The National Press Council (CNDP) and the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) denounced a defamatory article published by “AchKayen” e-paper about Zakaria Aboukhlal, a national football team player.
The article which accused Aboukhlal of Salafism triggered angry reactions by both social media users and official and public institutions inside and outside Morocco.
The CNDP considered that the highly defamatory comments made against Zakaria Aboukhlal cannot be considered decent or ethical journalistic work, underlining that the focus of this media outlet on people’s private lives, ethnicity or religious background, is unacceptable.
The CNDP said it will bring this case to its Ethics and Disciplinary Committee.
For its part, the FRMF expressed its strong condemnation of this attack against Aboukhlal and the misinterpretation of his behavior. The FRMF said that it intends to sue “Achkayen” to protect the national football team members from all allegations.
Toulouse Football Club (TFC), where Aboukhlal plays, slammed the accusations made by the website, and joined the Moroccan Football Federation in expressing its full support and trust in the player. The TFC reserves the right to resort to all legal means to defend the image and integrity of Zakaria, it said.
Aboukhlal is a Morocco-Libyan resident in France. He has been playing with the National football team since 2020 and is known for being a religious person.
The “Achkayen” article intruded into Aboukhlal’s religious orientation and private life, saying that he memorized the Quran and is reciting it according to the Middle Eastern Salafist way.
It added that Aboukhlal played the role of Imam (religious leader) on several occasions and caused the association made by German TV channel “Welt” between the national players and ISIS.
Zakaria’s prostration after scoring a goal while playing Belgium was criticized and accused as a non-valid prostration because of his non-Islamic clothing. His fiancée’s modest clothing was also castigated to tarnish the image of the international.