What is so scary about Messi's abaya?

Lionel Messi’s abaya was the best thing to happen to the World Cup in Qatar. For the first time in decades, one of the Arab world’s most important symbols was present, was alive and kicking on global screens.

The Emir of Qatar and the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, draped on the most valuable player of the World Cup, the captain of the all-star squad from Argentina and the most popular player in the world a traditional Arab article of clothing called an abaya. And as if reading from a script prepared in advance, the criticism from the Western – and the Israeli – worlds hastened to descend on Messi, who agreed to wear the abaya, and on the Emir of Qatar, who brazenly cracked the wall of Western culture, Haaretz reports.

Former English soccer player Gary Lineker said it was “a shame” that Messi had to cover his shirt while holding the trophy, and the UK Daily Telegraph derided the act of giving the garment to Messi: "Messi appeared nonplussed but put the garment on, before taking the trophy and going to lift it with his teammates. It meant his Argentina shirt was partly obscured when he lifted the trophy in front of a watching audience of billions.”

ESPN journalist Mark Ogden tweeted (and later deleted): “Lionel Messi has been waiting his whole career to lift the World Cup. Then when he finally does, all the pictures are ruined because someone decided he’d wear a cape like he was going to get a haircut.” And of course, some social media posters in Israel also joined in the insult party, while mixing up the abaya and the djellaba, a different kind of loose garment.

The reactions to Messi’s abaya again reflect the ignorance of the Western world, including the Israelis, in regard to the significance of the Qataris’ gesture. The article of clothing given to Messi is called an abaya, not a djellaba, as many are claiming. The abaya is an important symbol of culture and status in the Arab world, and the act of granting it to someone is a special ritual and a symbol of esteem and respect. When a sheikh wears the abaya, it means he is responsible for all of his family members and the entire clan.

Yesterday, all eyes were on Messi. All of the Argentinians pinned their hopes on him, yearning for him to bring home the longed-for victory, particularly after the Argentinian World Cup team of 2018. There were those who had already eulogized his career, lacking as it did a World Cup victory.

Obviously, Messi did not know why he was made to wear the abaya, but he is a guest of Qatar and as such he respected his hosts, the Emir of Qatar and the Arab audience in the stands. Can you imagine Messi being given a huge glass of beer, or champagne? Would the Western world be attacking and slandering Messi? Of course not. But the abaya is sticking your finger in the eye of the Western world and the supremacy that blurs and erases Arab culture time after time.

By hook or by crook, the Arabs succeeded in hosting the World Cup and even managed to present Arab culture, in every sense (and also expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people on the most widely viewed stage in the world). If Edward Said were alive, he would surely be smiling and saying: “We won. After years of orientalism, repression, silencing and disregard of Arab culture, it is back, in a big way.”

There’s a lot to be said about Qatar, about the alcohol that is banned in the stands, about the ban on waving Pride flags, about the victims of the stadiums’ construction and the harm done to human rights. But it is very easy for the Western world and for Israelis to talk about the dirty laundry of the Arabs, because that enables them to feel good with themselves and to forget their own demerits – from the Israeli occupation of the territories to the American invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Throughout the World Cup, visitors from outside the Arab states wore the traditional garment and even appropriated it into the colors of their own national teams, and this didn’t disturb anyone. Why is it that all of a sudden, bestowing of the abaya is so painful to Western eyes?

Ignorance and lack of understanding remain, as usual, the crux of the matter. It is only when you are not familiar with something that you can deride and belittle it to such a degree. Messi could have thrown away the abaya and said he isn’t interested in wearing it.

But in contrast with white Western culture that sees only itself in the center and has no problem insulting “the Other,” Messi set another new standard that should be clear – showing cultural sensitivity and respect on the field toward one’s hosts. Everyone should learn from him the spirit of sportsmanship.