Real Madrid key defender breaks silence over photo that has given rise to unfair accusations | OneFootball

Earlier this week, a famous former tabloid editor blew Real Madrid star Antonio Rudiger’s casual Instagram post out of proportion with a baseless claim.

Rudiger, a practising Muslim, posted a photo of him kneeling in a white robe and pointing his finger upwards on his social media, wishing his followers a happy Ramadan.

Former BILD editor Julian Reichelt, however, went on to state that Rudiger’s post was in support of the terrorism. Since then, he has received support from across the world including the DFB, and has now come out to clarify his stance.

Clarification on the post

Providing a statement on the baseless claims and hatred on his post, Rudiger explained his case and how his post was a normal symbol in Islam as opposed to a sign of terrorism.

“To mark the beginning of Ramadan, I published a post on Instagram. This post has already been public for 13 days and has reached several million followers without any criticism from anyone. But in recent days the photo has been used by individuals to make unfounded accusations.”

“The gesture I used is called the tawheed finger. In Islam, this is considered a symbol of the unity and uniqueness of God. The gesture is widespread among Muslims all over the world and has been classified as unproblematic by the Federal Ministry of the Interior in the past few days,” he added.

On respecting all religions

The Real Madrid defender then went on to highlight how he has always been one to respect and tolerate all religions irrespective of his personal beliefs and how he always advocated for peace.

“As a devout Muslim, I practice my faith, but I firmly distance myself from any kind of extremism and accusations of Islamism. Violence and terrorism are absolutely unacceptable. I stand for peace and tolerance.”

“Many of my family members belong to different religions. Nevertheless, we respect each other and celebrate religious festivals together. Respect and tolerance are fundamental principles that we all represent in our family,” he added.

On the steps forward

Taking a firm stand against the former German journalist for blowing a simple post out of proportion and degrading his name in the media, Rudiger announced that he has filed a complaint and that he hoped the statement offered the required clarification.

“However, I also recognize that due to insufficient attention, I have given third parties the opportunity to deliberately misinterpret my posting in order to divide and polarize. But I will not offer a platform for division and radicalization, which is why I have decided to make a clear statement after our two successful international matches.”

“At the same time, I will not allow myself to be insulted and denigrated as an Islamist. That’s why I decided to file a complaint. This is about propaganda and division; I will always resolutely defend myself against that,” he added.

“I hope this clarification helps clear up misunderstandings and bring the truth to light. I would also like to thank the DFB, who supported me at all times in this matter,” he concluded.

Having played 90 minutes in both of Germany’s wins over the The Netherlands and France, Rudiger will return to training with Real Madrid and is expected to start against Athletic Club this weekend.

Source of Rudiger’s quotes: BILD