What is the reality of the Moroccan national team player, zakaria aboukhlal ?
Over the past few days, social media has witnessed the emergence of a support campaign for Moroccan national team player Zakaria Abu Khallal. This campaign gained momentum after his French club, Toulouse, announced his exclusion from first team training until further notice. The decision came following allegations of a verbal altercation between him and Lawrence Aribagi, the deputy mayor responsible for sports in Toulouse, as reported by the French channel "RMC."
In response, hashtags such as "We are all Abu Khalil" and "Support Abu Khalil" flooded social media platforms, with many Moroccan commentators expressing unwavering solidarity with the star player. They view the campaign against him as "systematic" due to his stance on nationality and his refusal to participate in Toulouse's match against Nantes on the previous Sunday. The reason for his refusal was the presence of a "rainbow" logo on his team's shirt, symbolizing support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Supporters of Zakaria Abu Khalil perceive the campaign against him as being deliberate. However, the deputy mayor responsible for sports in Toulouse issued a press statement denying any verbal altercation with Abu Khalil. She clarified that she had merely requested a reduction in noise, but the players took offense as they did not appreciate being asked to remain silent in that manner.
Moroccan fans, representing all citizens, have called for solidarity with the player, emphasizing his right to refuse promotion of views on homosexuality. They emphasize the importance of not conflating an individual's personal beliefs and culture with sports.
AbouKhalil himself published a statement on his official social media accounts, stating, "I have decided not to participate in the match... First and foremost, I want to emphasize that I hold the utmost respect for every person, regardless of their gender, background, and culture." He further added, "Respect is a value I greatly appreciate, and it extends to others. However, it also includes respect for my personal convictions. Therefore, I do not believe I am the right person to participate in this campaign. I sincerely hope that my decision will be respected, and I invite everyone to treat it with respect
