THREAT OF RACISM LOOMS OVER EURO 2012, PURSUANT TO CERTAIN MEDIA, THAT IS

I have already written about the way BBC Panorama doctored a report about racism or anti-semitism among Polish and Ukrainian football fans, or, soccer fans, if you are to use North-American brand of English. In one of my previous posts, entitled "Decline of the BBC Empire", I have related in what way their purported documentary film "Stadiums of Hate" distorted the truth, i.e., it cut out all the good things said about Poland by Jonathan Ornstein, President of Krakow Jewish Community Center, and left from his one-hour interview only the incidents of antisemitism. Also, the producers have discarded the whole interview with an Aviram Baruchyan, an Israeli playing for Polonia Warsaw. In both cases, BBC Panorama, when confronted by Mr. Ornstein and by newspapers, simply stated that what was discarded did not fit the subject of the film (meaning it did not support the Panorama's assumed racism or antisemitism of the Euro 2012 hosts).
Even more perplexing doctoring of news is the casus of Dutch newspaper "De Telegraaf", known for xenophobic articles about Polish workers in Netherlands. Pursuant to "De Telegraaf", Polish fans in Krakow, present at the training of Dutch players, who use Wisla Krakow facility, engaged in monkey noises during the practice of the Dutch team. De Telegraaf claimed that Dutch officials would file an official protest with UEFA. The accusations have been quickly followed by majority of the western media. However, it turned out that Dutch officials did not file any protest, and what's more, the Netherland's manager, Bert van Marwijk denied that any monkey noises took place at the training ground of the Dutch national team. What really happened at the ground was booing by the Wisla Krakow fans of UEFA officials for not making Krakow a host of any games of Euro 2012, and making noise directed against fans of Cracovia Krakow, the traditional rivals and enemies of Wisla Krakow. Neither "De Telegraaf" nor any other western media reported to this date that their story was false. It appears that the Mayor of Krakow had directed to UEFA a request for explanation and apology to the City of Krakow, for repeating false reports of accusations of racial abuse of the Dutch black players.

Janusz Andrzejewski

The author is a New York based attorney, writing on this blog about legal and important community related subjects. You can contact the author by telephone (cell: 732-527-2195) or at his website: www.adwokatandrzejewski.com

DECLINE OF THE BBC EMPIRE

Usually, prior to major football tournaments, like World Cup or European Championships, English media ridiculously herald to the world that this time England is going to win it all (not this time, though). Of course, the English national team, for various reasons,  cannot deliver. One of the reasons is that their players cannnot hold the pressure created by their own media. Another reason is a long season, without a winter break. The most important reason, however, is lack of basic technical skills among majority of English players. Simply said, they are not good enough to rival Spain, Italy, France, Germans, the Dutch or Portugal, so, they have to resort to defensive type of football. It is obvious that international results of English Premier League top teams are achieved thanks to foreign players, who raise considerably the level of play in the Premiership and are responsible for the creative parts of the play whereas English players are left mostly to take care of defensive tasks (defensive blocks plus midfield holding players, whose main function is to destruct opposing team's attacks and to recover the ball). This time around, after so many bad lessons since 1990 World Cup (last time that England had a decent national team), English media are full of caution. Perhaps they understood that it is so difficult to win when chasing the ball, being kept in possession by opposing teams for 65% or 75% of the play-time. Strangely, this time then England is not among the favorites in English media circles. Paradoxically, because of this, they think that they can win it all. Here we go again, then! Also, in recent years English sustained severe blows to their pride when they made a bid for organization of the World Cup in 2018. And what worse, they were so self-deluded (as with respect to the skills of their football players) that they did not see it coming. They are still reeling from losing the World Cup 2018 bid to the Russians. So, what do they do this time around? Well, they had to show somebody that they are leaders in something so they jumped this time on the political correctness wagon. BBC Panorama made a program about racism among the hosts of Euro 2012. To achieve a desired result, they went across Poland and Ukraine in search of appropriate material. Result, a scandalous program showing anti-semitic actions among Krakow fans as a result of tradional rivalry between Wisla and Cracovia football clubs, and also among Lodz fans, of rivaling LKS and Widzew. The fact that Krakow and Lodz are not staging any matches of Euro 2012, was not mentioned. Jonathan Ornstein, a director of Krakow Jewish Community Center, who has lived in Poland the last 11 years, and whose statements were distorted by Panorama, filed a protest with BBC. He said that all positive things he mentioned about Poland in his 1hr interview with BBC Panorama, were cut out from the aired material. When during his interview he suggested that Panorama talk to two Jewish footballers playing for Wisla Krakow (Maor Melikson and Dudu Biton), Panorama people told him that it would not fit their program as they wanted only to show racism and anti-semitism in Poland. What's more, Panorama people interviewed Israeli football player Baruchian, playing for one of Warsaw's top division clubs. However, since he had no bad experiences with antisemitism in Poland, his interview was not included in "Stadiums of Hate", as again, it did not fit the main subject of the so called documentary. Apparently, anything good about Poland, would not fit their program main team: Poland as anti-racist and anti-semitic country. Mr. Orenstein suggested to BBC to make a balanced program about anti-semitism in Poland, but BBC people were not interested. It seems, they had to scare the fans from coming to Poland and Ukraine. But, they did not succeed with respect to Poland, at least, for Polish impressive stadiums are full, the atmosphere is great and the country is crowded with thousands of Irish, Spaniards, Russians, Croats, Italians, English and even poor Greeks. A different story in Ukraine, a poor country, in comparison to Poland. Indeed, Poland, an economic success story within European Union, not knowing recession as opposed to the rest of Europe, notwithstanding the unemployment of 12%. Perhaps, BBC Panorama can expose racism and anti-semitism in England or Great Britain, where it apparently cannot be eradicated easilly? Perhaps, they can make a program about the racism incidents in Premier League, those reported recently, and various unreported? Maybe, BBC Panorama can enlighten us as to why John Terry's criminal case (for racially abusing a black player, Anton Ferdinand) has been adjourned for approximately six months, until the end of Euro 2012? After all,  justice delayed is justice denied. Or, how about turning their public resources to find out why Rio Ferdinand has not been selected for the English national team? What about the fate of persecuted in England following ethnic groups: Pakistanis, Polish, Lithuanians, West Indians, etc.? Perhaps, they Panorama people can enlighten us as to how many murders or incidents of violence against Polish workers in UK were ethnically or religiously motivated? How about scaring away some of the foreigners willing to come to London to see Olympic Games, why don't you warn them to stay away? And yes, in Poland we have racism and anti-semitism, but it is not embraced by the authorities or by the majority of the country's population. Yes, we have our own yobs. But, a lot is being done about these social pathologies, even though a lot more remains to be done! But, to cover these efforts in Panorama? It wouldn't fit your main theme, would it? BBC, what has happened to you?

Janusz Andrzejewski

The author of this post is a New York based attorney and a publisher of his own blog on various legal and community subjects. You can reach him by telephone at 732-527-2195 or through his website: www.adwokatandrzejewski.com