By James M. Dorsey Legal and diplomatic battles in United Nations organizations and international sport associations involving charges of war crimes and efforts to suspend membership of one or the other are likely to shape future Israeli-Palestinian relations in the wake of last month’s electoral victory by Binyamin Netanyahu. The contours of the coming battles … [Read more…]
By James M. Dorsey Long-simmering discontent in Ahwaz, the soccer-crazy, predominantly ethnic Arab capital of Iran’s Khuzestan province that Iraqi president Saddam Hussein unsuccessfully tried to exploit when he launched the Iran-Iraq war in 1980, exploded on the pitch earlier this month during an Asian championship League qualifier between the city’s state-owned Foolad FC and … [Read more…]
By James M. Dorsey This is the Accepted Manuscript of this article that was published by Taylor Francis Group in The International Journal of the History of Sport, DOI:10.1080/09523367.2015.1008212 Qatar is proving to be its own worst enemy in achieving its soft power goals of embedding itself in the international community as a good citizen despite … [Read more…]
By James M. Dorsey An Egyptian prosecutor has set the stage for the banning of a group of hard-core, militant soccer fans by charging them with accepting money and explosives from the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood to stage last month’s Cairo football riot in which 22 people were killed. The prosecutor, Hesham Barakat, said the brawl, … [Read more…]
By James M. Dorsey A warning by world soccer body FIFA president Sepp Blatter following talks this weekend with Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani that Qatar needs to do more to improve the working and living conditions of its migrant workers is the latest signal that Qatar will have to … [Read more…]
By James M. Dorsey A just published study highlights how commerce and glitz are reinforcing support for autocracy by international sports associations and undermining the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) newly found resolve to hold potential host cities to human rights standards to which world soccer body FIFA pays lip service. The study by Andrew Zimbalist, … [Read more…]
By James Dorsey Click here for DOWNLOAD A satirical video of Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu’s speech to the US Congress captures the essence of his message and his political strategy on the eve of Israeli elections. “There are three things we must always remember: First Iran, and second Iran, and third Iran, Iran, Iran, … [Read more…]
By James M. Dorsey Campaigning for re-election, world soccer body FIFA president Sepp Blatter seems never to miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. In an article in a FIFA magazine, Mr. Blatter commemorated International Women’s Day by calling on Iran to lift its ban on women attending male sports events in stadia. In doing, … [Read more…]
By James M. Dorsey One thing the biographies of Jihadi John, the Islamic State’s executioner of foreign hostages, and several of his European associates have in common is their passion for soccer and their dashed hopes of becoming professional players. They all belonged to amateur teams or bonded in part by playing soccer together. Like … [Read more…]