Mahmoud Sarsak - Racism and politics in sport: What about the Palestinians?
inminds 23 June 2013
Tomas Rodriuguez Perez, Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, Piara Powar, Anwar Uddin, Mahmoud Sarsak (left to right)
On 17 June 2013, the eve of the final match in the European under-21 football competition controversially played in apartheid Israel, an expert panel explored the impact of politics and racism in football and the role of sport as a means for Palestinians to resist occupation.
The panel consisted of:
Mahmoud Sarsak, Palestinian footballer, former political prisoner and hunger striker
Piara Powar from the FARE network (European anti-racist football campaign)
Tomas Rodriuguez Perez, Football Beyond Borders
Hugh Tisdale, Philosophy Football
Anwar Uddin, ex-West ham footballer & Show Racism the Red Card
chaired by Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, Mahmoud Sarsak 2013 UK Tour
Organised by SOAS Palestine Society with Football Beyond Borders and the Mahmoud Sarsak UK Tour 2013 Support group
Video: Racism and politics in sport: What about the Palestinians?
00:00:00 Introduction - Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi
00:09:00 Hugh Tisdale
00:11:17 Tomas Rodriuguez Perez
00:19:52 Mahmoud Sarsak
00:49:00 Anwar Uddin
00:55:10 Piara Powar
01:05:00 Question Answer Session
01:23:05 Mahmoud Sarsak response to apartheid apologist
01:30:00 More Questions & Answers
01:34:14 Hugh Tisdale response
01:36:48 Tomas Rodriuguez Perez response
01:37:57 Piara Powar response
01:39:45 Anwar Uddin response
01:40:35 Mahmoud Sarsak response
01:49:25 More Questions & Answers
01:54:10 Ken Loach, British filmmaker (in audience)
02:00:20 Piara Powar response
02:04:46 Hugh Tisdale response
02:05:50 Tomas Rodriuguez Perez response
02:07:46 Anwar Uddin response
02:08:52 Mahmoud Sarsak response
02:17:35 Finish
Photos
Mahmoud Sarsak, Palestinian footballer, former political prisoner and hunger striker
Sarsak to zionist in SOAS audience:
"Palestine is for the Palestinians, don't dream on that you will continue with your colonisation and occupation. Palestine will be free from Safa to Haifa to.. we will return to all of these places and we will plant them with roses, then from Palestine we will spread peace to the whole of the world!"
Mahmoud Sarsak, Palestinian footballer, former political prisoner and hunger striker
Mahmoud Sarsak blasts away apartheid Israel apologist hiding in the audience
Hugh Tisdale, Tomas Rodriuguez Perez, Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, Piara Powar, Anwar Uddin, Mahmoud Sarsak (left to right)
Hugh Tisdale, Tomas Rodriuguez Perez, Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, Piara Powar, Anwar Uddin, Mahmoud Sarsak (left to right)
Hugh Tisdale, Tomas Rodriuguez Perez, Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, Piara Powar, Anwar Uddin, Mahmoud Sarsak (left to right)
Piara Powar from the FARE network (European anti-racist football campaign)
Anwar Uddin, ex-West ham footballer & Show Racism the Red Card
Hugh Tisdale, Philosophy Football
Tomas Rodriuguez Perez, Football Beyond Borders
Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, Mahmoud Sarsak 2013 UK Tour support group
Ken Loach, British filmmaker
Mahmoud Sarsak, Palestinian footballer, former political prisoner and hunger striker
Piara Powar from the FARE network (European anti-racist football campaign)
Mahmoud Sarsak, Palestinian footballer, former political prisoner and hunger striker
Hugh Tisdale, Philosophy Football
Piara Powar from the FARE network (European anti-racist football campaign)
Mahmoud Sarsak, Palestinian footballer, former political prisoner and hunger striker
Hugh Tisdale, Philosophy Football
Piara Powar from the FARE network (European anti-racist football campaign)
Mahmoud Sarsak, Palestinian footballer, former political prisoner and hunger striker
Tomas Rodriuguez Perez, Football Beyond Borders
Hugh Tisdale, Tomas Rodriuguez Perez, Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, Piara Powar, Anwar Uddin, Mahmoud Sarsak (left to right)
"Its important to choose a strategy that doesn't end up diverting attention from the issue.. the other side wants nothing more than to divert attention from what the record shows, what the human rights record shows, what the UN record and so forth - they don't want to talk about that because once they start talking about that they loose. They'd rather talk about anti-Semitism, the Nazi holocaust - anything accept Israel and Palestine. With that in mind you have to be careful that you don't embark on a tactic which is going to end up diverting people from Israel-Palestine.. You don't' want to choose grey areas, you always want to choose black and white areas where there is no room for discussion, where there is no room for debate. This is black and white: World Court decision [wall and settlements illegal] 14 to 1. Human rights issues - Amnesty says Israel tortures, Human Rights Watch says Israel tortures, B'Tselem says Israel tortures, everyone says it - its black and white. And the other side has to end up with some ridiculous proposition as Professor Dershowitz put it 'they're all lying'."