As France clinched its second-ever World Cup win over Croatia thanks to goals by migrants and a Muslim, fans and onlookers quickly pointed out the need for the country to apply its victories on the field to life off the field.
Often in the spotlight for its xenophobic and Islamophobic social policies, France didn’t seem to mind when it came to good footballers, stocking 78.3 percent of its team with immigrants, a third of whom are Muslim. That was the highest percentage among any qualifying team in this year’s World Cup. Immigrants make up 6.8 of France’s overall population.
Myth: “Islamophobia in France doesn’t exist”
Reality:
– Headscarf Ban
– 60% of prison inmates in France are Muslim
– Mass surveillance programs in Muslim communities— Khaled Beydoun (@KhaledBeydoun) 16 July 2018
France has a total of 07 footballers in its national team who are Muslims. They are:
- Adil Rami (of Moroccan descent),
- Djibril Sidibé (of Malian descent),
- Benjamin Mendy (of Senegalese descent),
- Paul Pogba (of Guinean descent),
- N’Golo Kanté (of Malian descent),
- Nabil Fekir (of Algerian) descent) and
- Ousmane Dembélé (of Malian descent).
Of the above Muslim players who are part of the France World Cup Squad, Paul Pogba was in news earlier when he went to Makkah in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah before the start of the FIFA 2018 World Cup.
Only a third of the World Cup champion team has white-European ancestry, and less than a quarter have French ancestry.
Football fans quickly took to Twitter on Sunday evening to call on France to put an end to its “hypocrisy” and acknowledge the foundational, positive role immigrants and Muslims play in developing its society.
“With France passing all these laws against Islamic practices, let’s not forget it’s these same Muslims players who helped win #WorldCup2018,” one Twitter user wrote.
Other Twitter users called France’s hypocritical policies against migrants and Muslims “shameful” in the light of their celebrated win.
Some called on France to recognize the victory as a much-needed wake-up call for the country to adopt policies upholding the rights and dignity of migrants and Muslims.
“Africans and Muslims delivered you a second World Cup, now deliver them justice,” American author Khaled Beydoun wrote.
Others tweeted phrases including “Immigration makes France stronger,” and “Immigrants get the job done.”
It’s not just about African angle though – Islamophobia is rife in France & this goes beyond anti-black racism. The fact that a proudly Muslim player scored Sunday matters a great deal to a lot of French Muslims who I know who face massive discrimination that goes beyond race.
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) 16 July 2018
Congrats to the African and Muslim Players that won the #WorldCup for France, a nation that institutionalized Islomophobia.
Hope France realizes religious and ethnic diversity brings strength not weakness.
— Hassan Shibly (@HassanShibly) July 15, 2018
France’s win on Sunday was its first in 20 years, after winning on its home turf in 1998. It was the highest-scoring final since England beat West Germany 4-2 after extra-time in 1966 and the highest in normal time since Brazil beat Sweden 5-2 60 years ago.
Source : Daily Sabah.
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