Tyler Adams responds well to Iranian journalist on racism in the USA

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As tends to be the case when authorities, in this case namely FIFA, try to separate politics and sport, it tends to have the effect of only pulling them closer together. 

Despite Gianni Infantino’s desire to keep the two apart for the duration of the World Cup, various countries and players have found themselves answering tricky questions. Tensions rose between Iran coach Carlos Queiroz and former USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann last week, while Iran have had a heavily politicised tournament.

During a press conference, an Iranian journalist took the chance to question Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams on the United States’ history of racism. If Quieroz’s statements are anything to go by, many feel the narrative coming out of the West has been highly hypocritical in regards to Iran.

The reporter firstly corrected Adams’ pronunciation of ‘Iran’, which Adams apologised for at the beginning of his answer, before asking the following.

“Are you OK to be representing a country that has so much discrimination against Black people in its own borders?”

“There’s discrimination everywhere you go,” Adams remarked.

“One thing that I’ve learned, especially from living abroad in the past years and having to fit in in different cultures and kind of assimilate into different cultures, is that in the U.S., we’re continuing to make progress every single day.”

“Not everyone has that ease and the ability to do that, and obviously, it takes longer to understand, and through education, I think it’s super important,” he said. “Like you just educated me now on the pronunciation of your country. So, yeah, it’s a process. I think as long as you see progress, that’s the most important thing.”

There is no doubt that the USA has many a sin to be criticised for, both within and without their borders. It is certainly understandable that other countries, especially in the Middle East, would be reluctant to hear the American opinion on matters in the region.

Equally, like anywhere else, that should not make anywhere immune from criticism. The killing of protestors in Iran is lamentable and without justification, no matter who is talking about it.

 

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