Several Moroccan football players risk theirs careers in solidarity with Gaza
Several Moroccan football players risk theirs careers in solidarity with Gaza
Members of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, a conservative party, have demanded the expulsion of Noussair Mazraoui from the Bayern Munich team and the country after his solidarity post with Gaza.
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Meanwhile, the silence of the renowned figures of the Atlas Lions has disappointed many fans. [Getty]
Several Moroccan football players have voiced solidarity with Gaza over social media, which makes them once again a target for Western media's criticism.
Noussair Mazraoui, Atlas Lion's player and Bayern Munich defender, shared a video on his Instagram story where he wished "victory" to the Palestinians facing a new Israeli war.
Over the weekend, the Moroccan national player shared a short clip featuring the image of a waving Palestinian flag accompanied by a prayer-like voiceover saying: "God help our persecuted brothers in Palestine so that they attain victory. May God have mercy on the dead, may God heal their wounded."
Mazraoui's story has already triggered wide criticism against the Moroccan footballer, with many German media outlets requesting an official explanation from his team, Bayern Munich.
"Terror advocates on the lawn? Unbearable!" wrote the German media BILD. "If Mazraoui refuses a convincing distancing (from Hamas), he can no longer play in the league. Then there must be consequences from FC Bayern," added the German publication.
This is the man that accused Mazraoui of being a “Terror Advocate” for simply putting a picture of the palestinian flag 🇵🇸. Walter attempts to silence free speech by intimidation.. in Germany.. where they vowed to “never again”
— علي السّامرّائي | Ali (@AliBabaBavaria) October 15, 2023
Some people fail to escape their past.. https://t.co/dWiXWRqxEQ pic.twitter.com/8hg2EAqLS5
Meanwhile, members of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, a conservative party, have demanded his expulsion from the team and the country.
BIILD later shared an explanation from Mazraoui reading, "First of all, I would like to say that it is really disappointing that I have to explain what I stand for. There is a situation out there where thousands of innocent people are murdered."
Mazraoui said that he will always work for peace and justice. "This means that I will always be against all kinds of terrorism, hatred and violence. And that's something I'll always stand behind," he added. The Germans doubled down on Mazaroui's criticism, saying he failed to condemn Hamas's "barbaric terror."
Last week, FC Bayern shared a post on X reading, "We are worried about our friends in Israel and hope for peaceful coexistence of all people in Middle East." The team has reportedly refused to comment on Mazraoui's position.
Atlas Lions shadow-banned on META over Gaza solidarity
On Saturday, Mazraoui shared another Instagram story featuring his three Moroccan teammates — Hakim Ziyech (Galatasaray Istanbul), Zakaria Aboukhlal (FC Toulouse), and midfielder Abdelhamid Sabiri (Saudi Pro club Al-Fayha FC), who also voiced solidarity with Palestine but their stories were reportedly shadow-banned.
Scores of Instagram users have claimed that their posts on Gaza are being "shadow-banned" by the Meta-owned social media platform.
US tech giant Meta, the conglomerate behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, said on 13 October that it is "taking steps" to remove "praise and substantive support" of Palestinian resistance factions fighting against the Israeli army on the Gaza border.
Sofiane Boufal and Ismael Kandouss have also joined their teammates in showcasing solidarity with Gaza over social media.
Fans blame silent Moroccan footballers
Meanwhile, the silence of the renowned figures of the Atlas Lions has disappointed many fans. Players like Achraf Hakim and Yassine Bounou have yet to speak up on the ongoing Israeli massacre against Gaza citizens.
Hundreds of users flooded the players' Instagram posts with comments calling on taking a firm position against the "Israeli genocide" that targets over one million civilians in Gaza, primarily children.
During the World Cup, the Moroccan team showed unwavering solidarity for the Palestinian cause, with the team members and the fans brandishing the Palestinian flag after every winning game. Deemed an implicit criticism of normalisation, their loyalty to the Palestinian flag upset Israeli officials in Rabat and Tel Aviv at the time.
Atlas Lions are set to play against Liberia on 17 October as part of the AFCON qualifications. Set to take place in Agadir, Morocco, many fans are holding out hope for the home game to be an occasion to break the silence and voice loud and clear solidarity with Palestine.
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