The Arabs are very proud of the common factors that bind them together, in geography and history, and always affirm that these factors have left behind traditions and customs that differentiate them from the other peoples of the world! Sometimes, other nations even attribute to the Arabs “chauvinism” and the hatred of any competing side. If we examine the details of the Arab scene, you find that each country accuses, in turn, one country or another of “chauvinism,” in the sense of national fanaticism and not only the belief that one's country is better than other countries, but also the hatred of other countries. This appears at every encounter or competition between two Arab sides. It is not just about football games, as is now the case between Egypt and Algeria, before, during and after their deciding World Cup qualifying match, which took place in Sudan on Wednesday. The difference here is that football is a mass game in which Arab peoples find a refuge from their predicaments, and a space to hope that victory exists, after having given up hope on achieving victory in any other competitive arena (and if they do so, it is only rarely). If the Arabs used to be divided into progressive and reactionary states, then the states of steadfastness versus those of defeatism, they have now become the axes of moderation and resistance. Whether it is politics or sports, there are dozens of examples that reflect Arab trends of hatred and rejection of the victory or distinction achieved by any Arab side in a cinema, television or scientific competition. It has become natural for campaigns that promote doubt, accusations of subservience to foreigners or paying bribes to any Arab individual or country that wins in a regional or international competition. Meanwhile, we can still recall the attempts by Arab sides to prevent Arab groups or individuals from achieving any international win or victory. Some of us might see this description of the Egyptian-Algerian dispute and the relation between the two sides as a big exaggeration. Others believe it is nothing more than a football game in which one Arab side one, and the other lost, and that the reactions will end soon. Some believe that even in divided countries, football fans carry out acts of sabotage sometimes, if their team loses, and they support their teams using violent methods. Some of us might thank that the Arabs have a considerable ability to forget and that the Egyptians and Algerians will overcome the tribulation of the World Cup qualifier and become busy with the next Arab controversy. However, the World Cup lesson has revealed that the Arabs are distinguished at getting things mixed up, and mixing politics and sport, and terror, in a competition and attempt to prove to each other that the “issue” affects all of them. The scenes of Algerian fans burning the Egyptian flag in Algeria and Sudan shocked pan-Arab Egyptians who for many years have urged other Egyptians to retain their Arab identity. The scenes of burning and looting Egyptian companies in Algeria disgraced the Arab state system, which can no longer gain any benefit from aspirin, keeping it clinically dead without an official announcement of its demise. Egyptians residing in Algeria, as they screamed and pleaded for help on satellite television stations to be saved from the Algerians' attacks revealed how much Arabs are not safe in another Arab country, where sportsmen and politicians believe that reaching the World Cup is more important than pan-Arabism, and that attacking the citizens of the losing team's side is something to be proud of. The Algerian masses filmed the attacks against Egyptian “targets” in Algerian cities and broadcast them via the internet, along with other scenes from in and around the stadium: knives and swords raised “proudly” before the cameras. The situation of the Arabs remains dependent on a game of football or competition at a film festival or even a poetry festival, where poets compete with verse such as: “Glories, O Arabs,” while those in attendance might recall the verses of Nizar Qabbani: “I am no longer proud of my lineage…I have no brothers… I am innocent… I am innocent of you… I have declared… from the heart of blood… and will declare once again… the death of the Arabs.” These verses stay in memory, and it seems the time has come to announce them publically.
