Iranians never fail to amaze me, especially those living in the diaspora. Now an Arab footballer, apart from Israeli Arabs of course, would never even consider going to Israel to play a match. This Iranian-German footballer doesn’t want to go to Israel either. But he cites very different reasons. He is afraid lest the theocracy prevents him from entering Iran against and I personally think his excuse is pretty understandable. The player doesn’t derserve the criticism he got in Germany especially from Jewish groups.
In a subsequent interview Monday with the tabloid B.Z., Dejagah insisted: “I have nothing against Israel, but I fear I would have trouble entering Iran later.”
His excuse is absolutely understandable - but the Central Council of Jews’ arguments are always the same: “Get him out of the team, that’s antisemitic!”
For some reason the Central Council of Jews in Germany is one of the most racist groups to be presented in the media. If you say anything against Israel, you’re antisemitic. No way to criticize that country about which Desmond Tutu said it reminds him of the South African apartheid.
Comment by Simon Columbus — October 10, 2007 @ 1:21 am
I can’t say that I find the issue all that understandable. The man is simply refusing to play for his country to keep his financial options (the possibility to play for Iran) open later on. In this, he betrayed his team for private gain, and thus shouldn’t be part of the team anymore. Simple as that.
The criticism he got from Jews, though, implies that they either don’t buy his official personal reason, or didn’t read the tabloid article. Antisemitic or radical political reasons (hating Jews or not recognizing Israel’s existence) are easily assumed in such cases, simply because it is often the case.
Comment by Roman Kalik — October 10, 2007 @ 5:21 am
“No way to criticize that country about which Desmond Tutu said it reminds him of the South African apartheid.”
Desmond Tutu is an old idiot who has likely never been in Israel and calls everything “apartheid” he happens to dislike. He is no different from other snti-semites.
Israel doesn’t have any apartheid laws (unless you cound the fact that some races are privileged and don’t have to serve in the military if they don’t want to) and calling Israel an apartheid state is anti-semitic, no matter how you turn it. Desmond Tutu would never accuse a non-Jewish state that doesn’t practice apartheid of being an apartheid state, I am sure. And if he did, nobody would believe him.
Let him visit Israel, let him see with his own eyes that Jews, Arabs, Druze, and Circassians live there with equal rights and let him then explain why in Israel Jews, black and white, and Arabs live together and study at the same universities and how that is the same as apartheid was in SA.
Until Tutu actually takes the time to check his facts, he remains an old idiot.
Comment by Andrew Brehm — October 10, 2007 @ 12:13 pm
I think the Iranian footballer’s reasons not to go to Israel are understandable. However, if he has German citizenship he might be required to show some loyalty to Germany as well, especially since Germany does not punish him for not doing so!
Comment by Andrew Brehm — October 10, 2007 @ 12:14 pm
His decision is quite reasonable. He won’t act in a way that will prevent him ever visiting the country of his birth.
The jewish groups are less reasonable in this case. How many german jews would ever do anything that would forever prevent them from visiting israel? Even if they weren’t born there?
If there are bigots in this story, they are the ones who criticize our iranian friend, but would act exactly as he him if the roles were reversed.
Comment by dick — October 10, 2007 @ 10:10 pm
Is it reasonable for Iran to bar him from returning if he plays in Israel? If so, Why?
Comment by P. Tane — October 11, 2007 @ 1:16 pm
“The jewish groups are less reasonable in this case. How many german jews would ever do anything that would forever prevent them from visiting israel? Even if they weren’t born there?”
German Jews have over a long history shown their loyalty to Germany.
But more relevantly, most things that could prevent one from visiting Israel are illegal in Germany anyway. So I do hope the answer is “very few”.
Comment by Andrew Brehm — October 11, 2007 @ 4:48 pm
P.Tane:
Of course it’s unreasonable for iran to bar people who visit israel. Iran’s regime is problematic - indefensible - in many ways. One of these problems is anti semitism.
But the criticism we’re discussing is aimed at an individual expatriate iranian, not iran. And it’s clearly bigoted.
Comment by dick — October 11, 2007 @ 4:53 pm
dick,
Thanks for clearing that up.
The individual expatriate Iranian can refuse to do his job in Israel because the country he left is bigoted.
Gotchya.
Comment by P.Tane — October 11, 2007 @ 6:48 pm
Oct. 11, 2007 - Getting religious leaders to agree on anything is notoriously difficult. So this morning’s announcement—that 138 of the world’s most powerful Muslim clerics, scholars and intellectuals from all branches of Islam (Sunni and Shia, Salafi and Sufi, liberal and conservative) had come together to write a letter to the world’s Christian leaders—is being hailed as something of a miracle.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21248862/site/newsweek/
Comment by Perry — October 12, 2007 @ 3:47 pm
Perry
It is not that simple, and it is not a miracle. In my view it is good propaganda and nothing but.
They have wrote the letter to christian clerics citing shahada and affirming their belief in Qu’ran. They mentioned words of Muhammad regarding peace as it is stated in Bukhari but not in Qu’ran. They called Jesus Christ prophet and cited the words of Qu’ran to back it up.
In Christianity Jesus Christ is not a prophet but a son of God, there is also a difference between the belief in one, indivisible God, and the way God is described in New Testament.
Citing shahada and inviting christians to agree with it is not exactly the way to make bridges with christian believers.
The statement about most powerful Muslim clerics also is not necessarily true. Most of the clerics, signatories of the letter have either ties either to KSA or to The Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute whose initiative it was. In the list of signatories there are no clerics from Iran; neither Qaradawi nor Tariq Ramadan who have large following in the ME and in the West respectively did not sign the letter, there are no clerics from Iraq, at least none popular among iraqi shia.
If you were a muslim what would be your reaction if somebody said that Muhammad was not a prophet and asked you to come to work in peace together?
Comment by kathya — October 13, 2007 @ 7:58 pm
Louis kestenbaum A satmar Chasid is being accused. WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A teenage girl has filed a $50 million lawsuit against a New York billionaire, saying he sexually abused her when she was 14.
Louis Kestenbaum”s attorney says the allegations are false and motivated by money. Kestenbaum is also the CEO of Fortis properties and the ODA a goverment funded organisation in the williamsburg section of Brooklyn NY
The girl, now 17, claims Louis Kestenbaum invited her to his Florida mansion in 2005 to perform a massage for $300. The lawsuit, filed in federal court, claims he demanded she remove her clothes, then sexually assaulted her.
The girl, her father and stepmother are seeking more than $50 million.
Joel kestenbaum the son of Louis kestenabum had no comments.
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