THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary - July 25, 2018 - Topic 2

Özil’s burden: on quitting Germany football team

Mesut Özil’s withdrawal from the German football team on Sunday came as a shock to many. One of the most gifted midfielders of his generation, Özil has been a mainstay of the Die Mannschaft — as the national squad is called — for almost a decade, as his 23 goals and 40 assists from 92 appearances attest. But when he released an explosive statement, with a declaration that he could no longer wear the German shirt with “pride and excitement” because of “racism and disrespect”, it caused many a football fan to shudder. 

The turn of events has its roots in Özil and fellow footballer İlkay Gündoğan meeting Turkish President Recep Erdoğan in London and presenting him with shirts just before the World Cup. Both Özil and Gündoğan are Germany-born players of Turkish origin and their act was perceived as an endorsement of the Turkish leader, who is widely derided for leading his country down the path of autocracy with rampant human rights violations. Germany’s surprise first-round exit from the 2018 World Cup in Russia produced a convenient brickbat to target Özil with, and it was compounded by the vitriol directed at him. From DFB (German Football Association) president Reinhard Grindel to the legendary skipper Lothar Matthäus to sections of the media, the Arsenal playmaker spared no one as he alleged they had “disrespected his Turkish roots” and “selfishly turned [him] into political propaganda.”

The episode has unravelled at a time when Germany is at a crossroads — over whether to move forward and forge a more cosmopolitan, open society or retreat into its nationalistic past. Özil, apart from his immigrant background, is a practising Muslim, and when Germany won the 2014 World Cup he was the poster boy of the DFB’s efforts to make football inclusive. That one international failure — which could be explained purely in footballing terms — can lead to such a vile debate clearly indicates the fault lines. “I am German when we win, but an immigrant when we lose,” lamented the 29-year-old. To have his loyalty questioned even after he gave up his Turkish passport in order to play for Germany must have been distressing. However, Özil has unwittingly walked into an unnecessary controversy over a sensitive issue. Meeting President Erdoğan may have been “about respecting the highest office of his family’s country”, but he should have been mindful of the fact that Germany and Turkey shared a tenuous relationship, with the Turkish President having accused Angela Merkel’s government of being stuck in Germany’s Nazi past. And when a minister in the Turkish Cabinet termed Özil’s move to quit as the “most beautiful goal against the virus of fascism”, it hit Germany where it hurt the most. When Özil said he had “two hearts, one German, one Turkish,” he was attempting a delicate balancing act, favouring integration — a cherished modern-day value — over assimilation. Little did he expect that it would be so rough a ride.

Vocabulary

Mainstay: a thing on which something else is based or depends.

Example: Farming is the mainstay of the rural economy

Synonyms: central figure, centerpiece, prop, linchpin, cornerstone

Appearance: the way that someone or something looks.

Example: I like the appearance of stripped antique pine

Synonyms: look, air, aspect, mien

Explosive: able or likely to shatter violently or burst apart, as when a bomb explodes.

Example: An explosive device

Synonyms: volatile, inflammable, flammable, combustible, incendiary

Disrespect: lack of respect or courtesy.

Example: Growing disrespect for the rule of law

Synonyms: contempt, scorn, disregard, disdain; discourtesy, rudeness

Perceive: become aware or conscious of something

Example: His mouth fell open as he perceived the truth

Synonyms: discern, recognize, become aware of, see, distinguish, realize, grasp

Endorsement: an act of giving one's public approval or support to someone or something.

Example: When Litan asks consumers that question, she finds that banks get the highest endorsement , with support from 47% of the public.

Synonyms: support, backing, approval, agreement, recommendation

Rampant: flourishing or spreading unchecked.

Example: Political violence was rampant

Synonyms: uncontrolled, unrestrained, unchecked, unbridled, widespread

Autocracy: a system of government by one person with absolute power.

Example: It is generally customary to consider the doctrine largely in connection with those states which have been proponents of power, autocracy, and absolutism.

Synonyms: absolutism, totalitarianism, dictatorship, despotism, tyranny, monocracy, autarchy

Propaganda: information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.

Example: He was charged with distributing enemy propaganda

Synonyms: information, promotion, advertising, publicity, spin, disinformation

Retreat: an act of moving back or withdrawing.

Example: A speedy retreat

Synonyms: withdrawal, pulling back

Unwitting: not aware of the full facts.

Example: An unwitting accomplice

Synonyms: unknowing, unconscious, unsuspecting, oblivious, unaware

Tenuous: very weak or slight.

Example: The tenuous link between interest rates and investment

Synonyms: slight, insubstantial, meager, flimsy, weak, doubtful, dubious

Delicate: requiring sensitive or careful handling.

Example: Delicate negotiations

Synonyms: difficult, tricky, sensitive, ticklish, awkward, problematic, touchy