Thousands recite the Muslim shahada during the Morocco vs France game as a message to Macron
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The Islamic declaration of faith, or shahada, was repeated by thousands of Muslim spectators at the Morocco vs. France game in Qatar on Wednesday.
The stadium in the Qatari city of Al Khor was filled with shouts of “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger” while a tense FIFA World Cup match between the two teams took place.
Activists urged fans to “shake the stadium” with their love for Muhammad to send a message to the in attendance French president, Emmanuel Macron, and this happened numerous times throughout the game.
Hours before the match, Macron visited the historic Souq Waqif after meeting with Qatar’s Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani earlier in the day.
Mahmoud Al Hasanat, a prominent figure on social media, urged Muslim supporters to join the show of unity on Monday, writing on Twitter: “I hope to hear from the Moroccan fans in the France-Morocco match, sending prayers upon the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, as they shake the stands.”
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Author and former employee of the Al Jazeera Media Network Boutaina Azzabi Ezzaouia echoed his demand for action by sharing Al Hasanat’s since-deleted tweet.
“Dear Moroccans, raise your voices during this upcoming match against France, saleew 3la Nabi Mohammed. Please convey to President Emmanuel Macron and his team that we will not tolerate any insults to our beloved Prophet, she wrote in an Instagram post on Monday.
Regarding anti-Arab and Islamophobic prejudice among its public figures and politicians, France has long been under international criticism.
The contentious “anti-separatism” law in Paris, which rights organisations argue has been used to target minorities, mainly Muslims, was presided over by French President Macron, who has himself said that Islam is a religion “in crisis.” Numerous French mosques have been searched and shut down in accordance with the legislation.
Additionally, Macron has vehemently defended the xenophobic caricatures published by the French media, declaring that France “will not give up cartoons.”
Prior to the World Cup, Qatar was singled out in a report published by a contentious daily, making Arabs the subject of yet another attack by the French media.
After publishing a cartoon of Arabs wearing football uniforms as terrorists, French weekly Le Canard Enchaîné came under fire from social media users for its blatant racism and Islamophobia.
Similar pictures have previously appeared in the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, which among other things has mocked the murder of Syrian child Aylan Kurdi and made fun of the Prophet Muhammad.
