Though the class is over, I thought I’d post a couple more links that I ran across yesterday. All Things Considered on NPR conducted an interview with Tariq Ramadan after the US State Department lifted his ban on travel earlier this year. In it, he discusses his views on Islam in relation to US and European policy and politics. He makes many references to the current veil issues in France and, interestingly, makes a pointed argument that the veil argument is but a cover-up by right-wing French politicians to mask the still ongoing issues in the banlieues.
Also, I posted a link to a short article from the New York Times on Shanghai’s World Expo. Similar to the colonial expo of France (minus the colonial part), China is putting on a multinational show that is projected to be bigger than the olympics for the country.
NPR Link
NYT Link
I ran across an old article a few days ago about the 2006 French football team. The article provides a good overview of the controversies over multiculturalism of the French team and provides a number of perspectives from French citizens and players. It also dives into the stereotypical “black, blanc, beur” characterization of the team, and Finkielkraut’s controversial quote saying that the team was, in fact, “black, black, black.” A good read to get a background on the more modern issues of minorities in soccer.
Washington Post Article
In addition to the Washington Post article, there is a link to a Time article below showing the effects of xenophobia and racism on football at the national and club levels. Though it was focused on the actions of Barca player Samuel Eto’o, it touches on the international nature of the problem. Indeed, prior to Fifa’s work with the local football federations, the ape chants and other antics were worse than they are currently.
Time Article
Empire and Its Contemporary Legacies
