Palestine is Supported on The Pitch
Anwar El Ghazi, a supporter of Palestine, was excluded from the squad of Mainz 05, a team in the German 1st Football League (Bundesliga), due to a social media post in which he expressed support for Palestine. In his social media post, he stated, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” but he deleted the post shortly afterward.
Celtic fans have had a significant impact on their team’s support. During a match between the Scottish team Celtic and the Spanish team Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, fans displayed a Palestinian flag to protest the Israeli attack on Gaza. Celtic fans also organized a choreography featuring a Palestinian flag in one section of the stands before the match. Similarly, in the English Premier League match between Liverpool and Everton, some Liverpool fans displayed a Palestinian flag as a show of support for Gaza.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) did not remain silent on the matter. They decided to observe a moment of silence before the matches played last week to honor the Palestinian citizens who lost their lives due to Israeli attacks. As a result of this decision, footballers paid tribute to Palestinians with a one-minute silence before the matches.
The cruelty inflicted upon Palestinians during the Galatasaray-Beşiktaş match was strongly condemned. There was a collective response to Israel’s attacks on the Palestinian people in Gaza during the Galatasaray-Beşiktaş derby, which took place in the 9th week of the Turkish Super League. In this derby match held at Galatasaray Stadium, players from both teams participated in a ceremony that included the words “We condemn the oppression committed in Gaza,” which was organized by the Turkish Football Federation. They displayed this message on a banner during the ceremony.Formun Üstü
In a statement to the Bild newspaper, Mezravi expressed his sentiments, saying, “It is truly disheartening that I have to explain my beliefs and values. There is an ongoing situation where thousands of innocent people are losing their lives. My commitment is to work towards peace and justice in this world. This means that I will stand against all forms of terrorism and hatred aimed at Muslims, as well as against violence. Therefore, I am puzzled by the misconceptions surrounding me and why I am associated with hate groups. Every day, innocent lives are lost due to this escalating and terrible conflict. We should all unite against it and raise our voices. It is inhumane,” he said.
Mezravi, who expressed his support for Palestine by posting a photo of Masjid al-Aqsa on social media and sharing a verse from the Quran, also shared the 42nd verse from the Surah of Abraham, which conveys the meaning, “Do not think that Allah is unaware of what the oppressors do.”