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Rabat – An online campaign under the hashtag #WeStandWithNoussairMazraoui has gained momentum in support of the Moroccan footballer who has faced immense backlash and criticism from his club Bayern Munich and some German media outlets for expressing support for Palestine.
Mazraoui recently voiced his pro-Palestine stance on social media amid the ongoing Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip. However, this act of solidarity was met with harassment from some quarters, including German sports outlet Bild, which accused him of supporting terrorism and questioned the appropriateness of his stance.
Bild, Germany’s leading tabloid, published an article on Sunday titled “Supporter of Terrorism on the Pitch? Unbearable!” in which it accused the Moroccan player of “supporting terrorism and the mass death of innocent people.”
In addition, the German tabloid said that if Mazraoui failed to distance himself from what it described as the “bloodshed caused by Hamas,” he should be prevented from playing in the Bundesliga.
On Monday, Bayern Munich joined in harassing Mazraoui and infringing on his freedom of expression.
The club’s management released a statement saying that they had promptly contacted Mazraoui after he voiced his pro-Palestine stance and expressed their intention to have an “in-depth personal discussion” with him upon his return to Munich.
In response, a wave of support has emerged from Mazraoui’s fans, advocating for his right to express his beliefs and opinions without facing harassment or prejudice, and without jeopardizing his career.
In addition, participants in the campaign criticized Bayern Munich’s biased position regarding Israeli forces’ aggression in Gaza, portraying Palestinian resistance fighters as “terrorists” while sympathizing with Israel.
“I will not support Bayern because it supports Zionist terrorism. Stop Spreading hatred, suppressing opinions, and stop pretending to be humanists,” a social media user said.
Another netizen criticized the “extreme discriminatory biases against Palestine,” saying: “The football world should be ashamed of itself for the clear hatred against the Palestinian people.”
