It's only a game
by Ahmed Tharwat

While Americans are fixated on the TV image of ‘democracy-on-demand' in Iraqi election, lots of Arab-Americans were transfixed on the biggest sporting event of the season, watching soccer on demand; the FIFA World Cup that is taking place in Japan this week. This is the first time that two Arab soccer teams had made it into the final super six.

Since coming to live in the U.S. 28 years ago, I haven't watched an entire Egyptian soccer game. Egyptian soccer had become like almost anything else in Egypt, mediocre at best, provincial and hyper-emotional at worst; however, in the last two years, the Egyptian club team, the Colt of the Arab world soccer; El-Ahly never losing a game in the last two years, whether playing in the Arab or the African Leagues.

Spurred on by the thought of a significant change in Egyptian soccer, a few of my compatriots and I here in the Twin Cities got together to see the “Al-Ahly”, play their opening game. The game was aired at 4 a.m. our time on Fox Soccer Channel (FSC), which I don't subscribe to. Undaunted, our group decided to watch it ‘live' and test my old passion of soccer. I never thought I would wake up that early for anything short of a fire in the bedroom or the dawn prayer.

However, a call from my soccer fanatic friend at 3 a.m. did the trick. Fearing the acquisition of being crazy by my wife, I sneaked out without waking her up as our dog Oliver immediately moved to my warm spot taking my place. Outside in the cold I quietly waited for my ride to go and see the game with a few Egyptian friends in Fridley .

I wondered how many people are actually now up to see the game. It is a lonely feeling for a soccer fan in a country that consumes sports as religion. Driving on Hwy 694 at 3:30 a.m. with other Arab friends listening to the strong voice of the Egyptian diva Um-Kalthum blasted from the car radio, we cracked Egyptian jokes and laughter that quickly spread through the fresh clean, crisp Minnesota winter air. We were not the typical Arab sleepers, we were wide-awake Arabs! Who could only share their joy with the only thing was up that morning; the bright stars in the deep dark horizon.

Then a compelling idea presented itself to me disturbing our rousing soccer party: what if a Highway Trooper stopped us now and we had to explain him/her that all this commotion and laughter in the car doesn't really involve alcohol or drugs, Would s/he buy the story that the four of us were just driving at 3:30 a.m. so we could see the renowned Egyptian soccer team Al-Ahly playing in the World Club Cup live from Japan?

I asked my friend we better slow down a little and all of us to keep quiet; we just couldn't explain to anybody let alone an angry Trooper what four Arab men were doing in the car, or where we were going that early in the morning.

Guided by the sin city ( Las Vegas ) mantra, I pleaded with my Egyptian friends “Whatever happens here, stays here!”... it is only a game.

Ahmed Tharwat is a guest contributor for PersianMirror from St. Paul, Minnesota. He is the Producer and host of Belahdan, an Arab-American TV show. For more, visit www.belahdan.com.
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It's only a game by Ahmed Tharwat

It's only a game
by Ahmed Tharwat