There has been a lot of international attention on the violent scenes that have been taking place in Palestine this week. The devastation began when the Israeli Defence Force brutally attacked Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, whilst a subsequent protest over that event saw further Palestinians injured by an Israeli settler driving a car into the crowd.
Following on from those disgraceful scenes, which saw more than 300 Palestinians wounded, rockets were fired in retaliation which tragically killed two Israeli civilians. It was at this point that words of condemnation and violence crept into the international lexicon and almost vindicated the compounding of a terrible situation, when an aerial assault was launched on the Gaza strip, killing dozens of Palestinian men, women and children.
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Irish MP Destroys Israel’s Ambassador . We are people of Palestine 🇵🇸 ❤️✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/FnZr6WlLob
— Modibe Modiba (@mmodiba10) May 12, 2021
A section of Celtic supporters have always supported the Palestinian right to freedom, equality and to live without an apartheid regime being imposed upon them. A visual manifestation of those sympathies has been prominent among the Green Brigade Ultras, who have performed various thought provoking actions, despite facing opposition from those who dislike politics mixing with football.
That cliché is where I think the lines between politics and humanitarian issues have been blurred. Protesting against people being murdered, an apartheid regime and a country being invaded is more about human decency rather than politics, in the same way as opposing Nazi concentration camps would be. Is there really any platform that is inappropriate or more important than highlighting such things, let alone football? Sadly, it would appear that the western world believes so.
This morning, the Green Brigade were given access to the stadium in order to put up banners of appreciation for Scott Brown. They did just that, but also took the chance to cover the North Curve area of Celtic Park in Palestinian flags. This action would capture the media’s attention because it would be impossible for the TV cameras to avoid the display during their coverage of tonight’s match. Considering that the only way to end the humanitarian disaster in the middle east is to raise awareness, pressure governments and encourage them to act within the UN, then this action was somewhat important.
SEE: Removed: Celtic take down North Curve’s Palestine display
Green Brigade statement pic.twitter.com/sC9GeLrgCG
— North Curve Celtic (@NCCeltic) May 12, 2021
I often wonder how the Nazis were allowed to persecute the Jews and murder so many in concentration camps. Yet, here we have a very similar situation occurring and nobody is willing to let anyone speak up. Not a single major business or institution in influential countries are willing to stick their head above the parapet and try to encourage an end to human slaughter. To do so would risk upsetting sponsors and authorities with money, who follow the lead of those at the very top. Therefore, any semblance of morality is overtaken by the desire for money, regardless of human cost.
No doubt some readers will ask ‘what has Palestine got to do with Celtic?’. I would contend that Celtic has always provided a voice to the oppressed since the very beginnings of the club, and after all, the founding fathers are the men who decided what Celtic would be about. In addition to the charitable dimension, they held matches at the original Celtic Park to raise funds for evicted tenants, they donated money to the Irish National League, they sent an official Celtic delegation to Dublin for the Irish Race Convention which was set up to plot a way towards Irish Home Rule in 1896; but perhaps the closest parallel is that the Celtic committee publicly protested against British involvement in the Anglo-Boer War. Furthermore, If we fast forward to the late 1960s, Bob Kelly refused to play against Ferencvaros in the European Cup due to the deplorable actions behind the Iron Curtain, when the Soviets invaded Czechoslovakia.
MORE: Principled Football: “There Are Things For Celtic More Important Than Money”
Given the above, I would say that standing with the oppressed is an intrinsic part of Celtic Football Club’s DNA. It is one of the things that makes us ‘A Club Like No Other’ to quote a famous modern marketing slogan. Although, highlighting the slaughter of innocent people is an issue that concerns the human race, of which every Celtic supporter, apart from Hoopy The Huddle Hound, is a part. Therefore, it doesn’t matter if it is directly connected to a specific football club or not.
For those who want to force a section of Celtic fans to overlook the humanitarian crisis in Palestine, or those who blast these actions as politics mixing with football, I trust that you will not be wanting your team to take the knee for Black Lives Matter, you won’t want your club to wear a poppy in November, and you’d not want any sporting club or non political institution to have spoken against Nazi Germany or Apartheid South Africa.
I feel it appropriate to conclude this piece by quoting the description of the below video and embedding it:
“Celtic Football Club supporters hold British and European records for the biggest-ever crowds. In 2017, they were awarded “best fans in the world” by FIFA. Many of the world’s greatest players are enthused by the atmosphere created by the Celtic “faithful”.
Still, the team and their fans are about more than the sport.
Founded in 1887 to help poor Irish immigrants in Glasgow’s East End, the charitable side of Celtic continues to this day with fans funding schools and clinics for the poor across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
They have stood in the face of some of history’s greatest human rights issues; Nelson Mandela himself applauded Celtic fans for their campaign against apartheid in South Africa, and today, it is the Palestinian cause that grips club fans.”
As Bob Kelly famously said: “There are things for Celtic more important than money.”
