Moroccan football group blocks Aboukhlal’s salafist slur
Religious extremism has raised its ugly head in the wake of the World Cup and Morocco’s impressive performance – this time in the form of legal action against a Moroccan website – threatening to harm the country’s reputation just when it begins a long campaign to host the World Cup in 2030.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) decided on December 25th to take legal action against Moroccan website Achkayen following an article accusing Zakaria Aboukhlal of advocating salafism during the World Cup in Qatar.
Achkayen accused Moroccan winger Aboukhlal, who scored against Belgium during Morocco’s crazy epic at the World Cup, of promoting Salafism and religious proselytism in the Moroccan locker room.
Salafism is an extreme form of Islam and is believed to be at the root of most terrorism emanating from the region. Although Salifism is tolerated in Morocco, authorities keep a very close eye on Salafists and restrict their movements, following the 2003 Casablanca bombings which claimed 33 victims aside from the suicide bombes themselves.
Aboukhlal who plays in Toulouse was quickly defended by the Moroccan federation, which categorically denied these accusations and praised his exemplary behaviour.
“Following the publication of an article by one of the websites which touches on the person and behavior of the Moroccan international, Zakaria Aboukhlal, during his participation with the national team in the Qatar 2022 World Cup, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation categorically denies there false accusations against him in this article where the player showed exemplary behaviour alongside his colleagues in order to obtain honourable results for the national team in this competition,” said the FRMF in statement.
“The Royal Moroccan Football Federation expresses its firm condemnation of the attacks made by this site to the person and behaviour of the player, and through him, like the national team with all its activities, it also confirms that will use legal measures to protect members of the national football team and refute any false allegations affecting their behaviour or personal lives in the exercise of their national functions,” it added.
According to reports, it’s unclear what the “legal action” may be, although most likely Morocco’s archaic defamation laws – rules which for decades have protected the elite against having their reputation destroyed by poor reporting – may well be the basis of such a case.
Agencies