My hope for France at the Euro 2016 and after
“One sees clearly only with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eye, “said the little prince from St Exupéry.
Paris, June 2016
Name: Serge Aurier
Occupation : PSG’s left back, hailed as one of the best in Europe.
Coming out of a night club.
He, a pal and two girls.
The voiturier brings the Porsche’s
“Here are the keys Mr. Aurier”
As the song says, “tonight is gonna’ be a good night”
The police come to them and, somehow, Mr. Aurier gets arrested.
No sexy after party but rather the hardness of the floor of a police station cell.
The affair is still under investigation but it begs an obvious question
Why?
Why would you put yourself in trouble when you’re evening is set?
Did he quote Booba to the policemen “Only your grandmother the prostitute doesn’t know who I am”.
Please allow me to explain what crime Mr. Aurier committed. He is black.
A crime that offers sometimes in very high definition: bitter and incredibly unjust hate.
A bestial feeling which, the policemen probably dressed in his sad mind, as doing his job, profiling with the aim of making Paris a safer place.
Another sad episode of the usual unconscious racism that lurks in our societies.
This episode exemplified unconscious and active racist.
One of the most structuring force of social interractions, moral and judgments.
Showing its might to Serge Aurier and reminding to him and all that, even if he had won the Champion’s League, he would be no more than a suspicious “négre”. — French for nigger.
Speaking of Champions League let me introduce you to one of its most recent winner:
Name: Karim Benzema
Occupation: Real’s Madrid Striker
With no debate, one of the best French strikers of all time, boasting two Champions Leagues and striving in the best club of the world, Real Madrid. Also, more crucially, the current top scorer for the French national team.
Despite impressive statistics, Benzema is the ill-loved of the French public, they criticize his lack of love for the French jersey that, he doesn’t sing the “national anthem” or not enough, that he does not score goals or not enough and will show treasure of creativity to criticize.
They — the so-called fans — will distort the truth in order to justify their hate.
Unlike Aurier’s situation, it is not prejudice that comes as an extension of deep seated hatred.
It is rational, conscious and deliberate choice to ignore the truth in order to express racism which has no more reason to be hidden.
The case of Benzema is a case study of how Europe is dangerously slipping down a path that we all know.
It exemplifies that racism which was held in check in the gutter of people’s mind is free and welcome on Sunday’s brunch.
Yet again, a betrayal of the French republican ideal and of the “Sport Compromise. This idea that, if you are a tanned son of immigrant, you are hopeless but you can use sport as a way of achieving an elusive place in the society.
What Benzema’s case says is the opposite, that even if one wins the highest prizes in Football, it will not be enough.
It also shows that people are ready to shoot themselves in the foot by not having one of the finest strikers on board.
I really wish France wins the Euro despite all that and also, despite knowing that it will not change or appease anything.
It will be the usual “not enough”.
May be I am just hoping that Marianne is not dead after all.
