The central defender presents himself on a prayer mat with his index finger outstretched. Islamism experts also disagree about how this should be assessed.
Defender with a pious beard: Antonio Rüdiger.
Jürgen Kessler / Imago
A raised index finger is not a pleasant gesture per se. Those who use them often appear accusatory, often with a moralizing undertone. He wants to hold his fellow human beings accountable.
It is not known whether German national soccer player Antonio Rüdiger had such intentions. The player is a practicing Muslim, which is clear from just looking at him. A few years ago he grew a beard like those worn by strict Muslims. About two weeks ago, he appeared on his Instagram channel with his index finger outstretched at the beginning of Ramadan – kneeling on a prayer mat, wearing religious clothing. Rüdiger wrote that he wishes all Muslims a blessed Ramadan.
It took a while for Rüdiger, who is expected to be in the starting lineup for Germany’s game against the Netherlands on Tuesday, to receive media attention. The online portal Nius picked up the entry and scandalized the gesture: “National player Rüdiger shows Islamist greetings from Isis.”
A very lively debate soon developed on X (formerly Twitter), which was not without its acrimony. Because the gesture is anything but clear. The so-called Tawhid finger was once considered a symbol of traditional Muslims. Of these, it is still used during a prayer. But it has now been hijacked by extremists and terrorists. Anis Amri, the assassin from Berlin’s Breitscheidplatz, showed up with the salute, as did a murderer from Duisburg who killed for Islamist motives. Numerous videos are circulating in which the IS terrorists raise their index fingers.
So it’s not a trivial sign. And that’s exactly what makes things complicated. How Rüdiger’s pose should be evaluated is debated not only by laypeople, but also by experts. The author Hamed Abdel-Samad, for example, a sharp critic of Islamism who was temporarily under police protection in Germany, defended Rüdiger on X (formerly Twitter): “Antonio Rüdiger has my solidarity. I find it abhorrent to incite against him for a harmless gesture while the true Islamists in the country are left alone and even courted politically. Relax a little!”
Antonio Rüdiger has my solidarity. I find it abhorrent to incite against him for a harmless gesture while the true Islamists in the country are left alone and even courted politically. Relax a bit! @ToniRuediger pic.twitter.com/3kZT1ccAfT
– Hamed Abdel-Samad (@hamed_samad) March 25, 2024
An expert speaks of “Salafist imagery”
The ethnologist Susanne Schröter from the Global Islam Research Center at the Goethe University Frankfurt, however, considers Rüdiger’s appearance in an interview with the NZZ to be problematic: “Antonio Rüdiger uses Salafist imagery that has little to do with that of an outstretched index finger in the sense of Tawhid, as it is also used by devout Muslims during prayer. But this is not a prayer, but rather a pure production that is aimed at the viewer and is intended to be understood by the viewer.”
Extremism expert Ahmad Mansour took a position in between: “This gesture was appropriated by Islamists and claimed for themselves. It is wrong to give such extremists sovereignty over interpretation.” Mansour assumed in Rüdiger’s favor on
So is Rüdiger not even aware of what message he is sending? This is just as possible as the opposite. His critics, however, can point out that this is not the first time that Rüdiger has spoken. In 2020, he liked a photo on Instagram that a world-famous mixed martial arts fighter had published. It showed French President Emmanuel Macron with the imprint of a shoe sole on his face. Shortly before, Macron had declared war on Islamism in France after the French teacher Samuel Paty was murdered by an extremist. The caption in Russian read: “And may Allah punish all those who violate the honor of the best people of the Prophet Mohammed.”
At the time, Rüdiger apologized for his like. He said that you should not give your consent to things that are written in a language that you do not understand. He wants to clearly distance himself from this content.
The DFB was lenient with Rüdiger
At the time, the DFB was content with Rüdiger’s explanation. This is interesting in that the picture with Macron could not be misunderstood at all. It would have worked just as well without text – it speaks for itself. The DFB’s leniency is also surprising, as the association usually never misses an opportunity to present itself as an organization that does not tolerate violence and extremism.
The DFB promotes “openness, diversity and tolerance” almost constantly – it almost sounds like a civil religious creed. The German national team had to experience the consequences of such discussions at the World Cup in Qatar, when the debates about the so-called one-love bandage did not necessarily prove to be conducive to performance.
Rüdiger also published a post about the trip with the German national team to the USA, which he signed “First Step!!” provided. It was just a few days after Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel. There were hundreds of comments under the photo with the slogan “Free Palestine.” However, Rüdiger did not respond to his followers’ requests to position himself in favor of the Palestinians.