aka soccer fan knows how corrupted FIFA is.

In fact, I wonder if FIFA has taken this decision to suspend the Russian clubs and national teams from all competitions to avoid questioning over that alleged Russian bribe !!

Now moving to the other elephant in the room or the Russian BDS in the sports world.

In the past week, Ukrainian players in several games refuged to play and withdraw from games because they have to play against Russian players. I totally respect them and I would do the same if I were in their shoes. 

They were praised for their decisions and did not get any penalties.

Again Arab fans remember how Arab players get harsh punishments sometimes for refusing to face Israeli players as part of the BDS movement.

Personally, I got a neutral opinion regarding the Israeli boycott in sports. It is up to the player.

On Arab social media, some are wondering why all those sports federations did not take similar steps when it comes to the United States and its invasion of Iraq..etc.

You cannot blame them and despite I feel angry and sad for what is happening in Ukraine, I can’t ignore this European Western support to the country that many countries around the globe especially in the Middle East wish to have seen 1/4 of it in wars and in time of crisis.

And yes, our people envy the people of Ukraine for that support, in a nutshell, this shows you how helpless many Arab people are. They envy others in their misery.

Unfortunately these double standards are actually being exploited by the other side aka Russia and its supporters in the media whether Social or mainstream to show the hypocrisy of the west.
I can’t blame them.

I hope next time an Arab footballer flashes his “Pro-Palestine” shirt in a football game, he will not be punished by FIFA.

Another thing, I believe suspending the Russian athletes is not needed and actually a punishment to the Russian people, not to the Russian regime. This move will make Russian people support Putin and not the opposite.