The World Cup in Qatar... the cultural face of the Arabs and the relationship between the West and the East (1)

Qatar's hosting of the World Cup Final left a lot of controversy and controversy in different and varied aspects, perhaps the most prominent of which is the extent of the eligibility of an Arab country to host a global sporting event, under human rights claims and other major headlines that found resonance in the media and centers of soft power and influence in a number of Western countries. Basically, the conversation moved from sports to politics, and from entertainment and spectacle to cultural and identities debate.

Instead of the sporting event becoming the title of bridging the relationship between peoples and cultures on the sidelines of sports competition, and between the West and the East mainly according to the civilizational meaning or the north and the south;

It has become an indication of the return of major narratives that divide the world into cultural islands, and an attempt to employ sports in a conflict of interests, which raises the question of the other, the nature of the attitude towards it, and the danger of restoring the sharp cultural and identity divisions that emerged with Huntington's theory of the clash of civilizations in the nineties of the last century.

Instead of this global event becoming a moment of global concord and human acquaintance on the basis of dialogue, acceptance and mutual recognition, attention was drawn to other aspects that are at the heart of cultural difference that reflect an aspect of pluralism in existence, or that it was in the rule of silence when organizing the sports tournament in Countries that do not belong to the Middle East and Africa

Did the cultural and political debate taking place on the sidelines of the Cup reveal a crisis in the relationship between East and West, so that the historical and cultural imagination was not overlooked in the view of the other and inter-relationships?

And on what basis should bridges be built between East and West?

Aspects of controversy and criticism in the Western media

Before stopping with the questions raised previously, we must stand with the facts raised on the sidelines of the World Cup. The ongoing debate is an introduction to knowing the nature of the prevailing discourse and the problems currently raised, in the Western context regarding the East, or in the East regarding the West.

What concerns us now is the Western context as the source of criticism, and the East as the subject of criticism.

Whoever follows the media and the nature of the debate about the eligibility of Qatar or other Arab countries to host a global football event raises the question about the latent deposits in the subconscious of the elite group in the Western context, which are deposits that sow division in human society, and instead of becoming this global event A moment of global reconciliation and human acquaintance on the basis of dialogue, acceptance and mutual recognition. Attention was drawn to other aspects that are at the heart of cultural difference that reflect an aspect of pluralism in existence, or that they were silent when organizing the sports tournament in countries that do not belong to the Middle Eastern field. and african.

It appears here that the hadith in question relates to justifications given by several parties to criticize Qatar with a lot of prejudice and behind it the Arab and Islamic world. It is addressed in several points or levels. We refer to them in summary and then present for discussion:

These justifications reflect, in fact, a major crisis in the nature of the West's vision of the East, and imply a lack of understanding or use of various approaches with the aim of pressure and influence. Despite our assertion that the West is a diverse and multiple bloc, and that it is not a homogeneous unit, the nature of the media treatment of the sporting event revealed a negative attitude that is still It is present and needs a lot of criticism in light of what the societies of the East have in store, which Qatar was able to highlight in the current World Cup or provoke through soft tools of influence, or by hosting the demonstration itself, because football has become within the field of soft power;

The sporting event may not be a goal in itself, but rather the transformation of the East into a global destination in conjunction with sports competition.

The spreading issue of homosexuality can be said to have become like a pressing lobby that is preoccupied with and promoted in various media and cultural media. In fact, it reflects an effort to standardize the world and impose a single vision of the world and the values ​​guiding human and social relations.

Thus, the broad audience from different countries can follow the event in an environment that they thought was a barren land, or that its people lived in a prehistoric situation.

So that the Arab environment and the Arab and Eastern people in general are a source of joy and a ground for the convergence of different races and species, with inspiring aspects of creativity, organization and hospitality.

All of this raises the view of a region not in the context of war, but rather in the context of football entertainment and pleasure, and it is known the impact of the magic of the ball on awareness in the present time.

But how can the previous justifications be read in a critical context that makes these considerations of organization an actual impact in the context of the East-West debate?

World Cup Qatar.. the bright cultural face of the Arabs

Refrain from promoting this demonstration by some, or evoking it as criticism, as it was unusual for countries and the media associated with them to deal with such an event.

