At the FIFA Worldcup last night Germany’s Nationalmannschaft (NB: sharply click your heels when saying this) demolished a pathetic looking Australian team 4-0. What does that have to do with the UAE and its community blog I hear you say? Apart from putting gobby Ozzies in their rightful place at the bottom, which is welcome always and everywhere, it is relevant to the UAE in one particular aspect.
The entire German Worldcup squad features no less than 11 players who were either born outside Germany or to are first or second generation Germans, i.e. they were born to parents who came to Germany as “guestworkers” / immigrants from Turkey or Poland, Ghana, Brazil or Vietnam who became German citizens. In the UAE we like to call these people expats - which sounds more glamorous than guestworker but really is the same thing.
I do not suggest that native Germans have less talent than foreign born or naturalized citizens and are therefore destined to be sidelined (cheap pun intended). But what seems important to me is that despite featuring several ‘new’ Germans the team yesterday still played that typically German brand of football of a physically dominating team effort with a no nonsense finish with deadly efficiency. It shows that the (oxymoronic) soul of German football can be maintained and even perfected by incorporating and assimilating foreign elements, by giving clear directions and coaching. If Germany with their abominable history of doing the exact opposite can do that, anyone can. (Heck, it’s fun to vent one’s bigoted chauvinism every four years!)
Dubai’s 'idol' Singapore grants citizenship to residents willing to vest their interest and commit, as do most countries civilized and brave enough to realize the potential advantages of injecting fresh blood in an aging and dwindling national population and harness the ambition that most immigrants tend to have.
The UAE don’t’, and are worse for it.
Well said.
ReplyDeleteIt won't happen, of course, not as long as the old guard is still in charge.
At this time, a close friend of mine, whose mother is Emirati, has been waiting for her citizenship papers for over 5 years. She's had the passport (to those who don't know, passport doesn't provide all the rights of citizenship here) for at least 4 of those years, and by law, she is entitled to the nationality.
One of the reasons for the delay? Resistance by the aforementioned old guard. Why? Because the idea of Emirati women with foreign husbands passing the nationality down to their children is still a distasteful idea.
And this doesn't even touch on the logistical issues that'll come up with immigration re: social welfare, taxes, etc.
Do these 11 players speak German?
ReplyDeletePE,
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know (and according to wikipedia) 'adequate' command of the language is a requirement for naturalisation.
"If Germany with their abominable history...."
ReplyDeleteDoes 'Nationalmannschaft' rhyme with 'Kristallnacht'?
Just kidding.
but don't worry, personally I have no intention of applying for UAE citizenship however hypothectial this may be...
ReplyDeleteAm not worried really, to me, its a far-fetched comparison thats all.
ReplyDeleteWith a sharp click of my heels I thank you for a post which allows me to re-blog as a Sandlander now observing things (http://sandlander.blogspot.com/2010/06/of-goals-scored-and-not.html)from Munich.
ReplyDeleteProud Emirati and others might be interested to know that the 11 players give interviews in German as cogent and profound as those of the natives (yeah, it's only fitba'!)
why the nastiness to australians..
ReplyDeleteWasnt Adolf Hitler an Austrian born naturalized German?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePE,
ReplyDeleteWhy is it far fetched? Because you don't want to share your privileges? There must be millions of Arabs and Iranians who might actually want attain UAE citizenship and subsequently could contribute a lot more to society.
And then you have those Pakistani girls who dream of marrying Emiratis 'with benefits', isn't that so, hemlock?
Its far fetched because most of those millions share almost nothing with us so unless they do there isn't much to say. The one who did earned the citizenship and weave hundred thousands of them so thats enough for now.
ReplyDeleteAm not against granting citizenship in principle though but there should be strict criteria.
LOL nick; i've noticed most arabs - like some of their european counterparts - find brides for much less in india.
ReplyDeleteNick, read the names of the Australian squad - in with the Beauchamps and Moores you'll find Schwarzer, Grella, Garcia, Galekovic, Rukavytsya, Bresciano, Vidosic...
ReplyDelete("Apart from putting gobby Ozzies in their rightful place at the bottom, which is welcome always and everywhere"
Still smarting from all those oval ball and little red ball wallopings?)
"Its far fetched because most of those millions share almost nothing with us so unless they do there isn't much to say. The one who did earned the citizenship and weave hundred thousands of them so thats enough for now.
ReplyDeleteAm not against granting citizenship in principle though but there should be strict criteria."
Funny, we try that here in Arizona and the world calls us racist and fascist.
@PE...Strict criteria...hmm...does the will to fight for this country and even die for it (if necessary) count??
