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Gamal Nkrumah, deputy editor of Al Ahram weekly in Cairo, told us that a lot of Africans and Muslims look to Zidane as the real star of the World Cup. A lot of young people look up him as a real role model.

Ros pointed out that Zidane doesn't speak out about Islam at all. Gamal said that he was an example of integration in France.

Abdelilah in Marrakesh said:

Sport doesn't know borders. It doesn't know nationality. It is about the spirit of the game.

Fans don't really care about nationality or religion. They care about his skill, Abdelilah said.

Steve in Toronto left this comment:

This is a really stupid and useless question, and I say this as a former journalist. Would the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ ever ask: Where are the global roles models for Jews?

We put that question to Josh Newman, Editor in Chief, Heeb Magazine, a Jewish magazine in New York. He answered a question with a question when asked about Jewish role model: Are they role models because they are Jews or because of how they observe the religion?

As for role models, Neil Diamond and his latest comeback stand out as a role model for him. As for sports role models, he named baseball legends and .

Jose, who is Portuguese but lives in France, thought that maybe this was English sour grapes in losing to Portugal last weekend in the World Cup:

I really regret the kind of debate your airing today on world have you say. It seems your calling the muslim world to support Zidane and France against Portugal. It's really disgasting and I really regret the service what you're doing.
If England lost agains Portugal it's not because of our players but only because of the English squad themselves.

And Srinivas Balla in Arlington Virginia in the United States sent us this comment:

I think the Islamic community is quite confused in their search for role models. If the Islamic community needs to progress and elevate itself, it would need to bring up the status of women. It is quite sad that being in the 21st century, muslim women are still way below the standards when it comes to freedom of speech, freedom of expression and very other basic rights that every human, irrespective of their gender/race/ethnicity should possess if order to live a decent life. The problems are right there, in front of everyone. You dont need to search for role model in form sportstars/politicians etc. The answer, my dear friend, is very simple. Plus, the dependecies of Islamic economies on oil can never be sustainable. They have to find other innovative way to generate comparative advantages.

Witchcraft

We then moved on to talk about witches. Richard in Zimbabwe said there was no empirical to prove whether one was a witch or not. In Africa, witchcraft is a big thing, he said. People are killed based on the belief that they are witches. People who accuse others of being a witch or a wizard need to be put to strict proof.

Kate West, a and the UK's foremost authority on witchcraft said that witchcraft in the UK was different than that practiced in Africa. One of their fundamental tenants of witchcraft in the UK is to do no harm to others or to livestock. They believe in magic to help or cure people, not to harm them.

Anthony in the US had this comment:

Superstitious fools. How about addressing "real" problems, like the complete lack of basic sanitation or anything resembling a national economy? No, instead you piss around with laws concering *witchcraft*, then wonder why Western nations look at you like savages.

Pachero in Malawi said that it was very easy to accuse someone of being a witch or wizard. Kate said that justice should be carried out on whether someone has committed a crime and not whether someone subscribed to a specific belief system.

Richard in Zimbabwe said that people in Africa can be murdered if accused of being a witch. "Their whole village will turn on them," he said. He said that what Kate described as witchcraft in the UK seemed very different than witchcraft in the African context.

It has been 50 years since someone was lynched for being a witch in the UK, Kate said.

Adrian agreed with her, saying that his reading of the Zimbabwe law was that it outlawed witchcraft.

English only with a side of fries

Joey Vento, owner of Geno's restaurant in Philadelphia, joined us on the programme. The restaurant sells the city's trademark sandwich, He said that he put up the sign long before the immigration debate in the US. He said:

If you have someone living her for years and they can't say cheese steak, I don't know what the problem is.

He said that crime is up 40% in Philadelphia, and he can't understand why people are upset about a sign.

Alejandro lives in California. He said that many Hispanic Americans say: "We didn't cross the border, the border crossed us." He wondered why Mr Vento put up a sign. He remembers signs at stores, movie theatres and restaurants in the 1950s saying that Mexicans had to sit someplace else. He wondered whether this was about language or something else.