THE DREAM OF HUMAN EQUALITY
The weekly “Hook to the Liver” columns by WBC President Jose Sulaiman is published in El Universal every Sunday. Translated from Spanish:
By Jose Sulaiman, President of WBC.
I have always believed what a friend of mine once told me - that in Mexico we have a double moral standard in the media where there is great coverage against crime and violence, but when crime is attacked by government, the media also attacks them. apparently for stepping on human rights.
It happened in what is the daily attention today in the world, soccer in South Africa, when at the inauguration of the World Cup, Mexico had a draw 1-1 with the home team; Mexico had absolute domination on the field in the first half, when they missed four or five goals, when missing was more difficult than scoring, but in the second half we saw an awakening of the local team with its speed, the crowd of 100,000 behind them, and the big customary pressure mainly against the visiting team, as it happens in inaugural games when you play against the home country team.
However, once again, the Mexican media spoke highly about the Mexican team, criticized Mexico for playing well, but not knowing how to score. Still
While,I know little about soccer, I predict that Mexico will defeat France and Uruguay, and qualify as the first in its group.
Like all Mexicans, I cheer for Mexico to win, but if it doesn’t, I was very happy with the draw with South Africa, the country of my hero and friend, Nelson Mandela.
It was under under the guidance amd light of Nelson Mandela, the WBC struggled for more than 20 years, and will continue to do so, against apartheid and racial discrimination, the most shameful act of inhumanity; the same that happened with a blind race under the tyrant Hitler, who tried to impose the superiority in discriminating against other races.
South Africa has been deep in my heart since the first day of my election as President of WBC in Tunis, back in 1975, when , in my first action as WBC president, I expelled South African boxing from the organization until the time that apartheid disappeared, the reason for which we humbly received an award of recognition from the United Nations in New York in 1982 for our leadership in sports for human dignity.
Back to Johannesburg at the World Cup, I cannot express the admiration and happiness that I felt with the people today in absolute freedom, with all races sitting together in the stadium, loudly expressing their support to the South African team, that it was not theirs before.
The heroic spirit of Nelson Mandela that is vested in South Africa,Very sadly the great man suffered the loss of of a great granddaughter because in an accident that occurred on the same day as the opening of the World Cup.
The struggle against racial and social discrimination has been the torch that has enlightened my life and my leadership in the WBC, as boxing has been one of the most discriminated sports ever, mainly in many countries of the first world.
At the beginning of the 20th century Battling Siki, the first African world champion ever, was murdered with shots go the back of his head in a New York alley.
Wth no one ever making even an attempt at investigating the murder, it was the WBC which located him, decades later, in a common burial ground and gave him a Christian funeral and later sent his remains to his native country, Senegal, with the help of the UN, a huge number of people received him like a hero.
You can not forget either one of the greatest heavy weight champions of all time, Jack Johnson, who was punished by a court of law in North America for his relations with a white woman, as a message from the judge to all black people at the time; nor can you put aside the unbelievable law of apartheid when black boxers could fight against a white boxer only by being an honorary white during the day of the fight.
WE should, also, not forget when Muhammad Ali threw his Olympic gold medal into the river in Louisville, Kentucky, when he felt that society did not see him as a sports hero, but only as a black man..
O could quote countless cases that would mean little today when the world is engrossed in this the 21st century, the river of blood flowing on the streets of the world in wars between brothers of human livings.
I grew up in an area of Mexican Indians, with whom we practiced the interchange of the products that they used to bring every Sunday from the mountains, in an environment of friendship and equals.
When my father owned a store of shoes and clothing. I felt their enormous courageous hearts, their nobility, loyalty to their people, their quiet and respectful behavior, as well as their faith to the Church. They are the donors of the blood of the valiant heart of lions of the Mexican fighters.
May the future of the world bring to all of them all that they deserve for being the authentic owners of this beautiful land, with the respect and recognition of our government and society.
May the discriminatory attitude and racial and social differences disappear from the earth, just as it was preached by Jesus Christ before his crucifixion; Jesus was discriminated against and crucified by an ancient savage government - which shall remain for ever and ever, as long the mental attitudes of human beings do not change. ~