Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger considers legal action after being linked to terrorist group ISIS
German and Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger is considering taking legal action after he was linked with a deadly terrorist group, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
This comes after Rudiger shared a Ramadan greeting on Instagram, allegedly showing support for the terrorist organization Islamic State, according to former German media chief Julian Reichelt.
In a lengthy post on his official X handle, former Bild CEO Reichelt called Rudiger’s motion an “Islamists’ salute” and said it was the “ISIS greeting of Islamists.”
The player has, however, distanced himself from the claims of the statement made by Reichelt while also expressing his disappointment that his photo has been used by individuals to make unfounded accusations.
He said; “On the occasion of the beginning of Lent, I posted a snapshot on Instagram. It has already been publicly visible for 13 days [since March 11] and has reached several million interactions 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 tawhid fingering. In Islam, this is considered a symbol of the unity and oneness of God. The gesture is widespread among Muslims around the world and in recent days the Federal Ministry of the Interior has classified it as non-problematic. 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.”
Reichelt is now the target of a complaint from Rudiger’s management for “insult or slander, inflammatory insult, and sedition,” according to ESPN. Additionally, the German Football Association has filed a lawsuit, alleging he made “online hate speech.”
