Mesut Ozil: Arsenal distance self from midfielder's comments about ill-treatment of Muslims
- Mesut Ozil has voiced his frustrations regarding how Muslims are being treated in China
- A number Turkic-speaking tribe in Xinjiang have been in detention camps by the authorities
- However, Arsenal have come out to distance self from Ozil comments on social media
Mesut Ozil has criticized Muslims for keeping quiet about how they are being persecuted in China but Arsenal have come out to distance themselves from his statement.
Ozil took to his Instagram account to vent his anger about ill-treatment of the Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking Muslim minority, in the north-western region of Xinjiang.
It is understood than more than one million people have been held in detention camps by the Chinese authorities for religious reasons.
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But after Ozil made comments on his social media account Arsenal were quick to respond and distance themselves from such claims.
Ozil's message on Instagram read: “East Turkistan, the bleeding wound of the Ummah, resisting against the persecutors trying to separate them from their religion.
"They burn their Qurans. They shut down their mosques. They ban their schools. They kill their holy men."
"The men are forced into camps and their families are forced to live with Chinese men. The women are forced to marry Chinese men.
“But Muslims are silent. They won’t make a noise. They have abandoned them. Don’t they know that giving consent for persecution is persecution itself?”
Arsenal who have numerous business interests in China released a statement: "Regarding the comments made by Mesut Özil on social media, Arsenal must make a clear statement,” it read.
“The content published is Özil’s personal opinion. As a football club, Arsenal has always adhered to the principle of not involving itself in politics.”
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that Manchester United and Arsenal could be pegged against Cluj and Sporting Lisbon respectively in the Europa League round of 32.
United and the Gunners finished as respective group winners and are expected to face tricky contests in the knockout phase of the competition.
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Source: Legit.ng
