Mesut Ozil quitting German national team shows racism is alive and kicking in football
Mesut Ozil sensationally quit the German national team with a series of official statements on social media citing racism as the reason for his sudden decision.
Ozil is a German footballer of Turkish descent; perhaps that is all that was required for him to be treated differently.
Ozil, in his announcement, came out with startling revelations of what he has gone through during the past weeks and that resonates with probably every immigrant out there. There have been many incidents recently of immigrants being chased out, or the troubles immigrants face while staying at their 'home'.
Ozil, on Sunday, questioned why he was the most criticised after Germany's 2018 FIFA World Cup debacle. Germany put up their worst performance at the World Cup since 1938. In Russia, it was only the second time in 80 years that Germany were knocked out in the first round.
However, Ozil was not criticised for his performance but "they just criticised my Turkish ancestry and respect for my upbringing. This crosses a personal line that should never be crossed, as newspapers try to turn the nation of Germany against me."
Ozil brought to light the double standards of people when it comes to discrimination.
Islamophobia is a term that perhaps every kid in every corner of the world is now aware of.
As a person who grew up in times when harmony was taught to us in schools and how none of us, as kids, even bothered to ask each other about our religions or caste or creed, I always felt that we were all similar people. What faith we followed did not really matter, did it?
Cut to the current times: the air is so different.
Even kids these days look at a man's head covered with a white skull cap and decide that the man is a Muslim.
Such knowledge about various religions is in stark contrast to how we used to distinguish people when we were kids.
This is about Islamophobia and religion, something that Ozil launched a scathing attack onto at in his statement.
"My friends Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose are never referred to as German-Polish, so why am I German-Turkish? Is it because it is Turkey? Is it because I'm a Muslim?" Ozil questioned.
After the beauty, togetherness, peace, grandeur and colour of the World Cup in Russia, this brings us back to reality. All the talks of unified existence and inclusive living — Is everything a farce?
Ozil pointed out that OPE president Reinhard Grindel was against "multiculturalism", since the time when he was a German member of Parliament.
What was such a person actually doing at a position of power? Does it actually shed light on the dual ideology we, as common people, live with?
"To you, Reinhard Grindel, I am disappointed but not surprised by your actions. In 2004 whilst you were a German member of Parliament, you claimed that ‘multiculturalism is in reality a myth [and] a lifelong lie’ whilst you voted against legislation for dual-nationalities and punishments for bribery, as well as saying that Islamic culture has become too ingrained in many German cities. This is unforgivable and unforgettable," Ozil stated.
Yet, such a man had the power to influence the German public.
Yet, the German media's words managed to turn people against the man who played a crucial role in them winning the World Cup just four years ago.
Yet, Mesut Ozil was struggling with his identity of a German national.
"As I have said before, criticising and abusing me because of family ancestry is a disgraceful line to cross and using discrimination as a tool for political propaganda is something that should immediately result in the resignation of those disrespectful individuals. These people have used my picture with President Erdogan (Turkish President) as an opportunity to express their previously hidden racist tendencies, and this is dangerous for society.
"They are no better than the German fan who told me after the game against Sweden "Ozil, f**k off you Turkish s**t, p*** off you Turkish pig!”
"I don't want to even discuss the hate mail, threatening phone calls and comments on social media that my family and I have received. They all represent a Germany of the past, a Germany not open to new cultures, and a Germany that I am not proud of," Ozil elaborated.
The three-tweet statement released by Ozil is detailed with his agony in the past weeks, the torture, the discrimination, the racism and the identity crisis he has been put under.
All for what?
Because he is a German national of Turkish descent? Speaks volumes about the world we are creating for ourselves.
From funding a footballing project for immigrants and less-fortunate at his school to being asked not to be seen in the school because he was apparently not a German anymore.
From being abandoned by his partners and be dropped off all promotional activities ahead of the World Cup to standing on that green grass wearing the jersey of country, whose people did not want him.
Who can now blame Ozil for a lacklustre show at the pitch? All that was going on behind the scenes was enough to isolate someone.
"In the eyes of Grindel and his supporters, I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose. This is because despite paying taxes in Germany, donating facilities to German schools and winning the World Cup with Germany in 2014, I am still not accepted into society. I am treated as being 'different'. I received the 'Bambi Award' in 2010 as an example of successful integration to German society, I received a 'Silver Laurel Leaf' in 2014 from the Federal Republic of Germany, and I was a 'German Football Ambassador' in 2015. But clearly, I am not German?"
This is not the first time when dual-nationalities have been abused in this manner.
Romelu Lukaku had come out and said, "When things were going well, I was Lukaku the Belgian striker...when they weren't going well, I was the Belgian striker of Congolese descent".
Karim Benzema had said, "When I score I'm French, when I don't I'm an Arab".
Not to mention how marginalised Zinedine Zidane was before he won France their maiden World Cup in 1998.
Recently, when France won their second World Cup and worldwide it was celebrated as an African win, the French were offended. These players were French after all. However, most of them had an African heritage. The question remains, can't they be both French and African?
"The treatment l have received from the OPE and many others makes me no longer want to wear the German national team shirt. I feel unwanted and think that what I have achieved since my international debut in 2009 has been forgotten. People with racially discriminative backgrounds should not be allowed to work in the largest football federation in the world that has many players from dual-heritage families.
"It is with a heavy heart and after much consideration that because of recent events. I will no longer be playing for Germany at international level whilst I have this feeling of racism and disrespect. I used to wear the German shirt with such pride and excitement, but now I don't.
"When high-ranking DFB officials treat me as they did, disrespect my Turkish roots and selfishly turn me into political propaganda, then enough is enough. That is not why I play football, and I will not sit back and do nothing about it.
"Racism should never, ever be accepted," Ozil concluded his statement.
And the world opened to discussions over immigrants, racism and all the troubles plaguing our existence, once again.
But... will that be enough?
Also read: Multiculturalism scores: Why inclusion is the biggest winner at the FIFA World Cup