Democratic Iraq's team of Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds has defeated all rivals to win the Asia Cup soccer tournament in Indonesia.
In the final, it won 1-0 over repressive Saudi Arabia.
Only joy. In Baghdad, Omar of Iraq the Model reports:
Today is definitely the happiest day for Iraqis in years. Tears of joy mixed with prayers for hope on the faces of millions of Iraqis… Words truly fail me and I can't describe the feeling so please pardon me if the post doesn't sound coherent; I hear the cheering and music outside although the bullets of celebration keep falling on the ground and roofs here and there. But no one seems to worry about that, the moment is so great that fear has no place in the hearts of the millions of fans, neither from bullets nor from crazy suicide bombers who tried to kill our joy last week.
Our players, tonight our heroes, learned that only with team work they had a chance to win. May our politicians learn from the players and from the fans who are painting a glorious image of unity and national pride, and let the terrorists know that nothing can kill the spirit of the sons of the immortal Tigris and Euphrates.
The fear is gone, the curfew is ignored, tonight Iraq knows only joy...
It's a big victory for Iraq, but not the last.
Frank Warner
Update: As cheering Iraqis celebrated in Baghdad, Don Surber asked certain American Democrats:
“Look at those faces. Tell me how you can condemn to genocide these people.”
Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki issued a message to the team:
“May you and Iraq live in freedom and victory, with no place for destroyers or killers. Your greatness will remain in the hearts of the Iraqi people, and your joy is stronger than the hate of the terrorists.”
The New York Times, before the final game:
In the back of the bus, a friendly discussion quickly turned into a rollicking debate. The team argued about the Koran and about where one goes after dying. Sunnis and Shiites participated in the debate, and it lasted all the way to the hotel, illustrating another hurdle for this team, which also includes Kurds.
[Team member Haider Abdul] Amir smiled at the arguments, at times shouting his own opinion.
“I am a Shiite; he is a Sunni; and we are best of friends,” he said referring to Mahdi Karim, a midfielder who smiled broadly. He added: “We play for Iraq. We are all family on this bus.”
Were there really Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds on the team?
Posted by: George | July 29, 2007 at 10:38 PM
Yes, the team had Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds.
Posted by: Frank Warner | July 29, 2007 at 11:20 PM
That fact would be totally unsurprising if it weren't for people telling us ad nauseum for the last few years that Sunni and Shi'ites would never, ever get along.
Anyway, good for them. Soccer is a fun and challenging game to play.
Posted by: Nicholas | July 30, 2007 at 06:25 AM
Besides those three groups, I also heard that Turkmen were on the team. That about covers it all, doesn't it?
Posted by: Carl | July 30, 2007 at 10:57 AM
It's funny to see grown men play a game that only children play seriously in the United States. But if it makes them happy and brings peace and freedom to the world, I'm all for it!
Posted by: Frank Warner | July 30, 2007 at 11:10 AM
Any Christians or Jews?
Posted by: jj mollo | July 30, 2007 at 09:48 PM
Christians, possibly.
Jews? Are you kidding?
Posted by: Carl | July 30, 2007 at 10:48 PM