While most Germans were thrilled at the victory of their national team over Ghana at the World Cup 2010, a small group of right-wing observers were in mourning. You see, the star player on the team - and the one who scored the winning goal - is Mesut Ozil, a young German of Turkish background. And worse than being a Turk, in their eyes, is the fact that Ozil is an observant Muslim. The German team this year reflects a new "multi-cultural" Germany hated by the German right. Ozil is the latest star addition to an increasingly diverse German line-up. But although the names sound exotic, Sami Khedira, Mario Gomez, Jerome Boateng, and Dennis Aogo are all the sons of German mothers and immigrant fathers - Tunisian, Spanish, Ghanaian and Nigerian respectively.
Writing in the right-wing libertarian magazine eigentümlich frei, Ronald Glaeser is depressed by Mesut Ozil's success:
Der gebürtige Türke singt nach eigener Aussage die Nationalhymne nicht mit, sondern betet Koranverse, wenn die Melodie gespielt wird. Tolle Integration ist das.
(The Turkish-born Ozil (note: he was born in Gelsenkirchen in 1988 -DV) admits that he doesn't sing along with the national anthem - and recites verse from the Koran as the melody is played. Great example of integration. )
Others cannot get over the fact that Mesut Ozil has a beautiful German girlfriend who converted to Islam. The online hate forum Die Grüne Pest has a long thread dealing with this "abomination". Of course, the hate blog Politically Incorrect also weighs in on the matter:
Aber wer – außer ein Moslem – erwartet so einen Schritt vom Partner?
(Who, besides a Muslim, would expect his partner to do this?)
While the right-wing Germans are upset at the success of Muslim players, their American cousins over at Alternative Right celebrate the superiority of white soccer players. The losses by the teams from Africa in the World Cup "prove" that "black men can't kick."
Please, keep us updated on US-Amerika getting kicked out by Ghana in the quarter finals.
Posted by: Bushama Hussein | June 28, 2010 at 04:09 AM
Bushama,
I'm surprised your mother let you stay up to watch the match.
Ghana played better and deserved to win, but the US team needn't hang their heads in shame - they had a terrific tournament.
Posted by: David | June 28, 2010 at 08:20 AM