(Longtime friend Dick Milliman writes a weekly column, ‘Almanac,? from his Lansing office. I particularly liked this one. — JAS)
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The answer to most of the world’s ills could be too simple for politicians and diplomats to grasp.
Maybe it’s soccer.
Soccer brought peace and harmony for a day or so in the world’s number one trouble spot as Iraq won its first Asian Cup soccer championship, defeating Saudi Arabia, 1-0, in the title game.
According to news reports, Iraqis laid aside the differences that fuel the turmoil in their troubled land, as Shiites, Sunnis and even Kurds joined together in celebration over the unexpected victory by their underdog Iraqi team, named ‘Lions of the Two Rivers.? The Saudi Arabian team had won the last three Asian Cup championships.
The finals were held in Jakarta, Indonesia, and none of the Iraqi players actually lives or trains in Iraq now, and the team has not played in Iraq. None of that mattered.
Celebrations filled much of the war torn country, jubilant in Iraq’s soccer superiority. Gunfire came not from militants, but from partiers firing bullets into the air in celebration. At least four people were killed and scores wounded by the victory gunfire. Security forces banned vehicles, trying to prevent car bombings that had killed dozens of celebrants in earlier festivities fueled by preliminary soccer wins.
The joy and celebration spread to Michigan, too, where an estimated 90,000 people of Arabic descent reside in the Detroit area. These glad events all were in good humor, according to printed reports.
HIDDEN MESSAGE — Is there a hidden message here somewhere?
A Detroit News story quoted Sabah Shaiyal, a policeman in Baghdad, ‘These heroes have shown the real Iraq. They have done something useful for the people as opposed to the politicians and lawmakers who are stealing or killing each other . . . The players have made us proud . . . Once again our national team has shown there is only one, united Iraq.?
Perhaps the way to peace in Iraq is through sports, and not through arms or politicians or diplomats or even peace conferences.
If Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds can unite behind a national soccer team, how can they be led to unite behind other matters, such as finding peaceful ways to live among themselves and with each other?
The Olympic games every four years also evoke great national pride and cooperation that sports can engender.
If soccer can unite Iraq, and China can peacefully host the rest of the world in the next Olympic Games, isn’t there some way to harness all this good feeling created by athletic competition and direct it into day-to-day peace and progress?
Maybe the world has been going at this whole world peace thing in the wrong way, with armies and summit meetings and conferences. Maybe a better way involves athletic competition.
There, now I have pointed the way to world peace and prosperity through sports.
Now it’s up to someone else to work out the details.