Natalia Rojas: 'Islam's Hope' was like Nelson Mandela's Rugby Strategy -- maybe there is something to this?

                I happened to watch my friend watch the Arsenal v. Manchester United game last Saturday. He threw out foul curse towards Arsenal’s Wojciech Szczesny and bashed their fans, and I’ve never seen him so passionate. I can only imagine the streets and pubs of Greater Manchester in comparison to my friends’ Hyattsville, Maryland basement. But, soccer does reach many points across the globe, and in Franklin Foer’s book How Soccer Explains The World, he tries to justify the soccer phenomenon to globalization. I found many of Foer’s arguments to be weak, but there was one on the surface I found I could agree with. His argument: soccer can bring change and new perspectives to countries that shares global values (Islam’s Hope).

I see the similarity of Foer’s Islam argument, to the story of Nelson Mandela’s use of rugby to unite South Africa and throttle them onto the world stage. Nelson Mandela once said, “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.” This quote floated through my mind as I read chapter 9 (How Soccer Explains Islam’s Hope). Foer explains that Iran’s governmental policy transition was supported by the adoption of soccer in their culture. The adoption of soccer influenced the Iranian people as they accepted norms of the west: modernization, western dress wear, competition, and sports knowledge. Even afterwards when religious leaders condemned soccer’s modernity (soccer shorts showing the knees), the Iranian people still kept their passions for the sport and lead to the integration of women at sporting events. While, this is a leap to say the soccer lead to Iranian democracy and greater civil equality, I do understand the mechanics of adopting a sport to be seen as ‘part of the club’ and partially advancing new norms.

Nelson Mandela hosted and won the 1995 Rugby World Cup to prove to the international community that South Africa was a strong united country abolishing apartheid, and that South Africa was successful in their transition of hostile government parties. Nelson Mandela wanted to make South Africa marketable and known to the world, and saw the platform of sports as the most influential way of doing so. Similarly, as the Iranians envisioned according to Foer, they saw soccer as a bridge for them between the West and being seen as modern. Both instances show that sports soccer particularly, is a global culture and a standard for developing countries to adopt and achieve. Soccer has almost become an indicator of a reputable country (on the face that is).

For the arguments of globalization, soccer has the ability to increase interconnected-ness, while we may not speak the same language or have the same cultures, our eyes are all on the ball. Our nations united in sporting events like the World Cup, which bring together diverse countries in the name of hope and learning. While soccer cannot solve the problems of economies, political parties, and terrorism – arguing a constructivist perspective, it can create a dialogue between countries that never existed, communities, and share things that are in common.  Foer explains that the instinct to feel included in the world community leads countries like Iran and South Africa to adopt sports and evolve within themselves to become more globalized; while its more complex than sports, it’s a bridge and a beginning that could lead to something bigger.