Getting a handle on Multiculturalism

In late March of 2006 Nigerian Adebowale Ogungbure was playing for 4th division Sachsen Leibzig when he was subjected to racist abuse from some hooligan fans at the end of the game. This was not the first time he had experienced this, but instead of ignoring it as he usually did, he responded. He gave the fans a Nazi salute and made the Hitler mustache with his two fingers; a response triggered a physical attack by the hooligans and later his arrest by German police.

The justification for the arrest was that such recreations of Nazi symbolism is illegal in Germany, regardless of context. Though his arrest lasted less than a day, it throws up serious questions about the nature of German law, the racism of the supporters, and the powerlessness of minority individuals such as Adebowale. In a sense, the player was arrested for exposing the true identity of the abusive fans, and the repressive nature of German 'order'. If the law banning the Nazi salute is meant to remove this mentality/ideology from the culture, it has clearly failed. While overt Nazi-ism is not widespread in German society, it is clearly still a presence. According to the Spiegle article, this is particularly the case in the eastern states where the economy is stagnant.

From a critical multiculturalist perspective this arrest is symbolic of a conservative approach to diversity, which suggests that assimilation into the hegemonic culture is the path to stability and equality. For minorities coming into the system, they can only be integrated once they have thrown away their own heritage and language in favor of those used by the hegemon. What this is doing is repeating the narrative of European powers during their colonial periods, where they invaded foreign countries and set up institutions, laws, and schools reflecting the homeland. The native populations were only 'acceptable' as more than savages when they passes through the socialization of the new power, rejecting their native culture.

Even the liberal multiculturalist view is no more comforting. The liberal approach is to view difference as inherent and 'in-and-of-itself' rather than a product of any kind of historical context. Thus the problems in minority communities today are the result of people who simply won't "get over it." This allows a hegemonic culture to reject the need for real re-evaluation of their relationship to this community. By accepting diversity and affirming their support for it through cultural events and diversity days, the hegemon is able to maintain distance from a true understanding of the needs of that community.

So when a young black man exposes some white fans for what they really are, ethnocentric and nationalist, he is viewed as a threat to the system as a whole. His actions are not interpreted in a "performative" context, but as foolish, insulting, or inappropriate. He is then charged with "unconstitutional behavior".

But what of the fans who set Adebowale off? The club president said simply it was a on off incident and put it down to fans getting over excited.