France's Olympic farce exposes racism and colonial attitudes

By Tariq Abdul-Wahad

Last week, athletes from around the world descended on Paris — the capital of a country one could mistake for a beacon of democracy. But we know better. We know France to be an ex-colonial superpower that hasn't aged well.

A morally dim country that is literally running low on resources; a country that believes in the elitism of "Frenchness" that only exists in its deluded mind. But it is precisely these delusions of grandeur that produce the racist, xenophobic policies that the country imposes on its citizens.

French Muslim women athletes are not allowed to wear head coverings while at the Olympic village or during their competitions. Why? Because France has failed its colonial project.

If only France was a humble country, it would look at the rest of the world and it would listen, watch and learn. But even as the world comes to its door, France will remain self-involved and likely miss the entire event.

Speaking about French Muslim women in athletics, Dr. Haïfi Tlili, sociologist researcher and co-founder of community activist group Basket Pour Toutes (Basketball for All), said, "They are invisibilised and de-humanised."

In the name of an extreme interpretation of secularism, French society has become very good at stigmatisation. It serves a dual purpose: first, the Muslim population becomes the lighting rod used by politicians to promote their new republican nationalistic spirit.

Second, it's a way for the disenfranchised population to feel like they belong in the French project. "If the Arabs and their Islam have it this bad, then I must not be at the bottom. Plus, I can always hate on them."

True colours

The reality is that France is in the midst of a political crisis. After President Emanuel Macron and his government lost the European parliament election to the far-right National Rally party, Macron dissolved the National Assembly, which triggered an immediate legislative election.

In this election, the National Rally party won the first round at the ballot box with a solid 33.21 percent. No less than 25 polls had the National Rally party winning this election with the absolute majority the following weekend.

The following week, the masks fell off and France revealed its disgusting racist face. Unhinged and confident bigots let their tongues lose in the media and on the streets with unbelievable racism of all kinds.

The victory of a party founded by World War two collaborators and Nazi sympathisers was converging on the French leadership. Some French people of non-white origin were physically attacked, while others feared for their future in the country.

The rhetoric was beyond toxic. One could say racism in France had morphed into its final form.

In a dramatic turn of events, dressed up as electoral gamesmanship, the left and the centre managed to block the far-right vote by respectively removing their third candidate in districts with three-way races.

The Leftist Coalition of the Green, the Communist, the Socialist, and "La France Insoumise" renamed "Le Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP)" won the most seats in the second round and prevented the far-right party from victory.

Though the right ultimately failed to prevail in elections, Macron showed with his gamble that he was willing to compromise the welfare of the people for the sake of his own ambitions.

France as a nation has long held pride in its mission to serve its people. Or at least, it used to. With Emmanuel Macron at the helm of the ship, it's been made clear that any progress France has made towards establishing itself as a democracy has crumbled.

Shifting goal posts

Recently, the usage of the third section of Article 49 of the French constitution has invited criticism, protests, and even riots at Macron's front door, and justifiably so.

This article allows the government to bypass parliament and force the passage of a law, without the need for a vote.

By invoking controversial measures like these (to pass a law about postponing the retirement age), Macron gives us a frightening look into the inner psyche of the government he has set up: a regime that prioritises political expediency and the rapid implementation of unpopular reforms rather than democratic processes and public consensus.

After Macron's party lost in a minor European Parliamentary Election, he did not have to dissolve the National Assembly.

Some argue the move was done to divert from this obvious loss; a dramatic dissolution would prevent the media from analysing that defeat. Yet after this dissolution, he suffered another loss with the win of the left-wing coalition.

His own party lost 84 seats in the process. Nevertheless, he pivoted, claiming that the left needed an absolute majority to form a government. An absolute majority his own centrist party did not have in 2022 when he named a new prime minister.

This desire to always win makes Macron move the goal post every chance he gets in order not to lose. The problem here is that one does not play with the will of the people.

It is a dangerous game to play in a country where arbitrary ruling has already led to a bloody revolution.

And the people will revolt, no matter how arrogantly the state chooses to crack down on those fighting for justice. We have seen this consistently through the banning of pro-Palestine rallies and protests in the French capital.

But the colonial veil is lifting; no longer will the people be silenced nor manipulated by the ruling elite.

The Olympic Games are testament to this fact, with both athletes and supporters carrying Palestinian flags as acts of resistance, including Olympic swimmers Valerie Tarazi and Yazan al-Bawwab.

These young people are the ones still honouring the credo of this nation: Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité. All the sons and daughters that France's ruling elite is fighting against – those who are disenfranchised, marginalised and targeted – are, in actual fact, the ones best equipped to face this new world. May they prosper and be successful.

The author, Tariq Abdul-Wahad was born Olivier Saint-Jean in France in 1974. He was the first French basketball player to be drafted and play in the NBA in 1997. Abdul-Wahid studied Art History at San Jose State University, and also holds a Masters in Sports Management. Upon his retirement from professional basketball in 2005, he has been particularly active in youth sports in the Bay Area region of California with ventures such as BlueSox Basketball and Norcal Performance Training. He also has spearheaded many projects focused around youth sports in France and Senegal. He is married to Khadija Ibn-Lahoucine and has three kids Amine, Hind and Anas.

Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints and editorial policies of TRT Afrika.

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