World Cup Musings

 

Image from Pixabay

Anis Albasha

As the cheers faded from the stadiums and the tournament finally came to an end, I found myself thinking about the World Cup from a different perspective. Far from the roar of the crowds, and equally far from the explosions and tensions that continue to haunt many parts of the world, a few reflections came to mind about the biggest sporting event on the planet.

The Annoying American Time Zone

Like hundreds of millions of others, I followed the World Cup with genuine excitement. The tournament, which kicked off in June and stretched over thirty-nine days, became the longest edition in World Cup history.

From the outset, however, one issue dampened the experience for many viewers: the match schedule. For the first time in thirty-one years, the Americas hosted football's greatest celebration again, forcing everyone outside the continent to rearrange their daily lives. Watching the matches meant embracing a rather punishing routine, with kickoffs often falling at one or even three o'clock in the morning.

Every time I forced myself to stay awake deep into the night or wake up before sunrise just to catch a match, I was reminded of a famous saying, often attributed to the renowned Egyptian journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, though I have never found definitive proof that he actually said it: "Our rulers set their watches to American time." This time, however, both rulers and ordinary people found themselves adjusting their clocks to American time, albeit for entirely different reasons.

Pay First... Then Watch

I belong to the generation that grew up watching World Cup qualifiers free of charge on national television, before FIFA decided, in 2002, to turn the tournament into a goose that laid diamonds rather than merely golden eggs.

I still remember the magic of those moments when people from every social class, rich and poor alike, gathered around those bulky box-shaped television sets with their modest cathode-ray screens, long before plasma and LCD displays became household fixtures. Nobody imagined that within just a few years football would evolve into a multibillion-dollar industry, or that watching the World Cup would become a privilege divided along economic lines, reserved largely for those who could afford expensive subscriptions.

Over time the situation became even more complicated. Broadcasting rights turned into a genuine headache for football lovers around the world. Here in Germany, for example, I cannot watch the matches through Arabic broadcasters because of licensing restrictions. Instead, I am limited to European subscription packages. Imagine witnessing a thrilling, emotionally charged match while listening to a commentator whose delivery is so restrained and detached that it feels less like sports commentary and more like the evening news.

Conspiracy or Commerce?

This World Cup generated endless debate. Allegations of favoritism, preferential treatment for certain teams, and attempts to steer particular nations toward the latter stages resurfaced once again. Predictably, conspiracy theories flourished, especially those surrounding the elimination of Arab and African teams.

Personally, I believe the issue is less about conspiracy than about commerce.

Once we recognize that billions of dollars circulate through advertising, sponsorships, betting markets, and the commercial value attached to particular stars and national teams, many of the lingering questions begin to answer themselves. The sense of injustice, the accusations of bias, and even the question of whether there is a conspiracy become less mysterious when viewed through the lens of financial interests.

Perhaps we understood the game too late. Some have only recently begun to realize that these dynamics did not suddenly emerge in the 2026 World Cup but had been developing long before. We simply failed to notice, perhaps because of the remarkable boldness with which some controversial decisions unfolded, especially after the highly disputed Egypt-Argentina match.

This is not, in my view, a conspiracy. It is business. Business driven by enormous financial calculations that pay little attention to the emotions of the billions who wait patiently every four years for football's greatest spectacle.

Reaching the Summit... and Knowing When to Leave

There is an old saying that reaching the top is not the hardest part; staying there is.

True wisdom lies in recognizing not only when one has reached the peak of success, but also when it is time to step away.

Nothing illustrated this better than Lionel Messi's career. After years of extraordinary achievement, he reached what many considered the perfect climax by leading Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title. It was a fitting conclusion, one that could have served as the ideal farewell.

Instead, he chose to continue. The reasons remain his own. Perhaps commercial considerations played a role, perhaps not.

Initially, events appeared to favor both Messi and his team despite the criticism and controversy surrounding them. Yet the final proved to be a different story. Faced with their toughest challenge, Argentina fell short. Messi, who had so often risen to the occasion throughout his career, was unable to impose himself on the match as he once did, and Spain emerged as deserved champions.

The disappointment did not end with the final whistle. Reports of physical confrontations involving members of the Argentine squad only reinforced the negative impression many spectators had already formed.

Success is a beautiful destination. But true greatness lies not only in reaching the summit, it lies in knowing when to leave it!

