WP,pg1: A Multi-Hued National Team Thrills Racially Uneasy France

[DeepModem Mom]

A Multi-Hued National Team Thrills Racially Uneasy France
By John Ward Anderson
Washington Post Foreign Service
Friday, July 7, 2006; Page A01


Members of France's powerhouse national soccer team, from right, Sylvain Wiltord, Zinedine Zidane, Franck Ribery, Claude Makelele and Lilian Thuram. "I like what they stand for," said one fan. (By Christophe Ena -- Associated Press)

PARIS, July 6 -- In the French National Assembly, 11 of the 577 members are minorities. In French boardrooms, white men are the rule. But on the French national soccer team, 17 of the 23 players are minorities, and that gave the black and Arab population here added cause for celebration when France beat Portugal this week to advance to the World Cup final match on Sunday in Berlin.

"I think the French team reflects the cultural diversity of France," said Amely-James Koh-Bela, 42, who immigrated here from Cameroon in 1985 and has been seeking French citizenship ever since. "There's nothing like it in the social, political or business fields. This is why I love the French team."

France endured weeks of rioting last fall by minority youths protesting deep-seated discrimination and lack of opportunities, particularly in housing, employment and education. But when it comes to supporting the national soccer team, many minority members said they set hard feelings aside, because the team represents multiethnic France at its finest -- even if it underscores the country's failures in other areas.

"I like what they stand for, and I love France," said Salah Zerouki, 38, who was born in France to Algerian parents. But, he said, "It's racist to have the feeling that minorities can only make it in sports" and not in fields such as politics. "That showcases the reality of France -- a mixed sports team but not mixed politics."...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/06/AR2006070601742.html