Following last week’s farcical World Cup draw, now that Gianni Infantino has had his tongue surgically removed from Donald Trump’s fat arse, we can now concentrate on the Main Event: the designated Pride match between Egypt and Iran to be held in Seattle. The whole event will be a celebration of the LGBTQ community and what better match to choose than the one between two countries where homosexuality is illegal.
The Egyptian football federation was straight out of the blocks in their objections to the Pride match, saying it did not want to be associated with celebrations that “directly contradict the cultural, religious and social values … in Arab and Islamic societies”. Iran, where the age-old tradition for dealing with homosexuality is throwing people to their death off tall buildings raised “objections against the issue”. Let’s cut through the crap and translate their comments into every day language, so what they are saying is this: “We are ignorant and bigoted religious fanatics who follow ancient superstitious texts that were made up by a bunch of illiterate goat-herders during times when no one knew what was going on. Alluha Akbar!”
Seattle probably didn’t have it in mind that their Pride game would feature two countries noted for extreme homophobia, but I think it’s quite funny that there are no plans to move the celebration – because that is what it is supposed to be – to a game between a couple of less backward countries. Not only that, Rainbow flags and other paraphernalia will be allowed into the ground and there is the delicious prospect of the Mad Mullahs in Iran watching their TVs only to see representations of what is the greatest sin of all: homosexuality. (Actually, that’s not true. They hate women, too; even straight women. It’s so hard to keep up these levels of sheer stupidity.)
Normally, I would have no interest in watching a game between Egypt and Iran. It wouldn’t be the modest quality of the football that would put me off, but more my objections to religion-based countries, especially bigoted religious countries like Egypt and Iran. Hell, I won’t even go on holiday to a Muslim country so there is no reason for me to reverse a rare stance of principle on my part when it comes to this Pride game. But it is the fact that FIFA has chosen the most unlikely and inappropriate teams for the match makes it far more likely I will watch it, if only to smirk immaturely at the unsettling effect it will be having on the Ayatollahs and Imams, especially when those Pride flags come into view. If I lived in Seattle, I’d move Heaven and Earth (well, Earth anyway since that’s the only one of the two which exists) to get a ticket, turning up to the game a vision of pink and Pride colours.
As an atheist and secularist, I simply don’t cart around all the hate that appears to exist in the heart and souls of so many people with faith. I love nearly everyone. That’s why I find it so odd, and even sad, that the bigoted Mullahs in Iran can’t set aside, or even just modernise, their “cultural, religious and social values” to take account of a world that we now better understand as a result of science.
God is not great, particularly the imaginary character some call Allah. And let’s rub the noses of the fans of the so-called “final prophet” by having the best ever Pride event in Seattle during the next World Cup. I don’t know about keeping politics out of sport, but religion? That would make far more sense.
