According to the Mail this morning, Magic is going to wear a black armband when he plays for Rangers this afternoon, in protest at the murder of Palestinians in Gaza. He's been told not to by the Scottish FA but refuses to back down. Total respect to him, I say...
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sport and politics should never mix like this imo
70% of them live in poverty according to UN estimates (this was prior to Israel’s attacks), while 75% of Gaza’s population are refugees, or descendents of, who fled to the Gaza Strip in 1948 when the Arab-Israeli War occurred at the time of Israel’s foundation as an entirely new state on the Middle East map.
Israel of course celebrated its 60th anniversary last year.
Gazans have been refused the right of return to their home towns and villages by Israel and so they have lived largely incarcerated in Gaza ever since. Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas on earth.
I really admire Bougy's stance on this issue if he can persevere with it - although I think his judgement as a centre back might be a bit more iffy at times!!
but footballers all though roll models to everyone who love them and believe in them should not get invovlved in politics like this.
we pay our mp's and governments millions of pounds to put pressure on both countries and many others to stop these disgusting events
magic is paid to play football if he wishes to be an ambasseder of the people then do so after he has finished his career i think the same on all issues like this sport and politics dont and should not mix, if the government speak to the governing bodies of sport and say i dont want you to go to a country or be involved in a tournament then they should do as advised.
if all the english cricketers wore black armbands against that vile scum mugabie but the british government had not interfered i would say the same.
it is not their place no matter how strongly i agree with their motives
Understand your point NLA. The problem is that sport has been used as a medium for the outpouring of grief and respect for years, both here and abroad, so this is nothing new.
The minute's silence, each year, for those who have died in wars for example, or those who may have died in a new, sudden tragedy (eg the Word Trade Centre Attacks in NY or the attacks on the London Transport Network) are cases in point.
Majid Bougherra is a North African Muslim and Arab and therefore someone deeply affected by what is happening in Palestine. He has seen how Western leaders have neglected the need for greater mediation and equality in the Palestine/Israel issue and wants, in his own small way, to make a point on behalf of innocent people being killed at this time.
This particular issue is also unusual in the sense that symbolic protest, like what Bougy is intending, is one of the very few ways one can highight the plight of the Palestinians as, sadly, despite the best efforts of the United Nations, the US will always veto any resolution even mildly critical of Israeli conduct, both now and previously over many decades.
I'm sure Bougherra, like myself, hopes the new US President, Barack Obama, ushers in a change of policy.
stuck in ways and views i am afraid i like my sportsmen to be sportsmen and my politicians to do their bloody jobs and earn their money so that sportsmen dont have to do things like this
I quite agree with that. At least George Dubya's number has just been flashed up from the sidelines and he is about to be substituted! Not before time - he was due an early bath!! ;-)
Football should not be used to manipulate and spread political opinion & agendas, full stop.
With all due respect, DA9, I would not call Magic's very personal wish to remember the dead of Gaza as manipulation or spreading a political agenda....
You are of course entitled to your opinion, DA 9. The only thing I would say is that, according to Nigel, Bougherra just wants to wear an arm band to show respect for the loss of life in Gaza.
It is estimated that of around 1,200 people killed in Gaza at least 40% are women and children. One could say that, in itself, this is not an overt political statement. Footballers around the world regularly wear black armbands to mark the passing of a former player, manager or even a prominent member of royalty or politician, so, in isolation, the death of more than 300 innocent children is a good enough reason in my mind.
But each to their own, of course, I respect that.
Absolutely.
Indeed.... :-)
Well Done to him!
It's still a statement, made political in my opinion because its being made by someone of Arab descent, who is high profile and making the gesture/stand on his own.
If it were a natural disaster, or a tragic accident like an airplance crash etc, I would completely understand it. I am not to trying to detract from the deaths on either side, and yes, it is just an opinion. I just dont believe players should be allowed to use football as their own personal platform, if the SFA, or EUFA, made a statement and allowed clubs who wished to take part, in a similar gesture, then fine by me.
..............
He's using the opportunity afforded to him by his profile to draw attention to something.
There are plenty of footballers who have worn t-shirts under their kits with some religious motive or message on them (I'm thinking of a few Latin American footballers in particular). As individuals I support their right to freedom of conscience and belief, even if I'm an atheist.
Credit to Bougherra that in an age when footballers are getting paid obscene amounts of money and are said to have lost touch with reality that he feels strongly enough about this to make his own symbolic protest. When all is said and done he's an individual like the rest of us.