The Power of the Law: Ensuring Security and Safety in Society

 

the picture is from Pixabay website

Anis Albasha

When I walk around the streets of any German city, I am always amazed by certain sights that may go unnoticed by the people of the country but have a different impact on me as someone from a completely different culture. For example, it catches my attention that all shops, banks, and shopping centers, when working hours end, are closed only with glass doors, and anyone passing by can see everything inside. Yet, burglaries rarely occur, and there are few reports of attempted break-ins or damage to these glass barriers. In all the years I have lived here, I have not heard or read about a single burglary in the city where I reside.

Security Measures

There is also a scene that is worth mentioning, which is when a person wants to refuel their vehicle. They simply stop at any gas station, fill the car's tank themselves, then go to the attached shop and inform the employee of the pump number they used, and then they pay the required amount. There is no guard or employee monitoring or supervising the process. For those who may think of filling the tank and leaving without paying, the gas station management can easily refer to the surveillance cameras, identify the car's license plate, and inform the police, who will take appropriate action and ensure that the individual pays the fine as well.

Safety for Women

Another scene that caught my attention is when I see women and girls walking late in the neighborhoods and the streets, some of them riding bicycles or walking, but all of them are feeling safe. Women here can wear whatever clothes they want. No one has the right to judge them or try to harass them. However, incidents of harassment are almost non-existent, and women can freely and safely go out, walk, dress, and live as they want.

When it comes to traffic rules, I have noticed that the majority of people adhere to these rules and rarely break them.

Contrasting Societies

Are we talking about a utopian society? Absolutely not. Certainly, there are criminals, scoundrels, and violators of the law and rules in all societies. No city on this earth is inhabited by angels. I may just refer to the famous incident that took place in the American city of New York in the 1970s, when the power was cut off for only twenty-five hours, during which hundreds of acts of looting and vandalism took place.

Religion vs. Law

So, the question that arises here is: What makes some societies safer while others are not? Some may argue, especially those with an Eastern Arab background, that the answer lies in "religion." Those people believe that religiosity serves as a measure of peace and morality and works as a ‘safety valve’ of virtue. I don’t think that this is a correct perception. A simple comparison between religious societies - or those claiming to be religious - and the societies I am referring to, where there is peace and safety, in addition to people's dignity and rights being safeguarded, which advocates of the theory of religiosity describe as non-religious secular societies, is enough to show the difference.

What really ensures security and safety for every member of a society is the sovereignty of the law. However, the law, in its abstract and written form, is not enough to guarantee and protect people's rights and enforce justice. There must be respect for the rule of law as well as a practical enforcement of it that applies to all.

Equality and Fairness

What makes the law strong and respected in countries such as Germany, France, the United States, Canada, or Australia, is the fact that it does not differentiate between people and is not subject to mood swings, whims, or favoritism. The law in these countries is strict and applies to everyone without any exceptions, from the highest authority in the country to the smallest member of society. This is something that is sorely lacking in our Arab societies, where the law exists only on paper. But on the ground, there is no real enforcement of the law.

In Arab countries, people need "mediation" to get access to the law, and they need another "mediation" to enforce it. Regrettably, what prevails in Arab societies is the law of the jungle, where the strongest and those with influence and power prevail. The weak or vulnerable groups in these societies do not find justice or fairness in the law. On the contrary, the law there is actually used to intimidate and suppress those people.

In these societies where there is no law, when distressing incidents occur, it is the ruler or the king who might "graciously" issue orders to the concerned authorities to take the necessary measures and hold the perpetrator accountable.

However, if there were law enforcement in these countries, these authorities would carry out their duty regardless of the crime or the background of the perpetrators or victims. No presidential or royal directives would be required to achieve justice.

Respect and enforcement of the law are what make the shops here use glass facades when they close. It is what makes women walk freely in the street or lie on the seashore without fear. It is what makes drivers abide by traffic rules. It is because the law is always there and does not favor anyone or differentiate between people.

Conflicts, injustice, and infringement of rights exist in all societies. The only difference is that some societies enforce the law equally, while others impose the law only on vulnerable groups of society. What we need in our societies in order to feel safe and secure is first to have a law. And second, this law must be respected and imposed on everyone without exception, discrimination, or favoritism.

Does this mean that problems and crimes will then vanish and that peace, justice, and prosperity would prevail? Of course, no. But law enforcement is the real guarantee of people's safety and security. When there is a law that applies to everyone, people feel safe. And those who violate the rights and dignity of others will be held accountable and punished.

