2024-03-28 13:21:48
German player Antonio Rudiger defended his decision to take legal action against the attack on his post that he broadcast on social media at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.
The Muslim player posted a picture of himself wearing a white dress on a prayer rug on the 11th of this month on his Instagram account, with his right index finger raised upward, and commented on it, saying, “May God accept our fasting.”
“And our prayers.”
The former editor-in-chief of the German daily newspaper Bild, Julian Reichelt, criticized Rüdiger’s post, and indicated on his account on the X social networking site last Sunday that raising the index finger was an Islamic gesture.
This prompted Rudiger and the German Football Association to take legal action, as the Spanish Real Madrid defender filed a criminal complaint – related to insult, defamation, and incitement to abuse and hatred – to the Public Prosecutor’s Office in the German capital, Berlin, and the German Football Association reported the case to the German Central Unit for Combating Internet Crimes.
Rudiger (31 years old) did not issue any comment during the last international break, during which he participated in the German team’s friendly victory over France and the Netherlands, but he issued a statement late yesterday evening, Wednesday, via Bild newspaper.
“In the past few days, the image has been used by individuals to make baseless accusations,” the veteran player said.
He added, “The sign I used is what is called the finger of monotheism. In Islam, this sign is considered a symbol of the oneness and uniqueness of God. This sign is widely spread among Muslims all over the world, and was recently classified as not representing a problem by the Ministry of Interior.”
Rudiger emphasized, “As a devout Muslim, I practice my religion, but I firmly distance myself from any kind of extremism and accusations of political Islam. Violence and terrorism are absolutely unacceptable. I support peace and tolerance.”
The German player stressed, “I will not provide a platform for division and extremism, and for this reason I decided to make a clear statement after the two international friendly matches.”
The “royal” defender concluded, “At the same time, as a Muslim, I will not allow myself to be insulted and defamed. That is why I decided to press charges. This is a case of propaganda and division, and I will always face that.”
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