Morocco football team: German media airs Islamophobic comments; Israeli daily shows support

A German media outlet aired racist and Islamophobic comments against the Moroccan football team which stirred controversy, on the other hand, one of the leading Israeli newspapers, The Jerusalem Post exhibited support towards the Moroccan team.

The German news channel Welt aired the Islamophobic comment after Moroccan Atlas Lions made historical advancements at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 which sparked outrage among football fans.

Welt used Islamophobic statements against Morocco’s football team, seemingly attacking Islam with claims that Moroccan players’ use of an Islamic sign had been “causing backlash” among watchers of Morocco’s win over Portugal on Saturday, according to Morocco World News.

FIFA WC 2022: France charge into final, Morocco win hearts of football fans

In a televised report the German outlet posted on its YouTube channel on Monday, it drew attention to a picture of Moroccan players Zakaria Abouklal, Abdelhamid Sabiri, and Ilias Chair, who were all posing while extending their right index finger — a sign known among Muslims as “Tawhid.”

To Muslims, the sign reflects the oneness of God, meaning that there is only one God. It is also closely tied to the “Shahada,” an expression that is a prerequisite for individuals to convert to Islam.

While the sign is indeed used by terrorists affiliated with the Islamic State, it remains part of daily prayers of Muslims everywhere.

Many Muslim commenters denounced Welt’s reports, accusing it of inciting hatred against Muslims and confusing Islam with terrorism.

One commenter wrote, “KKK also carry the cross. Are all Christians terrorists now? Nope.”

Others said they fear that similar media reports could aggravate an already rising problem of Islamophobia in Germany and across the West.

Last month, a hate crime saw a number of Muslim gravestones being vandalized across Germany. The crime caused widespread anger and concern among Muslim communities in the European country, with many saying they feared for their safety in the wake of the attack.

Politicization of football

Prior to Welt’s anti-Islam-driven controversy around the Moroccan team, Germany’s national football team had been at the centre of much controversy at the start of the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Many had accused Germany of coming to Qatar to “only politicize” football as the German football federation demanded that FIFA leverage its influence on Qatar to change the country’s laws in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

In November, president of Germany’s Football Federation (DFB) Bernd Neuendorf blasted FIFA for not challenging Qatar’s laws forbidding team captains from wearing pro-LGBTQ armbands.

“Personally, I would be quite prepared to accept a fine,” Neuendorf said, stressing that his remarks were “not a political statement, but a statement for human rights.”

However, many football fans in Muslim-majority countries took offence at the statement, arguing that Germany’s attitude was inherently political.

Prior to its opening group game against Japan, the German national team staged a silent protest against Qatar’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies. The protest provoked a wave of online backlash as social media users accused the German players of “politicizing” the World Cup.

The team’s attitude was widely considered a “typical” example of the West’s “tendency to meddle in Arab country’s affairs.”

And after the Germany team was shockingly eliminated in the group stages, many made fun of the Germans for putting political performance before actual performances on the football pitch.

“Congratulations to Germany for leaving the World Cup early. That’s what happens when you mix football and politics. You are busy shouting Human rights for LGBT but not doing the same for Palestine, which has been colonized by Israel for so long,” one commenter tweeted.

Amid the controversy, political satire show host Youssef Hussein also spoke out against Germany’s national football team, saying that the World Cup is a tournament for the world’s entertainment and that the West should show respect for Arab culture.

“How about we all watch the tournament, have fun and respect the Arab culture,” the host commented.

Israeli newspaper says ‘We are all Moroccans”

Israeli daily The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday made it clear that they are supporting Morocco ahead of the African team’s World Cup semifinal game against France.

Featuring a photo of Morocco’s Atlas Lions, the daily headlined: “We are all Moroccans.”

Responding to the headline, the French Embassy in Tel Aviv on Twitter said: “We beg to differ, Jerusalem Post. Allez les Bleus! (Go the Blues),” quoted Turkish news agency, Anadolu Agency (AA).

We beg to differ, @Jerusalem_Post…
Allez les Bleus ! 🇫🇷🏆🔥#Qatar2022 #FRAMOR #FRAMAR pic.twitter.com/PPQUkBESgx

— La France en Israël (@franceenisrael) December 14, 2022

Led by Paris Saint-Germain right-back Achraf Hakimi, Morocco beat European football heavyweights Portugal 1-0 last weekend to become the first African nation to reach a World Cup semifinal.

Yesterday, France have put an end to Morocco’s dream of reaching a World Cup final, with a 2-0 victory that puts them on a path towards a potentially epic second straight World Cup victory.

Twenty-three-year-old phenom Kylian Mbappe was pivotal to both of France’s goals. His deflected effort barely five minutes into Wednesday’s match set up Theo Hernandez, while a magnificent attempt in the 79th minute led to Randal Kolo Muani’s easy tap-in to put the tense game to bed.