Blatter, just a handshake is not enough!

Blatter, just a handshake is not enough!

It is stupid to think that Blatter and FIFA were leading any campaign against racism. For clarity, Blatter, the President of FIFA, has demonstrated the capacity to be both a gentleman and a buffoon, both a sexist and a racist, long before now. How he kept coming back as head of FIFA can be gleaned from the recent corruption charge. For the records, Blatter made the following sexist comments about Women football and got away with it, perhaps after bribing out those who ought to call him to order.

 "Let the women play in more feminine clothes like they do in volleyball. They could, for example, have tighter shorts. Female players are pretty, if you excuse me for saying so, and they already have some different rules to men - such as playing with a lighter ball. That decision was taken to create a more female aesthetic, so why not do it in fashion?"

The above, said in 2004, about a game that many have spend nights and years and resources to develop is laughable, even if uttered by a toddler. But coming from the same man who is head of FIFA, world football governing body, is, to say the least, madness-in-disguise. From the wordings of the statement, to its very content, it is incontestable that Berlusconi and Blatter may after all be friends in casting aspersions on females, sex, and similar stuffs.  How he managed to get away, especially from the barbs and arrows of feminists scholars, is still a wonder.

On slavery, he was decidedly unbridled.  He not only likened Christiano Ronaldo, then World Footballer, to a slave, but also trivialised the institution of slavery, a sin perpetrated by the West against Africans and people of African descent; a sin that is the core of what Patrice Evra, Aton Ferdinand, Daniel Sturidge and many others have had to endure in 21^st century Great Britain.  Listen to Blatter:

"I'm always in favour of protecting the player and if the player, (he) wants to leave, let him leave. I think in football there's too much modern slavery in transferring players or buying players here and there, and putting them somewhere."

English FA’s indictment of Luis Suares as a racist and Blatter’s corruption indictment could not draw any useful comment from Blatter than that:

“Players who are racially insulted during matches should accept it as part of on-field provocation and shake hands with their opponent at the end of the game and move on!”

What an insult!

Rio Ferdinand, whose brother was allegedly racially assaulted by John Terry of Chelsea FC and Captain of English National team, was perhaps too gentlemanly with Blatter when he wrote to the old man:

"I feel stupid for thinking that football was taking a leading role against racism, just for clarity if a player abuses a referee, does a shake of the hand after the game wipe the slate clean? If fans shout racist chants but shake our hands is that ok?"

One thing is clear, Blatter’s cup is full. His latest turn around statement that:

"My comments have been misunderstood. What I wanted to express is that, as football players, during a match, you have 'battles' with your opponents, and sometimes things are done which are wrong. But, normally, at the end of the match, you apologise to your opponent if you had a confrontation during the match, you shake hands, and when the game is over, it is over. Anyone who has played a football match, or a match in any sport, knows that this is the case."

Racism, which Blatter (and FIFA under Blatter) claimed to be fighting, should be a matter of serious concern than to be subject of gutter talk. He wanted to say! But he said just a handshake is enough! Football is a game of passion, so also other games. Racism speaks to inner values of the black people. Racism and Blatter’s comment speaks to our history, as peoples and as a continent. Let the world remembers: we were killed, maimed and enslaved on our own land; uprooted from our continent and dehumanized aboard European slavers’ ship and brought across the Atlantic to Europe and the New World. We bore the pains, the death, and the infamies with unequal dignity up to these days. With our blood and our toil; we built not just plantations, but also nations. We built your empires, your kingdoms, your cities, your homes. You fill your banks with money, blood money!

Uprooted, lonely, and dehumanized; we have no home, no nation and no identity! When machine’s labour surpassed our strength, you declared freedom for the slaves and pronounced the world a common heritage for all. However, at every turn, you reminded us our history, a sin committed by your fathers on our common humanity and for which you should be ashamed!

Just a handshake, Blatter, just a handshake to wipe aside 400 years of slavery! Just a handshake to wipe away the dead, the pain of more than 20 million souls! Blatter, just a handshake is not enough!

Rise, black people and people of African descent!  Rise!!