Use World Cup for peaceful campaign

SOME people may react irrationally by getting involved in chaos to show their solidarity against unjust killings or when they hear news of massacres.

But there are other ways to convey a message of peace, and among them are through sports, specifically, football matches.

Since the FIFA World Cup 2018 is just around the corner, the qualified countries could use it to promote peaceful campaigns, especially for Palestine.

Moreover, with the number of qualified countries from among Muslim nations at its largest in World Cup history, those countries – like Nigeria, Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco, Iran and Saudi Arabia – could show their full support and sympathy for the crisis in Palestine by showing off symbols of peace pertaining to Palestine’s freedom before the start of their games.

More importantly, it would be a good sign to the world that the Palestine crisis is beyond a religious issue, and that it is closely related to human rights – particularly after Israeli forces shot dead more than 60 Palestinians protesting at the Israel-Gaza border recently.

In a nutshell, promoting peace and freedom through sports, especially football, is a right action and should be lauded as it can serve as a medium for peace.

Perhaps such efforts will not bring swift results but at least they can have a significant impact on the world in drawing attention to troubled places.

AHMAD SHAHIR ABDUL AZIZ Lahat, Perak