CAIRO — An uproar over social networking sites has been sparked by the committee tasked with managing the Muslim Brotherhood funds, when it issued a May 8 decision to freeze the funds of Egyptian soccer star Mohamed Aboutrika on charges of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood. Wide popular sectors, including supporters of the June 30 revolution, have consequently rushed to show solidarity and sympathy with the player.
Aboutrika enjoys sweeping popularity among Egyptians and Arabs in general, not only for his unique soccer skills, but also for his good morals and great humanitarian positions. Arabs will never forget his January 2008 stance on the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip. Trying to draw the attention of the world to the suffering of the Palestinian people, he wore a jersey printed with a Gaza solidarity logo during the game against Sudan in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2008 in Ghana. Though the move could have led to sanctions by the African Union for using political slogans during a sports game, Aboutrika went through with his decision to draw the world’s attention on Gaza, in a game widely covered by the media.