A report broadcast by a German television channel, likening the Moroccan national team’s raising of the index finger to what ISIS is doing, sparked angry and sarcastic reactions at the same time among social media activists in the Arab and Western world.
The German Welt channel launched an attack on the Moroccan national team because of the image of 3 players who raised their index fingers in the dressing room to celebrate the victory. The German broadcaster said: This is infuriating and provocative, this is the sign of the terrorist organization (ISIS).
The channel tried to send a message that they are terrorists, not soccer players. pic.twitter.com/e4c8Vtz0Dp
– Iyad Al-Hamoud (@Eyaaaad) December 14, 2022
And the report of the German WELT channel compared a picture in which the Moroccan national team players, Abdelhamid Al-Sabri, Zakaria Abu Khalil and Elias Al-Shaer, raised their index fingers to the top in the dressing room, and pictures of ISIS, considering it infuriating.
“This is infuriating and provocative, this is the sign of the terrorist organization,” said the channel’s news anchor, while the German channel showed pictures of ISIS fighters raising their forefinger.
On the other hand, tweeters and activists on the communication sites rejected the German channel report, and mocked it with pictures of players from all teams and teams raising their index fingers, such as Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and even Brazilian Ronaldo.
Rather, the irony of the channel’s report has reached the point of publishing pictures of European officials and presidents during their meetings or press statements while raising their index fingers, such as US President Joe Biden and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.