As pro-democracy protests continue to rock the Middle East, sporting events across the region are being affected. Most prominently, Formula One’s season opener, the Bahrain Grand Prix, was canceled, with thousands of protestors occupying the central square in the capital, Manama.
F1 officials cited security concerns in choosing to cancel the Bahrain event, but have left open the possibility of rescheduling the grand prix for later in the season, when and if things quiet down. In smaller news, FIFA and the African football federation, CAF, have rescheduled matches slated for North Africa, especially in Egypt and Tunisia.
As my colleague Tom Taylor opined last week, the events in the Middle East engender questions of how well these countries can pull off global sporting events, like an F1 race or the FIFA World Cup (which is headed to Qatar in 2022). However, I think FIFA, Formula One and other global sporting entities should seize the opportunity to use the power of their sports and make an unequivocal statement in support of democracy, aligning themselves with the protestors’ aims.
Before I go further into explaining this position, I must rebuke the argument that sports have to constantly strive to be de-politicized, and have to stay away from politics at all times. Sure, international sports federations should try to be impartial and not meddle in politics most of the time, but sometimes, extraordinary circumstances warrant intervention.
We also cannot ignore the political implications of sports, and the fact that they are often used to make political statements. The reason the F1 race in Bahrain was canceled was because the protestors explicitly targeted it. China made a political statement with the 2008 Olympics in Beijing; Brazil will make a statement with the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics; and (more nefariously) Hitler attempted to demonstrate Aryan superiority at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but was embarrassed by Jesse Owens’ victories. Sporting federations themselves have also made statements in the past, most famously by excluding South Africa from most international competitions during the apartheid era.
The main organization that can have an impact is FIFA. Soccer is undoubtedly the global game, and the World Cup is the world’s most watched sporting event (no, it’s not the Super Bowl). The organization has also gotten a lot of criticism lately from the sporting press for awarding the next two World Cups to authoritarian regimes, so now would be a good time to burnish its credentials by joining Middle Eastern protestors in demanding a representative form of government.
Part of the reason that FIFA can and should make this statement is that it is basically untouchable. No national soccer federation will ever withdraw from it—to do so would shut a country out completely from international competition. People aren’t going to stop playing soccer anytime soon, either. Even national governments don’t have this kind of power, but instead of using it, FIFA is simply failing to comment on the situation. Of course, FIFA has been happy to cash checks from authoritarian governments before, and is keeping out of the fray to ensure the continued flow of money.
Formula One, the global auto racing circuit, is also failing to take advantage of its chance to push real democratic change. At a minimum, F1 could have canceled the Bahrain Grand Prix unequivocally for this season, as a token of support for the protestors; instead, it has left open the possibility of the event returning to the country once it stabilizes. Throughout the whole affair, Formula One has treated the deaths of protestors and the actions of the government as a large inconvenience, publicly bemoaning the financial hit it will take from having to start its season a couple weeks later.
Not supporting democracy is one thing, but F1 is showing contempt for the basic human right to not get shot by your government, all in the interest of making a quick buck.
Come on, guys. That’s just cold.
Kabir Sawhney is marching with protestors in various Middle Eastern countries. Send him your best wishes at [email protected].