On Friday, Jan 31, 2014, the independent social organization Sports Without War published a satirical press release designed to expose the hypocrisy inherent in the annual Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) “Forces Appreciation Night.” (http://mapleleafsnhl.com/club/news/htm?id=694056) In the fake press release, MLSE announced that they would honour not only Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan but also the thousands of Afghan civilians killed in the conflict. The press release further acknowledged that while Canadian soldiers get much fanfare for fighting in Afghanistan, they are given very little material support upon their return, as they struggle with physical and emotional trauma from the violent conflict. Finally, the press release suggested that both Canadians and Afghans deserve to enjoy sports and entertainment in peace.
The fake press release was designed to say the things that would more closely reflect the values of the 80% of Canadians who are opposed to this war Canadians, including many Afghan-Canadians, and the many soldiers themselves come home traumatized and disillusioned from a brutal and disturbing experience.
And this showed in the public’s response to the press release – not only did it generate positive responses from fans of Leafs Nation (and many other hockey fans who stated that they now supported the Leafs as a result of this new initiative!), but American and British veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq also expressed their support upon seeing the fake press release. This shows that there is an audience – the majority of Canadians – who would support MLSE should they take action to properly represent what the war in Afghanistan has meant for the Afghan and Canadian people.
Canadians have paid $18 billion for the war in Afghanistan, even while the average hockey fan is paying more for housing, health care, child care and transportation than ever before. On the other side of the ocean, after 12 years of war in Afghanistan, some 70% of Afghans live in extreme poverty, several thousand civilians are killed each year, and women’s rights have actually worsened since the occupation began in 2001. Only about 5% of the Canadian budget actually stays in Afghanistan for “development,” while at least that much stays in the pockets of corporations like Kilo Goldmines, Lockheed Martin, Canaccord Financial, or SRK Consulting.
Unfortunately, up until now, Forces Appreciation Night has glorified the military mission in Afghanistan, presenting dazzling displays of soldiers rappelling from the rafters with hard rock music pumping, as if the war was uncomplicated and Canada was obviously on the “right” side. MLSE claims that Forces Appreciation Night supports the men and women who fight for Canada abroad. But the event ignores the facts about the actual war they are fighting, and in creating a celebratory military spectacle, it has actually done a disservice to soldiers and civilians in Canada and Afghanistan.
The people who participate in the Sports Without War initiatives are average Canadians. We are hockey fans; we cheer for the Leafs, the Oilers, even the Canucks. We want to know why our teams are promoting a war that most Canadians do not want.
For further information, please call Riaz Sayani-Mulji at 905-807-6554 and Samira Sayed-Rahman at 289-922-9056 or email sportswithoutwar@gmail.com
http://sportswithoutwar.wordpress.com/
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