As a divergence of the discussion from focusing on the capabilities offered by the "World Cup".

To bridge relations between peoples in an atmosphere of spectacle and sporting pleasure, to cultural and political debate;

Which leads to more self-sufficiency, and makes the world consist of closed cultural blocs and peoples who search for the causes of difference instead of being preoccupied with acquaintance and dialogue by all means and capabilities that would remove the tension inherited from decades of domination, colonialism, and control over the destinies of peoples. There is no political problem or crisis. Or a social life that the East lived in, except that a number of Western countries had a presence in it, just as there was no attempt at advancement, modernization or democratization but it was aborted in order to prevent independence in sovereignty and the national decision that paves the way for progress, and we may recall this approach in the following article.

As for the spread of homosexuality, it can be said that it has become like a pressuring "lobby" (gathering) that is preoccupied with and promoted in various media and cultural media. In fact, it reflects an effort to standardize the world and impose a single vision of the world and the values ​​guiding human and social relations, and before talking about the subject It can be said that this pattern eliminates the difference and pluralism in viewpoints, and the tendency towards totalitarianism in imposing cultural and identity choices on peoples and societies.

Eastern societies and the Arab elite need to approach the subject within a complex critical context that transcends the pitfalls of exaggeration in individualism that the modern system has produced. Politics and institutions, and this model that deals with a person’s vision of himself and the world should be practiced cognitive criticism in the circle of “identity” in its modern perspective, that is, in the context of “gender” (sex) research, as a victory for the complex and transcendent human being - according to the concept of El-Messiri - at the expense of the tendency of hegemony Produced by the market, and the market is a standardization and commodification tool that is concerned with profit and the gluttony of consumption, and not the teleological or ethical aspects of man and societies.

As for the talk that Qatar is a small country that hosted a global event, and that the East and Africa are not qualified to host such events, it can be said that in Qatar hosting the world football event, it carried with it the entire Arab conscience, and this is not a matter of enthusiasm;

As most Arab and African countries and peoples internalize and express the same position, especially since Qatar - as it appears from the good organization and the impact expressed by the public - has made the global sporting event a cultural one to introduce the East and bring the East closer to the world in a different way.

Everyone has come to view the event as a major demonstration on an Arab and Islamic land, and in a geography that has always been the home of conflicts, conflicts and wars. The influential forces in shaping the trends of public opinion - which feed on conflict and cultural and identities clash between human beings - try to point to the Arab and Islamic world as a source Violence, evil and extremism.

All of this now shows that there is nothing of it in the geography of the Arabs, rather they are narratives that circulate and are manufactured to serve other purposes, while the Arab and Islamic culture in its various manifestations not only now but throughout history carries within it the torch of tolerance and mercy for the world, because it emerged into a civilized and political existence. And the cultural one from the womb of the niche of prophecy and the discourse of mercy, and with the guidance and morals of the Arab Prophet in whom the Qur’an said (And we did not send you except as a mercy to the worlds).

And he said about himself, upon him be the best prayer and the purest delivery, “I was sent to complete the noble morals.”

And how beautiful it was that the honorable verse (O people, indeed We created you from male and female and made you and peoples and tribes so that you may know each other.

In conclusion, it has been shown, in fact, that raising issues of freedoms and rights, and implicit and public criticism of the East as a whole, implies a great misunderstanding of the East and its cultural and social components, and the pluralism and difference that it implies, just as calling for issues that are not at the core of sports leads to wasting the opportunities offered by the moments of global meetings. To get acquainted and provide the conditions for overcoming the latent crises and the remnants of the past centuries of Western colonial policies in the East and Africa.

East and West are relative categories on the one hand and updated on the other, but they deepen the division when one side of the equation invokes the other side, by raising topics laden with contempt or disparagement, or seeking to impose a model that contradicts its cultural choices and vision of itself and the world, which requires consideration of cultural reasons. Underlying these liminal visions, the research explores the possibilities of bridging the link between East and West rather than occlusivity or hegemonic endeavors.

It is strange that these visions have grown in contexts that believe in pluralism and difference. Rather, the world's trend towards a global trend has strongly restored issues of cultural specificities.

These aspects and questions related to the dichotomy of East and West, the universal and the local, will be the subject of the next article.