This “Jihad” banner did not appear in Gaza. Nor in Iran.
It appeared in Poland, at a soccer game.
Anti-racism groups have called on European football’s governing body UEFA to punish Polish club Legia Warsaw after fans brandished a “Jihad” banner during a Europa League match against Israeli side Hapoel Tel Aviv.
“This is yet another case of anti-Semitic behaviour by extremist groups active in Polish football stadiums, and it could have been predicted,” said Rafal Pankowski of the campaign group Never Again.
At the start of Thursday night’s Group C home game in Warsaw – which Legia won 3-2 – a group of fans unfurled a huge banner stretching across three blocks of a stand.
Written in Arabic-style letters, it read “Jihad Legia”. The banner was green, which is one of Legia’s colours but also that of Islamist groups.
“Some Legia fans have been known for anti-Semitic and extreme-right behaviour for years and they had a chance to express their hatred of Jews again when Legia played an Israeli team, this time adopting a pseudo-Islamist guise,” added Mr Pankowski, who runs the UEFA-backed Football Against Racism in Europe network.
Who do these Legia fans think they are? Feyenoord fans?
