A few thoughts on soccer and oppression

Just after the World Cup in South Africa, I was already anxiously awaiting the World Cup in Brazil. Soccer or football as it's called in the rest of the world has always been one of my favorite sports. When I traveled to Germany I was fascinated by the way football was a religious experience for the spectators, players, and other involved parties. Even more, football serves as an organized, structural religion throughout all the habitable continents of our world. Football serves a predominant religious role in Brazil (after Roman Catholicism) so it seems fitting that the World Cup, the Easter of football, would be celebrated in Brazil.

It is impossible to understand the implications of the World Cup's presence in Brazil without hearing voices outside of the mainstream media outlets. These mainstream outlets paint a picture of capitalism. The picture tells us how much money will come to Brazil as tourists and athletes from all over the would attend the football matches. If one thinks from the American Colonial Consumer Capitalistic framework, it is impossible to see the negative consequences.

Voices have been calling out from the wilderness as the streets of Rio de Janeiro and other places in Brazil are being targeted with art motivated by the World Cup. This art is not in favor of the World Cup's presence, but instead, this art is a call for justice. The people of Brazil are starving while their country pours millions of dollars into hosting the World Cup. Brazil, though independent since 1822, is expressing their colonial roots. They are expressing the capitalistic obsession which is often only seen as plaguing the West and the geographical North.

Because of the World Cup, Brazil is exploiting its people to be the center of the universe, to be football's Jerusalem for a short time. Unfortunately, Brazil is also expressing the same tendencies of Jerusalem--occupation and oppression. All of this simply to appeal to the money hungry. The art popping up around Brazil is similar to the art the is scattered about the apartheid wall in the West Bank/Israel. It seems that there is nothing more to utter than, "How long, lord". We as humans cannot help but offend human rights--it's one human rights violation after another with us!

Despite my deep love for soccer, even the religious experience that I experience in the soccer community--family--I will abstain from watching the World Cup. I encourage others to advocate for the least, the last and the lost and to set aside capitalistic colonial tendencies to seek justice and love mercy. As Bp. Tutu has said, "If we don't stand on the side of the oppressed we are on the side of the oppressor."

Viva Humanity