AWG, MER-C Reject Israeli Football Team Play in Indonesia

Jakarta, MINA – The Aqsa Working Group (AWG) and the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) held a Futsal Fun Match on Friday, September 16, as one of actions in rejecting the Israeli Football National Team’s play in Indonesia on the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

“The purpose of this event is to defend Palestinian. Everything depends on the intention, if we intend to defend them then In Shaa Allah it will be considered as brotherhood (ukhuwah), and we know that it has a very high reward (pahala) in our religion, “said Imam Yakhsyallah. 

“Palestinian are our brothers and sisters, therefore we will always defend them in any ways, one of them is we will hold futsal this afternoon, and this is our way of rejecting the Israeli national team’s participation in the U-20 World Cup, ” he added.

The AWG Presidium, Rustam Effendy said there are at least four reasons for the rejection of the Israeli national team’s participation in that event, first, the commitment of Indonesian to outright reject all types of colonialism in the world  is stated in paragraph 4 of the 1945 Constitution.

Second, the First President of the Republic of Indonesia, Ir. Soekarno had forbidden the Indonesian national team from competing with Israel even though at that time our Indonesia had a great opportunity to participate in the 1958 World Cup. Third, President Joko Widodo called for boycotting Israeli products at the 2016 OIC Summit. Fourth, the United Nations (UN) also declared Israel broke international law.

Because of those reasons, AWG and MER-C’s reject their participation in the 2023 U-20 World Cup  by holding this match. He also asked the society to promote rejecting Israeli national team’s participation. 

As the runner up group in Euro U-19 2022, Israel will participate in that event. 

Meanwhile, six stadiums have been prepared for the 2023 U-20 World Cup, i.e Gelora Bung Karno (Jakarta), Si Jalak Harupat (Bandung), Jakabaring (Palembang), Manahan (Solo), Gelora Bung Tomo (Surabaya), and Captain I Wayan Dipta ( Bali). (T/ri/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)