Egyptian player Mostafa Mohamed
The name of the Egyptian player, Mostafa Mohamed, topped the social networking sites in Egypt and a number of Arab countries, after the French club Nantes announced the imposition of a financial penalty on him because of his refusal to participate in a campaign to support homosexuals.
The French League asked players in the first and second divisions to wear shirts with numbers on the back in rainbow colors ahead of the International Day in Support of the LGBTQ Community on Wednesday.
And the French football club Nantes announced that it would fine financially, not athletically, its Egyptian player Mostafa Mohamed, who refused to defend the colors of his team against Toulouse, in order not to wear a shirt bearing the rainbow logo during the weekend matches, as part of an effort to combat homophobia.
The French club said in a statement: “Nantes striker Mustafa Mohamed refused to participate in the match against Toulouse for personal reasons at a time when the club is struggling to avoid relegation to the second degree. Therefore, the club’s board of directors decided to punish him financially without disclosing the value of the fine.”
The statement added, “On the other hand, the club strongly condemns the threats that Mostafa Mohamed and his family received before and after the match,” without revealing these threats or the parties behind them.
Mustafa Mohamed’s position
For his part, Mostafa Mohamed justified his position by tweeting: “I refused to participate in the Toulouse match. I do not wish to argue at all, but I must express my position.”
He added, “Respect for difference is respect for the other, self-respect, and respect for what will be exchanged and what will remain different. I respect all differences. I respect all beliefs and convictions.”
He continued, “This respect extends to others, but it also includes respect for my personal beliefs, and given my roots, my culture, and the importance of my beliefs and convictions, it was not possible for me to participate in this campaign.”
The Egyptian player concluded by saying: “I hope that my decision will be met with respect, in addition to my desire not to argue about this issue and for everyone to treat it with respect.”
And the French “RMC Sport” network reported that four Toulouse players refused to participate in the match for the same reason.
The network stated that the players are Moroccan Zakaria Abu Khalil, Algerian Fares Chaibi, Bosnian Saeed Hamulic, and Malian Moussa Diarra.
“Some players from the starting line-up expressed their dissatisfaction with their association with the colors of the rainbow, which represents the LGBT community,” Toulouse said in a statement.
He added, “While we respect the personal choices of the players, and after many discussions, the Toulouse club decided to exclude the players from the match.”
And the Moroccan Abu Khallal confirmed that he “really refused to participate in the match,” and stressed in a statement on his Twitter account, “his respect for everyone,” and demanded that others “respect his beliefs.”
He wrote, “I have made my decision not to participate in today’s match. Respect is a value that I value very much and this extends to others, but this also includes respect for my personal beliefs.”
“Because of that, I don’t think I’m the right person to be involved in such a promotional campaign,” he added.
social media sites
Returning to social networking sites, Alaa, the son of former Egyptian President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, praised the Egyptian player and said it was a “respectable position.”
Alaa Mubarak, in a tweet, criticized campaigns promoting homosexuality, saying that “religion forbids it and that it contradicts the values and principles of Egyptian society.”
Egyptian national team player Ahmed Hassan also sympathized with Nantes player Mustafa Mohamed via Twitter, saying: “I praise and support Mustafa Mohamed’s position by refusing to support homosexuals, and I hope that Arab players will take similar strong positions and reject any matters that contradict the heavenly religions. Freedom to respect the freedom and religion of Mustafa and his opinion in making this strong and courageous decision.
Others considered that the match between Toulouse and Nantes could be a historic turning point in France.
Mohamed Awwad said: “The match between Toulouse and Nantes may be a historical turning point in France … in terms of forcing the players to wear slogans that do not fit their beliefs.”
And he added: “The Egyptian Mustafa Mohamed, the Nantes player, withdrew from the meeting … and announced his position publicly.”
Awad continued: “But the biggest issue was with the competing team, which is Toulouse, as the club acknowledged that several players, including Moroccan Zakaria Abu Khilal, rejected the idea, and the club was forced to exclude them from the meeting.”
He concluded by saying: “This movement will prompt all professional players of all religions who reject this promotion, to declare their position frankly .. Therefore, it is expected that what happened will lead to a change in the method of support imposed in France.”
Criticism of the Egyptian player
On the other hand, many criticized the Egyptian player’s decision not to participate in the match.
Louise said, “Well… when the players wanted to wear rainbow armbands in Qatar, many objected that the host country should be respected… so where are they today when France requires them to wear rainbow armbands?”
Others considered that the Egyptian player supported the case of the two homosexuals without realizing it.
Florina said, “The reaction of Nantes was exemplary, by imposing financial penalties on the player and donating the money to the ‘Stop Homophobia’ association. At least, Mostafa Mohamed supported the gay cause without knowing it.”
2023-05-16 12:55:55
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