Respect should be a two-way street, and the Saudis blew it

‘CULTURAL differences’ are no excuse in the Saudi soccer team’s disrespectful decision not to observe a minute’s silence, writes Alana Schetzer.

The Socceroos observe a minute’s silence to honour those lost in the recent terrorist attacks during their 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier match. The Saudi Arabian team continued warming up during the minute. (Pic: James Elsby/Getty Images)

AUSTRALIA is a wonderfully multicultural country and although we still grapple with some issues around race and culture, we consider ourselves warm and inviting to people from all across the world.

But there’s long been a sticking point when it comes to Saudi Arabia. It’s one of the most hostile places in the world for women and has a sickening reputation on human rights.

While Saudi Arabia tries to assert its authority as a link between the Middle East and the west, it has long had a relationship with terrorism itself — the majority of the 9/11 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia.

The men’s soccer team was in Adelaide last night playing against Australia for the start of its World Cup qualifier, and refused to observe one minute’s silence for the victims of the London terror attack earlier this week. Two Australian women, Kirsty Boden and Sara Zelenak were killed, with Kirsty hailing from South Australia.

The team itself stated that the practise is not keeping with their customs, that as Muslims they show their respect through prayer or giving to charity. This is despite the fact that in December last year, players from a Saudi Arabian club all observed silence before a game in Doha, Qatar, in respect to members of a Brazilian soccer team who were killed in a plane crash.

The Socceroos observe a minute's silence to honour those lost in the recent terrorist attacks. (Pic: James Elsby/Getty Images)

This appears to be an act of cultural politics as opposed to genuine cultural differences.

Comedian Dave Hughes, who is not really known for making political statements, tweeted that the team should never be allowed into the country again.

It wasn’t just the fact that they refused the very simple request to respect London’s latest victims, but they also caused problems when they last visited in 2015, when they refused to board a bus because it was being driven by a woman.

They eventually got on board, but only on the condition that future drivers will be men.

Accommodating cultural differences cannot come at the expense of denigrating our own expectations and customs. While I am normally hesitant to jump on the ‘outrage bandwagon’, the general outcry against the Saudi Arabia team seems fitting, especially in the current and highly tense climate.

It was a petty and dishonourable act, done in front of thousands of fans at Adelaide oval and even more watching the game at home.

Whether the team should be banned is a bold question: it’s not an issue over visas but one for soccer’s governing body to consider. It’s unlikely to occur, given that Saudi Arabian football bosses did eventually apologise, but one suspects it was only because of the negative reaction, as opposed to any genuine contrition: “The players did not intend any disrespect to the memories of the victims or to cause upset to their families, friends or any individual affected by the atrocity.”

Anyone watching Thursday night’s game would have felt uncomfortable as the Australian team linked arms as they paid respects to the London victims, while the Saudi Arabia team went to the sidelines to warm up.

Whether it is true, as the Saudis’ claim, that observing one minute’s silence in respect of the dead is not part of their culture, the fact is it’s one minute. One minute of standing still. It is not an arduous request.

We are in the age of cultural politics, in which give and take is required. And when one group of people demand too much, that’s when trouble starts to brew.

Originally published as Respect should be a two-way street, and the Saudis blew it