4 weeks ago
Antonio Rudiger has surgery his soundlessness aft nan Germany prima was accused of supporting terrorism.
Earlier this month, Rudiger, a devout Muslim, posted a photograph connected Instagram of himself successful a achromatic clothes connected a dream mat pointing nan scale digit of his correct manus towards nan sky.
The Real Madrid defender accompanied nan station from March 13 pinch nan caption: 'Ramadan Mubarak to each Muslims astir nan world. May nan almighty judge our fasting and prayers #AlwaysBelieve.'
However, connected Sunday, erstwhile BILD editor Julian Reichelt deed retired astatine Rudiger and accused him of links to terrorism.
He posted connected X: 'For everyone who doesn't want to recognise Antonio Rudiger's Islamist greeting arsenic an Islamist greeting: nan Federal Office for nan Protection of nan Constitution calls this motion nan 'IS finger' and sees nan scale digit arsenic a clear motion of Islamism.'
Antonio Rudiger has deed backmost aft a erstwhile BILD editor linked nan Germany prima to terrorism
The defender slammed nan 'unfounded accusations' and called for 'peace and tolerance'
Rudiger and nan German Football Association (DFB) person since announced they are taking ineligible action against Reichelt following his shocking claims.
And connected Wednesday evening, Rudiger - who featured successful Germany's victories against France and nan Netherlands complete nan past week - said for nan first clip connected nan saga, hitting backmost astatine nan 'unfounded accusations'.
'To people nan opening of Lent, I published a station connected Instagram,' he told BILD. 'This has already been publically viewable for 13 days (since March 11) and has reached respective cardinal followers without immoderate disapproval from anyone.
'But successful caller days nan photograph has been utilized by individuals to make unfounded accusations.
'The motion I utilized is called nan tawheed finger. In Islam, this is considered a awesome of nan unity and characteristic of God. The motion is wide among Muslims each complete nan world and has only been classified arsenic unproblematic by nan Federal Ministry of nan Interior successful nan past fewer days.
'As a devout Muslim, I believe my faith, but I firmly region myself from immoderate benignant of extremism and accusations of Islamism. Violence and coercion are perfectly unacceptable. I guidelines for bid and tolerance.
'Many of my family members beryllium to different religions. Nevertheless, we respect each different and observe belief festivals together. Respect and tolerance are basal principles that we each correspond successful our family.'
Rudiger continued to deed backmost astatine Reichelt and his supporters, while calling for an extremity to section successful society.
He added: 'However, I besides recognise that owed to insufficient attention, I person fixed 3rd parties nan opportunity to deliberately misinterpret my posting successful bid to disagreement and polarize.
'But I will not connection a level for section and radicalization, which is why I person decided to make a clear connection aft our 2 successful world matches.
Julian Reichelt has since doubled down connected his views linking Rudiger's motion to terrorism
'At nan aforesaid time, I will not let myself to beryllium insulted and denigrated arsenic an Islamist. That's why I decided to record a report. This is astir propaganda and division; I will ever resolutely take sides myself against this.
'I dream this explanation helps clear up misunderstandings and bring nan truth to light. I would besides for illustration to convey nan DFB, who supported maine astatine each times successful this matter.'
Rudiger's criminal title against Reichelt to nan Berlin nationalist prosecutor's agency came 'because of reproach aliases slander, inflammatory reproach and sedition,' nan title states.
The DFB besides revenge a title and reported nan Reichelt tweet to nan nationalist prosecutor's agency arsenic 'hate speech'. BILD besides received message from Rudiger's lawyers.
In a missive to BILD editor-in-chief Marion Horn, they 'warn' against 'inflammatory statements to nan detriment of our client'.
However, Reichelt issued a consequence connected X connected Monday nighttime wherever he doubled down connected his remarks connected Rudiger.
He wrote: 'This motion has been wholly co-opted by terrorists complete nan past 2 decades. It has undisputedly go nan greeting of ISIS and Islamist murderers each complete nan world, of group who besides murdered successful Berlin and bring disaster and immeasurable suffering to nan world.
'Anyone who poses for illustration this successful nationalist is consciously showing nan greeting of fanatics and not an innocent, belief gesture. It is simply a normalization of a unspeakable ideology that has already taken complete acold excessively overmuch abstraction successful this country.
Rudiger and nan German Football Association (DFB) are taking ineligible action against Reichelt
Rudiger played nan afloat 90 minutes of Germany's wins against France and nan Netherlands
'Also and particularly because it's astir a celebrated nationalist player, you shouldn't let yourself to beryllium intimidated. It is important to constituent retired that this governmental ideology goes against everything that our values are.
'The raised scale digit of Islamism, pinch which terrorists astir nan world observe their murders, does not beryllium to Germany. I will ne'er fto anyone extremity maine from saying that.'
When questioned connected nan meaning of nan symbol, Germany's Federal Ministry of nan Interior told BILD: 'From nan position of nan BMI, nan alleged 'tauhid' digit is to beryllium understood arsenic a confession of religion and is truthful classified arsenic unproblematic pinch respect to nationalist safety.
'This applies sloppy of nan truth that Islamist groups due this awesome and misuse it for their ain purposes.'
