‘Mr Benzema has ties, everyone knows it, he is infamous, with the Muslim Brotherhood”, Darmanin said this on Monday evening on television channel Cnews.
The minister had previously been asked about the message that the former Real Madrid player had posted on social networks in support of the Palestinian people, which contrasted with his silence on the terrorist attacks in Hamas against Israel on the 7th.
Darmanin believed that players of Benzema’s fame have “a responsibility” and influence on the youth, which could allow them to be more balanced.
But it was later, when Darmanin responded to a question about his government’s actions to counter jihadist terrorism on French soil, that he accused the footballer.
“For weeks I have been particularly interested (…) in the Muslim Brotherhood,” said the minister, who at the time alluded to Benzema’s alleged links with that Islamist group, which was recognized by Muslims as terrorist. Saudi Arabia, country where the former Madrid player now plays.
This part of the minister’s statements, made at a time when France was strengthening security at its border with Belgium after the Islamic attack in Brussels no ultrasound in France on Monday afternoon until they were picked up by some Spanish media late on Tuesday.
This Wednesday, sources from the Ministry of Internal Affairs justified Darmanin’s accusation in several actions of the player that constitute “a drift towards a hard, rigorous Islam, characteristic of the ideology” of the Muslim Brotherhood “which consists of spreading Islamic norms. in different areas of society, especially in sports.
In statements to RMC Sport, Home Affairs sources recalled several cases involving Benzema, such as his refusal to sing La Marseillaise in matches against France or his ‘proselytism’ on social networks ‘in favor of the Muslim sect’.
They also remembered that the attacker was photographed next to the Iman of Meaux, investigated in the context of the murder of Professor Samuel Paty, beheaded in 2020 by an Islamist of Chechen origin.
Another example is Benzema’s support for the Russian fighter Khabib Nurmagomedovwho published a message wishing “that the Almighty would disfigure this garbage” of Emmanuel Macron and “all his disciples who, in the name of freedom of expression, insult the faith of more than 1.5 billion Muslims.”
For the Home Office, all these matters do not allow him to be taken to court, but “they represent a particularly ambiguous signal for an athlete who has such an audience.”
Source: El heraldo
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
