Team Canada's Journey to the Arab world - #WeCan by Jasmine Hawamdeh
Canada is participating in the World Cup for the first time in 36 years! It was a historic moment when the Canadian soccer team qualified for the 2022 World Cup - only the team's second time at the tournament.
Having been raised in Toronto, one of the most diverse cities in the world, international sporting events bring about memories of busy, bustling streets, buzzing in the air, and a sense of community. I've experienced the vibrancy of fluctuating emotions firsthand by watching games in Toronto's renowned neighborhoods, from Little Portugal to Koreatown or North York - home to an energetic Persian community, celebrations, and the love of sport unfailingly brings people together.
This year's world cup is currently taking place in Qatar. The gulf nation is the first Arab country to host the FIFA World Cup, and Qatar plans to showcase its culture, history, identity, and Arab hospitality.
In September 2019, the official symbol for the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 was unveiled. This design represents culture and traditions as the key components and pays tribute to the traditional woolen shawls worn by men and women in the Arab world. The popularity of the shawl represents a unifying force, similar to soccer. The emblem's design honours Qatar's heritage while capturing the idea of a world event that unites and engages everyone.
Like any global event or phenomenon, international criticisms are inevitable, and individuals have the right to critique and respond to current events. Since the announcement of Qatar as the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in 2010, hundreds of thousands of migrant workers, mostly of South Asian descent, have been brought into the Gulf nation to build venues in preparation for the World Cup. Qatar has a migrant labor force that comprises 95% of its total labor force and is often subjected to unjust working conditions. It is fair and essential to say that Qatar has a poor track record on migrant rights.
However, as of late, we have seen intensified negative coverage of the world cup, coupled with racist commentary about Arabs, Islam, and the Gulf nation. This includes headlines suggesting that fans were paid to appear and a French media outlet publishing a cartoon depicting the Qatari national team as terrorists. Qatar is not perfect. But, it is only right to ask individuals to be more nuanced in their critiques and to resist playing into racist tropes.
As an Arab Canadian, I am proud to be rooting for Team Canada while simultaneously being proud that the World Cup is being hosted in an Arab nation. Whether it’s through listening to Tukoh Taka (the official World Cup song), gathering with family over shisha and food to discuss the tournament, or cheering on for Team Canada, Qatar is providing Arabs who live in the diaspora the opportunity to celebrate our cultural heritage while rooting for the team nearest and dearest to our heart - team Canada.
Sports can take us to a place we've never been to, see beyond borders and colours, and come together for the love of the sport. I'll be rooting for the underdog this year, wearing red and white while singing along to Tukh Taka in Arabic.