As in most of the world, soccer, or football, is an immensely popular sport among Palestinians. From Gaza to the West Bank to the diaspora, the Beautiful Game plays a crucial role in the social life of Palestinian people. So of course, soccer is not immune from Israel's war against Palestinian existence. While some fans and a handful of players have dared to speak out against Israel's genocide, many of the most powerful institutions and figures in the sport have remained silent. Dr. Abdullah Al-Arian joins Edge of Sports for a discussion on the game's significance to Palestine, and what the international response from the soccer world could and must look like.
Abdullah Al-Arian is an associate professor of history at Georgetown University in Qatar. He is the author of
Answering the Call: Popular Islamic Activism in Sadat's Egypt and the editor of
Football in the Middle East: State, Society, and the Beautiful Game. He is editor of the "Critical Currents in Islam" page on the Jadaliyya e-zine.
Link to show page with transcript: https://therealnews.com/even-soccer-is-a-target-in-israels-war-on-palestineStudio Production: David Hebden
Post-Production: Taylor Hebden
Audio Post-Production: David Hebden
Opening Sequence: Cameron Granadino
Music by: Eze Jackson & Carlos Guillen
Help us continue producing Edge of Sports with Dave Zirin by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer:
Donate:
https://therealnews.com/eos-pod-donateSign up for our newsletter:
https://therealnews.com/eos-pod-subscribeLike us on Facebook:
https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/therealnewsBecome a supporter of this podcast:
https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.
Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.com
Facebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!