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| Mohamed Farah, The greatest 'British' Athlete |
I watched the 5000m race on Friday, as with many of my compatriots, with bated breath (as I, and we, have watched many of Mo Farah's races). He did not disappoint! History was made, as he became only the second man to do the 'double double', of Olympic Gold for 5000m and 10000, and World Championship Gold's at the World Championships in Moscow.
I am not a great sports fan, but quite like the Athletics (and, for such a couch potato these days, was actually a runner in my college days). I ate up the London Olympics and Paralympics, devouring as much as I could, supporting 'Team GB' in every event.
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| Yelana Isinbayeva |
We are told that sport is not political. The fallacy of this was shown recently with the comments of Yelana Isinbayeva, and her subsequent retraction of them, over Russia's anti-gay propaganda law, (see: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/athletics/world-championships-2013-yelena-isinbayeva-claims-she-was-misunderstood-over-comments-condemning-homosexuality-and-promoting-russias-antigay-propaganda-law-8770539.html) and the actions of some of the athletes in support of their gay brothers and sisters, notably, the USA's Nick Symmonds (see: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/athletics/world-championships-2013-us-runner-nick-symmonds-speaks-out-against-russias-antigay-laws-after-winning-silver-in-moscow-8762222.html).
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| Nick Symmonds |
Athletes wrap themselves in Nationalistic, Patriotic symbolism. They stand on a podium with their National Flag raised above that of other nations whilst their National Anthem is played and sung to the exclusion of others. And this is not political?
Referring back to my title of this post, the argument about Russian anti-gay laws and the persecution of my LGBT brothers and sisters in that country is not what I am interested in here. My worry is over names and titles, and their political utilisation.
Too often in the media outlets of Britain and the USA, young, Black and Asian Muslim men are portrayed in a negative way and their allegiance to the country that they call home called into question because of the colour of their skin or nature of their religious conviction. In many news sources, Black; Asian; Muslim all equate to Criminal; Terrorist; generally Threat to the 'White Community'.
Where it suits to do so, we homogenise those from another racial or ethnic background into our ranks almost as 'honorary citizens of our community and culture', through the language that we do not use rather than the language that we do. Hence my hero Mo Farah is 'British'.
What is wrong with this? You may ask. It is his self definition.
Here is my problem, Mo is Mohamed Farah. He is Somali by birth, from Mogadishu. A country and city most often portrayed as a hot bed of Terrorism and Piracy. (When is the last time you read or saw a news report that portrayed that country or city as anything but?) Mo is Male, Young, Black and Muslim, in usual Press parlance, either a drug dealer, criminal or terrorist. Ergo, someone to fear! It does not suit our stereo typical view of those terms to use them while discussing a 'National Hero'. These are perceived by the majority to be negative terms to be avoided at all costs in conjunction with a positive report or story. (In fact, by Mo's own admission, he is regularly stopped by Immigration in the USA because of this, see: http://www.channel4.com/news/mo-farah-stopped-at-customs-hes-not-alone)
WHY NOT? Our brothers and sisters of other Races, Ethnicities and Religious persuasions need to instil in their children the positivity of those terms and respective cultures'. Theirs, as well as our heroes and heroines need to be acknowledged as such, not just as 'British' or 'American' (which is a misnomer when it only refers to the USA).
'We don't point out the colour or religion of White Christians in these countries' is an arguament that I have heard in relation to this and other issues. My answer to this is why would you? When you are referring to the ethnic and religious majority, it is a presumption already assumed within our subconscious (along with the negativity of the other terms mentioned).
LGBT brothers and sisters refer to themselves as such, for exactly the same reason, we are not in the majority and need to be seen to be accepted fully into society.
I am not denying the 'Britishness' of Mo, or any other brother or sister from an ethnic or religious minority, I am affirming it and glorying in it. My own ancestry is Irish, but as a White Male, I am seen as nothing but of the Status Quo, if I am noticed at all when I walk down the street. I can walk through the streets of London (and any other British city) without ever being noticed as 'a Foreigner'. My skin colour and accent make me English (however my name actually betrays not just my Ethnicity, but my religious identity too, for those who are aware of these things, similarly with the name Mohamed)!
What I am calling for here is that we abolish the stereo types associated with these terms and begin to really appreciate all of our brothers and sisters in this Multicultural society. Diversity is so much more preferable to hegemony. I don't want 'Britishness' to become like the High Street, where most shops are chains that offer the same thing no matter what street, city or country that you are in across the world! There is also the wider point that maybe our National Institutions and Legislators, and the 'guardians of our borders' may stop making false assumptions and allow law abiding citizens to go about their daily lives free from hindrance and persecution!
Come on Mo, wear a Somali Flag next time you win, as well as the Union Flag!
Congratulations on your magnificent achievement, and here is to many more (along with some gratuitous photos of you and the 'Mobot' to celebrate your Double Double)!
Eamonn
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| Who's that man pretending to be Mo Farah? |
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| Usain Bolt forgets who he is! lol |
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