'Benzema has links with a terrorist group' says French minister

Not mixing sport and politics has always been a mantra in the sports world, but it‘s a mantra that actually doesn‘t always work.

For example, Russia‘s sportists are not allowed to participate (men, women, or kids) because their country is under sanctions due to the war in Ukraine, even though none of them participated in it.

And the new conflict between Israel and Palestine is also a new opportunity, this time for sportsists to break the mantra of not mixing sports and politics.

Numerous players, famous and less famous, former and current, decided to support one or the other side on their social media accounts, attracting negative comments and accusations. And Karim Benzema got a big one from the French state.

The former Real Madrid striker is known for being a Muslim, which is one of the main reasons (apart from the huge amount of money) for choosing to continue his career in Saudi Arabia.

This conflict, started by Muslim organization Hamas, which resulted in civilian casualties on both sides, was big enough for Benzema to write on Twitter and support Muslims who live in Gaza.

"All our prayers are with the inhabitants of Gaza, who are once again victims of these unjust bombings that do not spare women and children," the Al-Ittihad striker wrote on Twitter. The response soon came, but from high authorities, e.a the French Minister of the Interior, Gerald Darmanin, “We have closed more than 1,100 Islamist centers, and I am referring specifically to Mr. Karim Benzema, who has notorious links, as we all know, with the Muslim Brotherhood. We attack a hydra, which is the Muslim Brotherhood, that generates a jihadist atmosphere," said Darmanin during the talk show on Cnews.

The reason for this attack on Benzema is purely in the fact that he wrote on Twitter in support of Gaza inhabitants but also failed to do the same when Hamas attacked Israeli civilians and to condemn the murder of a French teacher outside the institute on the outskirts of Paris, which has shocked France.

It has been considered a terrorist attack, but Benzema remained silent about all of this until the first bombs fell on Gaza.

Benzema: 'It is important to be in a Muslim country'

The Muslim Brotherhood, recognized as a terrorist organization in countries like France, the United States, Russia, or Egypt, is considered a terrorist organization and is one of the most influential groups in the Arab world. 

Their ultimate goal is to extend the Islamic laws and principles contained in the Quran and the Sunna (sayings and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad) to all areas of life—personal, social, political, economic, and cultural. gradually and peacefully.