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| Moeen Ali wears a wristband with Save Gaza written over it during the Southampton Test |
Bodies governing sports have a point in not allowing show of political lineage but the line between political and humanitarian issues is increasingly getting blurred.
England cricketer Moeen Ali's wristbands that read 'Save Gaza' and 'Free Palestine’ during the second day of the third Test against India in Southampton stirred up a hornet's nest but a walk down memory lane will tell us that this is not the first such instance of a sportsperson making a political statement, Nor, I suspect, will it be the last one.
Moeen Ali irked the International Cricket Council by opposing Israel’s offensive in a densely populated and the most controversial location in the Middle East - the Gaza Strip. Israel's attack on Gaza is an apparent retaliation to the earlier rocket-strikes by Palestinian outfit – Hamas. Israel's non-stop counter-attack has resulted in a heavy loss of civilian lives including many children and women.
Moeen has only indicated which side he stands for in the long-standing conflict. It is no surprise that the ICC wasted little time and banned the cricketer from wearing the bands citing its rule which bars players from displaying unauthorised messages. “The ICC Equipment and Clothing Regulations do not permit the display of messages that relate to political, religious or racial activities or causes during an international match,” ICC statement on Tuesday said. The move immediately got sharp reactions from tweeples.
If "Save Gaza" was a sponsor logo of some rich brand, ICC would be first to endorse it. #MoeenAli
— Mazher Arshad (@cricket_U) July 29, 2014
The ICC is within its rights. Moeen's action is in violation of the ICC Code of Conduct but that leads us to a more important question – Do sportspersons not have the right to express themselves? Can a sports body restrict their Freedom of Speech because of a manual written derived and designed by some individuals? Moeen has challenged status quo and it must be welcomed as a free will in a free world.
Sports history is replete with examples of people choosing global platforms to demonstrate their support for causes they felt just. During the Mexico Olympic Games in 1968, the United States' track stars Tommie Smith (Gold) and John Carlos (Bronze) raised black-gloved fists in support of the sufferings of the African-Americans home.
The event hit news headlines across the globe and the two athletes were suspended and expelled by the International Olympic Committee for "breach of fundamental priniciples of the Olympic spirit." Later, writing in his book Silent Gesture, Smith clarified that the protest was not just for Blacks but it was a 'human rights salute'.
In 1967, boxer Cassius Clay – later known as Muhammad Ali – made headlines by refusing to sign the American military draft for the Vietnam War. The heavy-weight boxing champion was convicted for refusing induction. “Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs?” Ali said. Ali, as Joyce Carol Oates once famously put, 'defined the terms of his public reputation.'
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| 1964: Shortly after becoming the youngest World Champion, 22 years, Cassius Clay converted to Islam and got the name Muhammad Ali. |
More recently, athletes from many countries showed their support for gay rights during the Winter Olympics in Sochi in Russia earlier this year.
Global sporting spectacles are often dragged into politico-humanitarian issues which are not easy to brush aside. This makes one move to the central question – Can sports and politics go together? According to Olympic Charter, the very concept of the Olympic movement is based on non-discrimination with regards to a country, or person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise.
However, with significant rise in TV time of sportspersons, it is becoming a more attractive proposition to use that stage for maximum reach. We see politicians attending sporting events, which helps in giving them positive media coverage. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff rode her luck during the FIFA World Cup 2014 until Luiz Felipe Scolari's team suffered a crushing defeat against Germany.
President Rousseff admitted her worst nightmares never got so bad. It is increasingly becoming common for politicians to turn up at sporting events. That's a normal sight during IPL matches in India. They have every right to like any sport and support any team. Fair enough. But then if politicians can have sporting favourites, likes and dislikes and they can be vocal about it, can sportspersons not be granted the right to express their political, humanitarian, social views?
That's where Moeen Ali's gesture gave me a kick.
I am not taking sides in the Israel-Palestine debate but I am here for Moeen. He believed in certain thing and chose a non-violent, completely harmless, way to show his support. Moeen never asked anyone to follow what he was doing. Off the field, it is learnt, he has raised funds for the children and women who are victims in the conflict zone.
Honestly, having an opinion on an issue and displaying it silently and peacefully should not be an issue which invokes ban. Sports is a medium through which youth can connect. It can act as bridge between communities. Sports bodies around the world must give it a thought in order to play a bigger role towards our society and mankind.
“Sport has the power to change the world…it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than Government in breaking down racial barriers,” Nelson Mandela had said.
That can be the guiding light.
#MoeenAli #Cricket #ICC #EngvInd
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