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Saudi soccer team refuses to pay tribute to London terror victims

Thursday, 08 June 2017 9:27 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 09 June 2017 10:49 AM ]

A photo retweeted by social media users shows the Saudi national soccer team trotting around during a minute's silence for the victims of the London terror attacks during the team’s match with Australia in Adelaide on June 8, 2017.

Saudi Arabia’s national soccer team has come under criticism for its refusal to observe a minute’s silence for the London attack victims during a recent match with Australia.

Before the World Cup qualifier in Adelaide on Thursday, the Australian national soccer team lined up in the center of the field to keep silence over the killing of two Australian women in last week's terror attacks in London.

However, the Saudi team continued jogging, passing the ball and taking their positions on the field. Pictures show a Saudi player, Salman al-Faraj, facing the Australian team with his hands behind his back.

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‘Time to call Saudi after London terror’

The Asian Football Confederation had reportedly approved the minute’s silence against the wishes of Saudi officials.

According to a tweet by Adam Peacock, a presenter with Fox Sports Australia, the Football Federation of Australia “tried to reason” with the Saudis, but they could not persuade them to participate in the minute’s silence.

Social media users have criticized the Saudi team’s behavior.

Many netizens have rejected arguments that observing the minute’s silence may not exist in the Saudi culture and pointed to different instances of Saudis holding silence during sports matches in the past.

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation later apologized for “any offense caused” by its players’ misbehavior.

Social media users reject arguments that observing a minute’s silence may not exist in the Saudi culture and point to different instances of Saudis holding silence during sports matches, including in a match shown in this picture of Saudi team, Al-Ahli Saudi FC, standing for a minute’s silence before a Qatar Airways Cup match against Barcelona in December 2016.

On Saturday night, assailants ran over pedestrians and went on a stabbing spree at a nearby restaurant in London Bridge, killing eight people and injuring over 40 others.

Daesh has claimed responsibility for the recent attack, without providing any supporting evidence that it was in contact with the attackers.

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