ReplyDeletePE,
ReplyDeleteMany immigrants do not share much with the country of their destination UNTIL they start living there. They will share, eventually. The Arabs I mentioned certainly share more cultural heritage with Emiratis than a Ghanese or Vietnamese who became German.
But I agree regarding strict criteria, for example knowledge of local language being a prerequisite for naturalisation.
Seabee,
ReplyDeleteAustralia is different. A prison colony has to necessarily accommodate people from different socio-ethnical backgrounds. I don't think you can equate convict with immigrant.
LMAO Hems! Wicked! :)
ReplyDeleteNick, you shouldn't have removed your blog. Miss reading, ocassionally.
we don't need more Emiratis whose allegiances is outside the uae..
ReplyDeleteIts not a matter of sharing culture as well. Many Iraqis and Yemenis follow a culture very close to Khaleeji culture but they wont get citizenship will they?
ReplyDeleteNick:
ReplyDeleteYou can't compare other Nations and their immigration policies with those of the UAE!
First, other Nations have a legally elected Government. Most if not all separate religion from state. Moreover, their policies are not the outcome of a singular but plural ideas.
Second, absolute monarchies or totalitarian regimes are run/governed on the whim of one man or affluent members of a family. There is no separation of religion from state. There may even exist an elected body but that's purely a charade, for cosmetics if you please.
Third, any Nation that is ambitious will always continue to exert effort to achieve even greater glory with all available resources irrespective of caste, creed, and religion.
Fourth, and most importantly, in my opinion separation of state from religion is a key factor for progress. That just don't seem to be the case here or in any country that is absolute & totalitarian governed.
Please feel free to add to the list if I've missed out on any key factors.
To compliment your title for this post, I coined the following line this morning over a cup of black coffee with honey:
One may have shown the way to another but what if the other chooses to remain a vagabond without any sense of direction?
Beat that if you can!
Nick
ReplyDelete"Australia is different. A prison colony has to necessarily accommodate people from different socio-ethnical backgrounds. I don't think you can equate convict with immigrant"
'Convicts' only applies to the Brits. The Italians, Spanish, eastern Europeans, Greeks, Chinese etc etc didn't bypass the immigration rules that way.
Seabee,
ReplyDeleteThat convict gene pool was just a cheap jibe...but I just had to..
Australia has certainly benfited from immigration. Without it, you'd only have a handful of drunken natives blowing into didgeridoos, and Rolf Harris.
Kyle,
ReplyDeleteYou could have saved yourself a lot of typing there. Laicism is a good thing. You and I know that; but most Muslim nations don't seem to agree. That's their problem and they pay for it with backwardness. But that doesn't in principle preclude them from granting citizenship to immigrants, does it, as long as those new citizens adhere to the state religion. If language is (should be) a prerequisite for naturalisation then perhaps, in the Middle East at least, religion can be as well. Birds with feathers flock together. To paraphrase the standard Emirati response: If you don't like it, don't apply.
Or, in the immortal words of Groucho Marx: "I wouldn't want to be member of a club that accepts people like me as members."
Actually Rami, the mother cannot inherit her Emirati nationality to her children.
ReplyDeleteMacthomson, it isn't interesting. It should be obvious, hence the reason why I implied that there is no comparison between the UAE and Germany.
PE
ReplyDeleteI was under that impression as well, but there actually is an entire subset of the naturalization law here for children of local mothers.
'Abna' al Muwatinat'
My friend's mother, in fact, got her nationality that way.
Is 'mannschaft' pronounced like (a man's shaft)?
ReplyDeleteJust kidding.
Nick, we don't have Rolf Harris, you do. And Germaine Greer.
ReplyDeleteAnd there were reports you're going to get Pauline Hanson too.
On balance I reckon we're winning.
Jazza, you have a one track mind. When are you finally coming out of the closet?
ReplyDeleteSeabee,
ReplyDeleteOuch. Germaine Greer, that was below the belt - IF I was British which I am not. I think she actually fits in perfectly in 'Britanistan'.
Sorry Nick, I wasn't thinking - accusing you of being British!
ReplyDeleteNick,
ReplyDeleteIndeed I have a one-track mind. Because I can't yet see how a bunch of overweight, alcoholic, spoiled and whining prima donnas of expats will contribute anything to UAE's national football.
Just kidding.
It's a very delicate matter. Considering the kind of benefits people would get with citizenship there are alot of people who take advantage of that with their dual-citizenships and simply take without thinking about loyalty. I do agree that this is bad for football lol but some NOT ALL reasons are understandable. Bare in mind that I am "the son of the wife of an Emirati man" as the Media would like to call me.
ReplyDeleteI agree Saif, unfortunately the wealth dilutes or complicates a lot of the good stuff. It's unfortunate.
ReplyDelete