The Dutch player of Moroccan origin, Anwar El Ghazi, received great sympathy from Arab followers on social media sites and in sports circles, after the German club Mainz terminated his contract due to his posts in solidarity with Palestine, according to the club’s statement on Friday.
The player had announced his support for Palestine in a post dated October 12, on the X platform, and wrote that the Palestinians have been suffering for 70 years, and demanded solutions that achieve justice for all. Then he appeared raising the Palestinian flag.
The player also published a blog post in which he condemned the killing of civilians, regardless of their nationality, whether Palestinian or Israeli. This was considered by the club, in a blog post on Some claimed.
Al-Ghazi commented on the termination of his contract through a blog post on (X), in which he said: “Stand with the truth, even if you will stand alone. Losing my source of livelihood is nothing compared to the hell that innocent and vulnerable people are experiencing in Gaza… Stop the killing.”
This was described by social media followers and critics as a “respectable humane stance” towards the player.
Meanwhile, Egyptian sports critic Hassan Al-Mestakawi described the position of the German club Mainz as “shameful,” noting in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat that “the West has a complex because of their persecution of the Jews, and soon they will have a complex because of their clear bias against Gaza after their silence regarding what is happening there.” crimes”.
He explained that some Western clubs encourage players to take political positions that only serve their interests, such as supporting Ukraine against Russia, and they are not convinced that Palestine is occupied by Israel according to all historical evidence, which is a double standard. We appreciate the position of the Moroccan player, who expressed an authentic humanitarian position and not a political position.
An account holder from Kuwait who called himself “Sir Hamad” described Al-Ghazi as “the pride of the Arabs,” and commented: “We are all with you.”
An account holder on
On Instagram, an account owner named Younes commented on Al-Ghazi’s latest post: “Whoever leaves something for God, He will replace it with something better… A big salute to you, hero.”
Among those who interacted with the player’s position was political analyst Yasser Al-Zaatara, who identifies himself on the (X) platform as a Palestinian refugee born in Jericho, and wrote, speaking about Anwar Al-Ghazi: “The Moroccan player and his great stance… Germany continues to punish us for the Holocaust, as I said.” Before, it was as if Hitler was a Palestinian or a hidden Muslim.”
Al-Ghazi inside the Grand Mosque of Mecca (his Instagram account)
For his part, Dr. Abdel Moneim Amara, the former Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports, said that these positions undoubtedly arouse sympathy, but what is happening is a natural reaction of the people and their movements against the Gaza war, according to what he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
He points out that “there are large demonstrations in various Western countries and in America demanding an end to the war on Gaza, and that this has had an impact on governments and major countries that have begun to change their tone towards the war and call for the protection of civilians.”
The player Anwar Al-Ghazi was born in the Dutch city of Barendrecht in 1995 and is of Moroccan origins. He played for Ajax Amsterdam as a striker, right winger, and then became a professional at the German club Mainz. He is currently 28 years old.
Critic Hassan Al-Mestakawi expressed his hope that “this respectful position” taken by Anwar Al-Ghazi will be appreciated. Al-Mestakawi said: “I sincerely hope that any Arab club will take him, to compensate him for cutting off his livelihood,” stressing everyone’s sympathy for him due to the solidity of his position on the humanitarian level.
In turn, Muhammad Al-Ghazi, Anwar Al-Ghazi’s father, said in press statements that “his son is happy and steadfast in his position.” He added that he is “a decent player and everyone bears witness to that,” and he expressed his astonishment at Mainz’s position, continuing: “My son declared his solidarity with Palestine, and said that he is against injustice in general, and he did not say anything forbidden.”
2023-11-04 23:14:01
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