In addition to the importance of law enforcement, our societies are also in dire need of an independent and fair judiciary. This topic is of great importance and must be talked about, but it will be the subject of the next article.

Is the world on the brink of a nuclear war? And who will press the button first?

 

Image from pixabay.com 

Anis Albasha

In his famous poem "Fire and Ice" American poet Robert Frost spoke about the end of the world and whether it would be with fire or ice. In his poem, the poet inclined towards those who believed that the destruction of humanity would be with fire.

The recent events the world is witnessing seem to be moving towards realizing what the poet predicted in his poem, published almost a hundred years ago!

Since the beginning of the war that erupted between Russia on the one hand and Ukraine on the apparent side, and NATO behind the facade, in February last year, events have been moving at an accelerating pace, leading many to pessimistic scenarios, including the nuclear one.

The past few weeks have witnessed rapid events, such as the US providing Ukraine with "quality" weapons, Britain announcing its intention to deliver uranium-depleted shells to Ukraine, and shipments of modern tanks to Ukraine led by German Leopard tanks.

In response, Russia announced the deployment of "tactical" nuclear weapons in Belarus. A few days ago, there were also tense confrontations between America and China, represented in the establishment of new American military bases in the Philippines, Taiwan, and South Korea. The tension peaked when an American destroyer tried to penetrate Chinese territorial waters a few days ago, prompting the Chinese Ministry of Defense to move it away and issue an official statement condemning these American ‘provocations’

In light of these developments, talking about the use of nuclear weapons is no longer an exaggeration or speculation. Rather, the basic question regarding this point has changed from "can it happen?" to "when will it happen?". The whole world has begun to hold its breath with trepidation of the moment when one of the leaders decides to press the ‘button’.

The recent statement made by the former US President Donald Trump was an explicit expression of this concern when he said ‘that Americans need to pray after Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus!’

Days before Trump's statements, the Serbian president also expressed his fears frankly when he warned that the world was approaching a third world war. The Serbian president added that there was no end to the madness that was happening, which resembles the situations during the first and second world wars!

Unfortunately, with the passage of time, events are tending towards further escalation. Since the beginning of the confrontation with Russia, the United States has always been keen to emphasize that it would not provide Ukraine with long-range missiles, in order to avoid direct confrontation with Russia. However, the US position has changed now. Some Russian reports confirm that Ukraine has obtained quality missiles from the US, as well as other advanced weapons such as F-16 aircraft. Such measures have broken all the rules of engagement that have been agreed upon since the end of the World War II.

We should also not forget the other war that China and Russia are waging to reduce the dominance of the US dollar. This is a very serious and escalable issue. The United States certainly will not allow this to happen and to lose its most powerful weapon of sovereignty!

On the domestic front in Western countries that have long known peace and stability, things are not less tense. There is a wave of protests and demonstrations taking place in some European cities and capitals for various reasons such as inflation, high prices, decreased purchasing power, and problems in employment, health, and retirement sectors. Most of these issues are repercussions of the current war and conflict between Russia and the West.

All of these indicators point towards escalation and predict further deterioration and reckless rush towards the edge. Surely, no one wishes for the end of the world, but a close reading of events cannot rule out pessimistic scenarios. We must not forget that the leaders who are in charge are human beings, after all. Those leaders in charge are driven by purely human impulses, ambitions and fears. Therefore, impulsive decisions that may result from a moment of human weakness or despair cannot be ruled out, especially when it comes to “existential” fears.

We live in an era in which nuclear buttons have multiplied after they were monopolized by the two superpowers for a long time. Now there is a nuclear button in China, another one in North Korea, one in Israel, and perhaps by the end of this year, an "Iranian" nuclear button will be added to the list!

When Israel started its nuclear project, it called it "Machar HaKol" in Hebrew, meaning "Before Everything Is Lost," indicating that Israel would not use this destructive weapon against Arabs except when its existence is threatened. Just yesterday, Russia officially announced that the United States and the West pose an "existential" threat to the country. So, is the moment of pressing the nuclear button close?

In the poem I referred to at the beginning of the article, the poet considers the two possible ways the world might end: through fire, symbolizing the destructive power of passion, or through ice, representing the cold, calculating nature of hatred. However, humans have evolved and have also developed weapons of destruction. So, the poet's prophecy may come true. The fate of the world may be determined by a human decision that could result from "fiery" or "icy" emotions, but in any case, it will be destructive enough to cause the end of the world. Unless a miracle happens that can melt the layers of the burning Ice!