Multi-culti World Cup?

By Guest Contributor Hira Nabi

As the 2010 FIFA World Cup nears its’ end, we begin to look at the undercurrents of the tournament, held for the first time at the African continent, in South Africa, and the continued crossing-over of sports pop culture – spanning over languages, borders, time zones in search of markets and audiences. Take Coca-Cola’s World Cup “anthem,” K’naan’s “Wave Your Flag.”(Not to be confused with FIFA’s jingle, Shakira’s “Waka Waka.”)

There were six different versions of the song released and aired during the event, each featuring K’naan and the same cheering crowds, bright colours, contagious excitement, obligatory celebration of nationalism and of course, all of them celebrate “the” flag.  But the flag in each was different: K’naan collaborates with Nancy Ajram to produce the Arabic version, with David Bisbal to produce the Spanish version, with Jacky Cheung and Jane Zhang for the Chinese version, with Féfé for the French version, and, last but not least, teamed up with Skank on a Portuguese version for Brazil.

It gets better! There’s an Alvin & the Chipmunks version, even.

This “official” World Cup version, which seems to have been taken up by everyone, is a compromised, co-opted, Coca-cola-ized version of the original. The original lyrics speak more to struggle against poverty and violence, in pursuit of freedom. Were they too real for the World Cup?

I’m fundamentally against flags and the problematics they posit. I’m against the usage of flags to whip entire populations into a jingoistic hyper-exclusive frenzy. It is dangerous to attribute so much emotion to fluttering pieces of cloth or paper, especially when imbued with ripe emotion and ego. Flags have in recent times become markers of gauging national pride; public sentiment declares that whoever doesn’t hoist the national flag on Independence Day, or some other day of national celebration or during moments declared as national crisis, is not supporting the nation. Those who do are celebrated for their loud visible, albeit unimaginative commitment to the nation. The flag needs to be recovered from this simplistic binary of exhibition and absence.

However, before attempting to reclaim the flag, certain fundamental questions must be asked and answers or further questions must be sought and examined. Who does the national flag of a nation really represent? Who does it serve and protect? Who does it actively and passively reject? How many people can actually claim ownership of a flag that claims to represent them? In conflicted times, the flag represents a determined conviction in ‘We, the People.’ The tireless question remains though – who are these people?

Watching FIFA 2010 matches for the past several weeks has most certainly been ironic: different lineups for different teams, wearing national colors, roused by flags – a celebration of multiculturalism is what the sponsors would have us believe. The matches have shown USA being represented on the field mostly by men of colour, of African-American and/or Latino heritage, Britain and France being represented by men of African descent, Germany’s side being carried by Turkish starters and one man of African descent. Is this the end result of “nationalism” in a transnational world, where some of the best players of western countries are migrants and/or minorities?

One will note that in some of the national Western teams such as England, France, Switzerland, USA, etc. the player lineups are ethnically, racially and religiously diverse, indeed representative of immigration patterns to the Western Hemisphere. While the player lineups are heralded as the success of multiculturalism, one must consider the repressive immigration laws and fear of immigration groups’ inability to assimilate as a real threat to paralyzing any kind of significant integration. Which communities based upon their nationalities, ethnicities, races, and religions are being included under the fold of the flag and which are being excluded?

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