This is not a post about FCBarcelona’s ugly game against Real Madrid CF or that against AC Milan, though these were two of the worst games that I have seen this team play, nor is it about the team’s recent bad form. It is about a game that will be uglier and in my opinion far more insulting to what this great institution would like to stand for than a competitive match lost here or there. It is a game that is scheduled to be played in July of this year between Barca and a team of “israeli” and Palestinian players.

I am huge fan of FCBarcelona and their amazing football. I have enjoyed the magic for a long time now and I do feel that FCB is as its slogan goes: Mes Que Un Club (More than a club) but the way the club has approached this issue infringes greatly on that maxim and on what any sporting institution should stand for simply because it ignores a simple fact: The issue of Palestine is not that of two communities in need of dialogue, the issue of Palestine is that of occupation, apartheid and ethnic cleansing. Standing at an equal distance between the occupier and the occupied is a clear siding with the occupier.
It might be that FCB and its huge army of fans consider the initiative an opportunity for peace and a friendly that will help the communities bridge their differences but I can assure the club and its army that a different brutal and fully armed army and its state and occupation of Palestine are the main hindrance for the freedom of Palestine and Palestinians and peace.
Just to give 2 examples (of many) of the occupier’s infringements on the footballing scene in Palestine (and ignoring all other facets of life) the zionist entity:
  1. imprisoned Mahmoud Sarsak, a palestinian international football player, for 3 years without a trial and only released him in July 2012 after he went on hunger strike for 3 months and numerous calls for his release by the international community.
  2. During its recent attack on Gaza the IOF bombarded the Palestine Stadium where football matches are held in the Gaza strip (You can read about the attack here and here)

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I am not YET asking FCB or any other european team to boycott teams from the zionist entity on a competitive level, as they should, all I will be asking of FCB for the next few months is to cancel this friendly match and say no to the occupier, its occupation of Palestine and continued violations of human rights. While I believe that a sporting boycott is warranted I am currently only asking FCBarcelona not to deal with the Occupier and the occupied on an equal footing and cancel this Ugly Game.
I want to suggest that you join me in my call… But the decision to do so completely your own.
Note (1): I do not speak on behalf of all Palestinians when I say that the collaboration of the Palestinian National Authority and its Football Association with this game does not make it any less ugly or any less biased.

Note (2): this article in Arabic states that the Palestinian FA has refused the idea of the game.

Note (3): This seems to be an ongoing coverage of a situation. In the most recent news about this Ugly Game, it seems the Palestinian FA has agreed to take part in the game and help whitewash the zionist crimes with the help of FC Barcelona. I wonder who got paid and how much? (Gibril Rujoub)

On this topic also read Abir Kopty’s recent blog post: برشلونة تمنح الاحتلال خدمة اما نحن فخدمتين