Religious gesture or Islamist greeting? A pointing finger post from Antonio Rüdiger sparks discussions. Now the national player and the DFB have filed a complaint.
At the beginning of Ramadan, the German football-National player Antonio Rüdiger on Instagram on March 11th Photo-Post published, which is now the subject of heated debate. Rüdiger then points upwards with the index finger of his right hand.
He sits on a prayer rug in a white robe. The practicing Muslim wrote about the photo: “May the Almighty accept our fasting and prayers.” This year the fasting month runs from March 10th to April 9th.
Two complaints against Julian Reichelt
Before the international match between Germany and France, Julian Reichelt, the former editor-in-chief of the tabloid “Bild”, reacted to Rüdiger’s posting on Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter. He wrote: “Islamism in the German starting eleven this evening.” In Reichelt’s opinion, Rüdiger showed an Islamist gesture by raising his index finger.
Former “Bild” editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt
The national player and the German Football Association (DFB) are now taking legal action against this. Rüdiger feels vilified and slandered by Reichelt. He therefore filed a criminal complaint with the Berlin public prosecutor’s office. The DFB reported the matter to the Central Office for Combating Internet Crime (ZIT) of the Frankfurt/Main Public Prosecutor’s Office. “Bild” first reported on the advertisements.
Interior Ministry: Gesture is not a security risk
According to the ministry’s assessment, the so-called “tawhid” finger should be understood as a confession of faith and should therefore be classified as unproblematic in terms of public safety. “This applies regardless of the fact that Islamist groups appropriate this symbol and misuse it for their own purposes.”
In this respect, showing the gesture “can be viewed in certain contexts as a sign of Salafist or Islamist radicalization if actors consciously use this ambiguity.” This depends on the individual case consideration.
Our sources:
- dpa
- “Bild” newspaper
- X (formerly Twitter)
WDR will also report on this topic on television on March 26, 2024, in the current hour at 6:45 p.m.