Another attack on a Madrid supporters group in Iraq
For the second time in less than a month a Real Madrid supporters club near Baghdad has been targeted by terrorists with as many as twelve people dead according to initial reports. The manner of the attack was the same as before: the armed perpetrators entered the venue and fired indiscriminately as the extra time period in Saturday’s Champions League final had just finished. There was a degree of doubt surrounding the motives of the previous attack, if it was directed at the Shiite population or at football fans in general. With this latest attack, doubts over the motive are now clear. ISIS has signaled football as another example of Western degeneration.
These people are a scourge, seemingly against any form of enjoyment, irrespective of how simple a pleasure it may be and enjoying a game of football is just that. Football is popular the world over, ever since the first World Cup in 1930 and along with the Olympic movement it has brought people together. The European Cup competition pulled Europe together just a decade after the conclusion of the Second World War. It has united communists and capitalists, people from diverse religions and walks of life. Football is a positive medium.
These terrorists are aware that it was a sport founded in Europe so hell-bent are they on attacking any perceived Western invention. Madrid’s celebrations were overshadowed by these events perpetrated against normal supporters. Real Madrid represents the global power of football and what better target was possibly the mindset of these barbarians. We live in a world where a radical minority can condition our way of living, our way of enjoying life...a manner of living which we should never forget.