German international footballer Antonio Rüdiger says “third parties” have sought to spread division — portraying him as an Islamist over a Ramadan gesture that he posted online.
Germany and Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger and the German Football Association (DFB) have launched legal proceedings against a former newspaper editor who accused the player of making a gesture of support for Islamic extremism in a Ramadan-related social media post.
On March 11, at the start of the Muslim month for fasting, prayer, community and reflection, Rüdiger posted an image of himself kneeling on a prayer map in a white robe with his right index finger pointing upwards, along with the caption: “Ramadan Mubarak to all Muslims around the world. May the almighty accept our fasting and prayers.”
Two weeks later, when Rüdiger was named in the starting line-up for Germany’s 2-0 win against France on March 24, journalist Julian Reichelt, the former editor of the German tabloid newspaper Bild, took to the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, claiming that Rüdiger’s raised finger constituted an Islamist gesture.
“Islamism in the German starting eleven this evening,” he wrote, following it up with a series of posts on the gesture and its supposedly extremist connotations.
Rüdiger and the DFB took action on Monday, the 31-year-old defender filing a complaint to Berlin prosecutors relating to defamation, inciting offense and incitement to hatred, and the DFB reporting the case to the Central Unit for the Suppression of Internet Crime (ZIT) in Frankfurt.
What the player said
Rüdiger said the gesture was called the “tawhid finger” — a symbol of the unity and uniqueness of God. The gesture is widespread among Muslims all over the world, the player told Bild.
Rüdiger’s comments came after he featured in Germany’s victory against the Netherlands on Tuesday night.
“In the last few days, the photo has been used by individuals to make unfounded accusations,” the player said.
“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.”
Rüdiger said his family members practiced various religions and would celebrate one another’s festivals together.
