After Morocco beat Spain to achieve the quarter-finals, their gamers got here collectively for a staff {photograph}. Most of them have been draped of their purple flag which has a inexperienced interlaced pentagon. But earlier than they may pose for images, they unfurled one other Palestinian flag. Similar flags representing the disputed land have been flown within the stands as properly. The purple tricolor flag alongside the black, inexperienced, white tricolor has been a standard sight at this World Cup, so ubiquitous that you simply would possibly assume Palestine is among the 32 World Cup taking part in nations.
This is the thirty third nation, says Abdel Saleh, a Palestinian who has lived in Qatar for twenty years. “Our nation might not be taking part in within the World Cup, however our trigger is on folks’s minds. I’m very joyful that your entire Arab world has united for us and is giving a message on the largest platform on the planet. Maybe someday we will play within the World Cup. Maybe, someday we could be a utterly free nation, a land of peace, because it was,” he says.
The Palestinian flag will also be seen exterior the stadium. They flutter from the roofs and balconies of homes, from the home windows of vehicles and close to the shutters of retailers. Men and ladies come to the sector carrying armbands and bracelets studying “Save Palestine”.
You can see hijabs and scarves within the inexperienced, white, purple and black colours of the Palestinian flag. Some males have been seen carrying keffiyehs within the colours of the flag, though Palestinian males typically don’t put on conventional Arabic head-dresses. In the stands, you might hear chants: “Save Palestine, peace, peace, Palestine…”
Those waving flags and chanting usually are not simply Palestinians – an estimated 50,000 refugees are settled in Qatar – but additionally from different Arab nations, Latin America, South Asia and Europe. During the Tunisia-Australia match, a fan entered the pitch waving a Palestinian flag. When Israeli forces executed 5 Palestinians late final month, Arabs stood up and stated, “With our souls, with our blood, we will sacrifice for you, O Palestine.”
The common assist overwhelms Saleh. “It has additionally turn into our World Cup. This is the victory of our nation.
The Palestinian trigger has turn into one of many main themes of the World Cup, though FIFA has banned the usage of banners, flags and fliers which might be political, offensive and discriminatory in nature. So it learn: “Propagating or announcing political or religious messages or any other political or religious actions in any manner, inside or in the vicinity of the stadium, before, during and after matches is strictly prohibited.” is prohibited,” the FIFA guidelines say. ,
There was controversy over captains carrying rainbow armbands, and when some took an oath to put on them, FIFA threatened to slap yellow playing cards. An Iranian lady was dragged out of the stadium as a result of she waved anti-government banners.
Among the pro-Palestinians, you may see plenty of youngsters chanting slogans and waving flags. “We must cross on our historical past and tradition, train them about our identification whereas they’re younger in order that they hold preventing for our trigger. It is rather like that. Instead, my grandfather used to inform me tales of the hardships of fleeing my homeland.” He additionally harbors a secret dream. That his six-year-old son, Amal, turns into a footballer and performs for Palestine within the World Cup.
Incidentally, FIFA, soccer’s governing physique, has acknowledged the nation and it has additionally performed qualifying rounds for World Cup qualification, though the United Nations has but to simply accept the nation as a full member.
“It is unlucky, however we will solely battle for our rights and anticipate the day once we will likely be utterly free. We are affected person folks, we’ll battle, and someday we can return to our nation, says Odeh, whose grandparents fled Jaffa within the Fifties.
Odeh teaches physics in a public college, however most of them are in enterprise, principally eating places and wonder salons. They all have common get-togethers and can inevitably meet on Nakba Day, 15 May, to honor the Palestinians who fled the nation the day after Israel’s Independence Day.
“We are a close-knit group, we assist one another quite a bit. We are peaceable and joyful in Qatar, however we’re nonetheless exiles, and we want to settle within the place we name our homeland,” Saleh says.
Perhaps, in no different World Cup has a rustic’s trigger been so distinguished. And Saleh, like thousands and thousands of Palestinians in exile, believes their world will quickly change. And on Saturday, when Morocco face Portugal within the quarterfinals, anticipate some Palestinian flags to fly alongside Morocco’s.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
